IHDCYH Youth Advisory Council

Cassie Bruhm
Kjipuktuk, Mi'kma'ki / Mahone Bay, NS

Cassie is a youth from Kjipuktuk, Mi'kma'ki (The great harbour, the land of the Mi'kmaq). She attends Mount Saint Vincent University where she's enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Study program. When Cassandra is not in school she can be found participating in her culture, working with youth in her community doing peer support work and chilling with her cat Felix. Cassie strives to use her personal experiences to influence policies and to always include her community in everything she's a part of. Having the experience of being part of the IHDCYH's YAC has not only impacted her life but also had enormous impact on her peers she shares the journey with.

Nova Celeste
Toronto, ON

Nova is a Two-Spirit transwoman from the Georgian Bay region studying Onajigawin Indigenous Services at Confederation College. She is a survivor of human trafficking and a passionate advocate for victims' rights with a background in mental health and addictions. She has served on numerous boards and committees with work focusing on a range of topics from sexual and reproductive health rights to Indigenous healing and wellness. Nova currently sits on the youth advisory council for Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights where she has advised on the development of both national and regional STI campaigns.

Neo Chan
Vancouver, BC

Neo, Grade 9, brings a unique middle school perspective. Passionate about making healthcare more inclusive for kids, he is the founder of and model designer for Medi Pals, a family project that has donated thousands of bears and 3D-printed medical model accessories to hospitals and clinics across Canada. These tools, printed, assembled, and packaged at home, help children understand care through supervised, imaginative play. He created Sign-O-Lingo, a computer vision tool that teaches ASL, which earned a silver medal at the Canada-Wide Science Fair and won the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association Award. Having grown up with a sibling who has chronic kidney disease, Neo understands the challenges children and families face. He and his siblings created educational videos that explain nephrotic syndrome in simple, kid-friendly ways, earning them the NephCure Volunteer of the Year Award. Neo hopes to be a bridge between healthcare systems and the children and siblings who experience them.

Matthew Garrett
Winnipeg, MB

Matthew is going into his second year at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Medicine. His interest in youth health developed through several years of work with young people in recreation and community settings. That work showed him how much a young person's care depends on their surrounding resources, which drew him toward health policy. Matthew has since volunteered with organizations that work with marginalized young people and has begun advocating for better coverage of treatments for chronic conditions. He is currently involved in a range of clinical research projects, including pediatric studies. He is interested in the health of youth in rural, northern and lower income communities. In the future he hopes to combine clinical practice with research and policy work. As a member of the Youth Advisory Council, Matthew plans to raise the perspective of Prairie youth and to advocate for funding decisions that reflect what young people actually need.

Sophie Harb
Ottawa, ON

Sophie is in her fourth year of a Bachelor in Health Sciences with a focus on population and public health at the University of Ottawa. Through her undergrad she's been involved in environmental health and population health research projects. Her work experience at Montfort Hospital Emergency allowed her to gain valuable knowledge about the healthcare system and health challenges in the community. Actively volunteering and working with diverse people of all ages (older adults in long term care as well as youth) has given her an interdisciplinary approach to health. Sophie is passionate about public health, health policy, research and emergency management. Through her involvement with the council she hopes to engage in discussions that will bridge the gaps between research and health policies/applications. She hopes to help establish health research priorities with other members of the council, represent her community and advocate for linguistic minorities and underserved communities across provinces.

Jeremy Houchane
Charlottetown, PEI

Jeremy Houchane is a third-year student at Mount Allison University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He has served on multiple federal youth councils including the Library and Archives Canada YAC and the RCMP National Youth Advisory Committee. Jeremy is a SHAD Canada 2023 alumnus, where he completed the program at Mount Allison University. He is also a musician in the Canadian Armed Forces and a saxophonist in the Band of the Ceremonial Guard of Canada, based in Ottawa. He is passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion in health research and is excited to be an advocate for youth in his community by being a member of this council.

Nathanael Ip
Coquitlam, BC

Nathanael is a University of Alberta student and former Fulbright Killam Fellow at the University of Washington. Passionate about youth health and wellbeing, he advocates on the University of Alberta's General Faculties Council, the British Columbia Ministry of Health's Youth Advisory Council, and at the United Nations. Nathanael contributes to social epidemiology and planetary health research at the University of Alberta and leads Positivitree, a collective aiming to alleviate youth climate anxiety. He also contributes to the Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Climate Change and Mental Health. Through his first term on the council, Nathanael served on CIHR peer review committees, led a youth sustainable development consultation, and represented the council at an Institute Advisory Board meeting. As he begins his second term, Nathanael is driven to deepen the collaborative work started with fellow members to build a more equitable future for Canadian health research and healthcare.

Finn Johnson
Smoky Lake, AB

Finn is a first-year B.Sc. student at UBC with a passion for health research and a goal of pursuing graduate education and a career in medical research. His interest in health research is deeply personal, stemming from his diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes at just 15 months old. Since then, he has devoted countless hours to learning to manage his condition, advocating for his needs at home, school, and work, and raising funds for organizations including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Alberta Diabetes Foundation, and the Stollery Hospital. This past spring Finn was named a Loran Scholar, an honour he is proud of and an opportunity that has connected him with a community of learners and leaders who share his commitment to making a difference. As a proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Finn is eager to contribute to the Youth Advisory Council and collaborate with other young people on issues affecting Indigenous and rural youth, particularly equitable access to health-care resources and mental health support.

Sophie LeBlanc
Clare, NS

Sophie is entering her fourth year of a Bachelor of Science with a major in Psychology at Dalhousie University, where she is also pursuing a Certificate in Science Communication and Leadership. Growing up in rural Acadian Nova Scotia has shaped Sophie’s passion for improving equitable access to mental health care and educational supports for children and youth, particularly in rural and Francophone communities. Sophie is passionate about science communication, youth engagement, and ensuring that research and health resources are accessible, understandable, and inclusive for everyone. Throughout her academic and extracurricular experiences, Sophie has had the opportunity to serve on several youth committees and advisory groups, where she has advocated for the inclusion of youth perspectives in decision-making. Sophie is excited to bring this dedication to health research by working alongside other youth to help shape research and policy that reflects the needs of young people across Canada.

Chimdy Onyebuchi
Montreal, QC

Chimdy is a CEGEP student in the Health and Life Sciences program with a strong passion for women's health and advancing equity in the healthcare system. Her volunteer work in hospital settings has strengthened her commitment to making care more inclusive and accessible for all. She's especially interested in how social factors influence health outcomes, particularly for women and underserved communities. Chimdy currently serves on the Aga Khan Foundation Canada's Youth Advisory Committee, where she helps involve young people in international development and brings forward youth voices in important conversations. Through the IHDCYH Youth Advisory Council, she looks forward to contributing to meaningful discussions, helping shape research and policy that reflect the needs of young people across Canada, and making a tangible impact on her community.

Iles Ousmer
Montreal, QC

A graduate of Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Iles studies anatomy and cell biology at McGill University. Holding a certificate in reducing racial disparities in healthcare from the Harvard Online School, Iles serves as a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic board at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, in addition to working there as a clinical administrative agent.

Recognized for his leadership, he chairs a project promoting youth health, access to sports, and healthy nutrition at a high school in northern Montreal—an initiative that earned him the Siva Kumari grant from the Global Youth Action Fund. Vice-President of the Conseil jeunesse de Montréal (Montreal Youth Council), he was named a 2025 Hiroshima Peace Ambassador in the context of a diplomatic mission for the City of Montreal.

Henry Stewart
Calgary, AB

Henry is in his first year attending the University of Calgary, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Born as a micro preemie twin with an early diagnosis of cerebral palsy, Henry is passionate about advocating for the disabled community. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility are all initiatives that fuel Henry's desire to connect with the community. Sitting on several youth advisory councils both municipally and provincially, Henry is honoured to work with peers on the IHDCYH Youth Advisory Council. Engaging members of equity deserving groups and combining his lived knowledge and experience of biomedical engineering, Henry strives to create change in the worlds of both physical and mental health.

Kira Young
Yellowknife, NWT

Kira is a first-year student at McMaster University pursuing a degree in Arts and Science. Originally from Yellowknife, NWT, she brings firsthand insight into the challenges faced by patients living in Northern and remote parts of Canada. Kira's work at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research as well as lived experience with a wildfire evacuation sparked her interest in the intersection of climate change and the social determinants of health, and reinforced her belief in the value of integrating youth voices and perspectives into health research and decision making. While on the IHDCYH council, Kira aims to uplift the voices and unique challenges of Northern youth, those living rurally and remotely, and those living with rare diseases.