Jennie Abbot | Youth and Family Research Steering Committee Member 

Jennie Abbot (she/her) is honored to live, work and play on the traditional, unceded and ancestral territories of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Matsqui and Semiahmoo First Nations. Jennie is the mother of two wonderful teenagers and the founder of Harmony Kids Yoga and Mindfulness Co., offering calming tools for kids ages 1-18 years old for the past 10 years. She is grateful to be a part of Foundry. Jennie is very passionate about supporting children and youth mental health and always eager to learn new ways to uplift the kids in our community. 

Sarah Adair | Research Coordinator

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, during which she spent time studying psychology, circadian rhythms and substance use. Her previous work has included developing harm reduction and education programs, understanding pathways through health care and into post-secondary school, and eating disorder recovery. She has been a Research Coordinator at Foundry since 2022, where she has worked closely with Foundry centres on projects primarily focused on mental health, trauma and homelessness. In tandem to her role at Foundry, she is continuing her education through a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science, which will focus on mental health care in integrated youth services settings. Fun fact: Sarah’s idol is Jane Fonda, and she tries to emulate Jane’s resilience, passion for advocacy and zest for aerobics.

Anurada Amarasekera | Youth and Family Research Steering Committee Member

Anurada is a Clinical Psychology graduate student at Toronto Metropolitan University. She has worked with Foundry in a variety of capacities since 2016 and more closely with the Foundry Research team starting in 2020. Their research interests focus on centring lived experience in youth mental health and substance use, specifically in multiply minoritized populations such as queer racialized folks. In their free time, you can find Anurada swimming in open water, walking her dog or sipping on good matcha. 

Irha Asim | Youth and Family Research Steering Committee Member

Irha is currently in her third year of a Bachelor of Health Science degree, concentrating on public health, at Simon Fraser University. She aspires to get her Master of Public Health (MPH) and continue contributing to research to improve youth mental health services. She has been a member of many committees across the Foundry network since 2022, the primary one being the Provincial Youth Advisory Committee. During this time, she has made amazing lifelong connections, had the opportunity to co-write publications and presented at international conferences. Alongside her passion for mental health advocacy, Irha loves travelling and all things nature related, spending most of her time camping or hiking. 

 

Skye Barbic | Head Scientist; Foundry Research Scientist; Associate Professor at UBC; Canada Research Chair

Skye is the Canada Research Chair in Integrated Youth Services and brings over 18 years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist working with youth and young adults with mental ill-health and substance use disorders. She is an active member of the health outcomes research community and has applied her expertise in health outcomes measurement to the fields of psychiatry and mental health rehabilitation. Skye obtained her PhD at McGill University and conducted post-doctoral fellowships at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Psychiatry. Skye is a faculty member at UBC and a passionate member of Foundry since its inception. As the Foundry Head Scientist, Skye oversees all research activities and informs the Foundry community and partners about key results used to improve services.  

Fun fact: Skye’s past jobs include horse caretaker, flight attendant, athletic therapist, event planner and barista. 

 

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Christian Barborini | Youth Health Qualitative Research Coordinator

Christian Barborini is the Youth Health Qualitative Research Coordinator working with Dr. Danya Fast at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Their work utilizes community-based, qualitative and arts-based methods within the realm of youth substance use and mental health, as well as unstable housing and homelessness. They work out of the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS) field office where, alongside coordination of various qualitative research studies, they also facilitate three different youth groups with the shared goal of informing drug policy and practice through research guided by the perspectives of young people with lived or living experience of substance use. Christian’s work is informed by their years of experience working with youth populations and organizing within the 2S/LGBTQIA+ community. They are committed to approaching public health research from an intersectional, community-based lens that is grounded in fundamental social and health justice principles.

Keith Bodenham | Administrative Coordinator 

Keith Bodenham is the Administrative Coordinator supporting Foundry’s Research, Data and Evaluation teams. He brings a strong background in customer service, having worked in various call centres across sectors such as technology, healthcare and logistics. Since joining Foundry in 2024, he has played a key role in coordinating administrative functions, including scheduling meetings with senior leadership, assisting with travel arrangements and event planning, and ensuring accurate and timely invoice processing. Known for his detail-oriented approach and strong organizational skills, Keith supports the team in maintaining smooth and efficient operations.  

  

Fun fact: Outside of work, Keith enjoys exploring the outdoors through landscape photography, capturing the natural beauty of British Columbia and beyond. 

Lillian Brown | Research Assistant 

Lillian Brown is a Research Assistant with Foundry and a Youth Peer Support Worker at Foundry Cariboo Chilcotin. Lillian has two and a half years of experience in youth mental health care and peer support, using her lived experience and ability to connect to support young people. Her current areas of focus include bringing together young people over art groups, cultural groups and cooking skills, creating events alongside partners and Youth Advisory Committee members while working with counseling professionals in clinical groups. 

Sofia Celis | Research Assistant 

Sofia Celis (she/her) recently completed a Master of Public Health at the University of British Columbia with a concentration in health equity. Her research experience is based in qualitative methods and has focused on the social and structural determinants of mental health among various populations. She now applies her knowledge as a Research Assistant on the Youth Overdose Prevention Research Cluster, supporting projects on youth health and substance use. She is passionate about utilizing research that centres lived experiences in efforts to improve public health systems. In her downtime, Sofia enjoys reading, crafting and spending time outdoors. 

Cathy Chabot | Research Manager, Youth Overdose Prevention Research Cluster 

Cathy has a Master of Arts in Anthropology, specializing in medical anthropology, from Simon Fraser University. She has over 20 years’ experience conducting and managing qualitative and community-based research involving adolescents and young adults, including in the areas of substance use, mental health, sexual health, homelessness and social inequity. Cathy is the Research Manager of the Youth Overdose Prevention Research Cluster at the University of British Columbia, as well as the Manager of the Community Partnership Super Hub at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, gardening, volunteering and getting out in nature as much as possible.

Cameron Eekhoudt | Research Coordinator 

Cameron Eekhoudt is a Research Coordinator and Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia and the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. His research qualitatively explores the many ways adolescents across British Columbia experience recovery and healing in the context of unregulated substance use. Cameron also co-leads the Family and Caregiver Advisory Council for the Youth Overdose Prevention Research Cluster, where he champions the integration of lived experiences into research and works to ensure that the voices of those most affected guide the work. Beyond academia, Cameron is a proud uncle to two wonderful kids and loves hiking, yoga and getting outside—usually with a good cup of coffee in hand! 

Danya Fast | Foundry Research Scientist; Assistant Professor at UBC; Investigator at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute 

Danya has been a faculty member in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) since 2018. She co-leads UBC’s Youth Overdose Prevention Research Excellence Cluster, using applied and community-based participatory action methods to create research in partnership with young people and families (biological, adoptive and chosen) to drive change. A medical anthropologist by training, since 2007 her research has traced young people’s drug use, care and institutional trajectories in the context of successive waves of public health emergency, including ongoing housing and overdose crises. She is the author of the book The Best Place: Addiction, Intervention, and Living and Dying Young in Vancouver and producer of the award-winning Living On short film series. Danya is a mom, auntie, dog lover and audiobook enthusiast. 

Jodh Ghuman | Youth and Family Research Steering Committee Member 

Jodh was born and raised in Squamish, British Columbia, and completed his BSc from the University of Manitoba. He has been involved with integrated youth services advocacy for over 6 years with organizations such as Foundry, Huddle, the Federation of Integrated Youth Services Networks, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Movember. He has also worked as a summer research assistant with Foundry Research, where he was involved in topics such as implementation science of mental health and substance use innovations and knowledge translation of emergency department standards. He is currently studying medicine at the University of Manitoba. Jodh enjoys going on hikes with his family, spending time at rivers and growing fruits and vegetables like zucchini, blueberries and beans in his backyard. 

Ayah Has | Youth and Family Research Steering Committee Member 

Ayah is a youth on the Youth and Family Research Steering Committee and has the privilege of participating in other roles within Foundry, such as being on the Provincial Youth Advisory Committee and her local centre’s Youth Advocate Group. She is an undergraduate student at Simon Fraser University and settler on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, specifically the Musqueam, Kwantlen and Tsawwassen nations. Ayah carries passion around education, social justice, collective liberation, mental health and other topics. She believes the many areas she carries passions for are deeply interconnected and brings this intersectional lens to all the work she engages in.  

 

She enjoys going out to eat with friends and family along with spending time in nature. She considers her family and cats as her best friends and recognizes the privilege in being able to make such a statement! 

Amanda Kwan | Research Manager 

Amanda completed a Master of Science in Population and Public Health, specializing in systems science and epidemiology, from the University of British Columbia. Her current work focuses on understanding program and service impacts on health, social and employment outcomes for youth and adult populations. She is passionate about supporting the health and well-being of individuals across the life trajectory, from the early years through adolescence and adulthood. In her free time, you can find Amanda traveling or exploring the cuisines of different cultures from her kitchen. 

Julia Langton | Provincial Director, Research, Evaluation & Data

Julia has her PhD in Psychology/Neuroscience and has extensive experience in applied research in healthcare and performance measurement and evaluation frameworks. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and on the Executive Council of the Canadian Evaluation Society BC. She has led teams to develop evidence-informed communications products designed to enable learning and improve practice and policy including peer–reviewed publications, reports, blogs, presentations, book chapters and web resources. Julia comes to Foundry from Michael Smith Health Research BC where she led the evaluation team, and prior to that was at the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at UBC, leading provincial and national research initiatives in primary care. Julia is originally from Sydney, Australia, and, since moving to Canada in 2014, has become a Canadian citizen. In her spare time she loves swimming, snowshoeing and hiking (depending on the season), followed by a delicious meal with friends.

Stefanie Machado | Engagement Specialist 

Since arriving to Canada in 2013, Stefanie has spent much of her time in the field of health promotion (BSc) and public health (MPH). She brings eight years of experience conducting health services research with immigrant communities, most recently completing her PhD research on immigrant women’s access to health care using qualitative and community-engaged approaches. Stefanie draws on her experience as an immigrant in Abu Dhabi and Canada, as well as her passion for respectful and reciprocal community engagement to improve research quality while building community capacity and strong relationships.   

At Foundry, Stefanie helps the research team build systems, processes and practices to enable meaningful youth and family/caregiver engagement. Outside of work, she spends her time dancing salsa and kizomba, dreaming in nature, travelling and trying new foods. 

Kirsten Marchand | Foundry Research Scientist; Assistant Professor at UBC; Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar 

Dr. Kirsten Marchand is a Research Scientist at Foundry, an Assistant Professor (Partner) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) School of Population and Public Health, a Core Faculty member of the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research and a Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar.  

  

Kirsten’s health services research program aims to improve the quality of mental health and substance use services for youth and families/caregivers. Kirsten applies qualitative and quantitative research methods along with patient-oriented and integrated knowledge translation approaches to her research. She is currently leading research in two thematic areas: (1) investigating the impacts of innovative models of early intervention and treatment for substance use among youth; and (2) determining the mental health and substance use needs, experiences and outcomes of youth in the general population and youth accessing integrated youth services. This program builds on Dr. Marchand’s PhD in Population and Public Health from UBC.  

  

Kirsten’s research has been supported by fellowships and operating grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Michael Smith Health Research BC, UBC Institute of Mental Health and the BC Ministry of Health.  

  

Outside of work, Kirsten is grateful to spend time with her family on the unceded and traditional lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-waututh) Nations.  

 

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Steve Mathias | Co-Executive Director; Clinical Associate Professor at UBC 

Steve Mathias is Co-Executive Director of Foundry, British Columbia’s community-based, integrated health and social service network for young people (12-24 years old) and their families/caregivers. Steve trained as a psychiatrist at the University of British Columbia and has obtained fellowships in both Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (FRCPC). As a medical student, he co-founded the Community Health Initiative by University Students, which saw an integrated health and social service centre open in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, uniquely staffed by volunteer students from ten faculty and departments, working evenings and on weekends. In 2009, he co-founded the Inner City Youth Program, the first intensive case management team in Canada to work with homeless and precariously housed youth living in inner city Vancouver. In 2014, Steve submitted a proposal to the British Columbia Parliamentary Select Standing Committee on Child and Youth Mental Health, which led to the funding of the initial five Foundry centres. From 2017-18, Steve was the co-head of the Department of Psychiatry and Physician Program Director at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Steve recently returned from a one-year sabbatical, spent travelling to thirty-two countries with his wife and three school-aged daughters. 

Saira Mohammed | Research Program Manager 

Born and raised in Vancouver, this University of British Columbia alum moved to Toronto in 2003 to pursue a Master’s in Nutritional Sciences and established her career as a Clinical Research Professional thereafter. Saira has coordinated and managed research projects in various therapeutic areas including women’s health, substance use, infectious diseases, oncology and cardiology (adult and pediatric) in Toronto, San Francisco and Vancouver. Her research interests are in the areas of health disparities and the social determinants of health; she is specifically passionate about “grassroots research” driven by community-based and/or patient-centred care approaches. In her role at Foundry, Saira supports the integration, involvement and promotion of research initiatives and projects aligned with Foundry’s vision to “support youth in living a good life.” During her free time, she enjoys attending local events and festivities, exploring new placesand being a foodie. 

Kirsten McCulloch | Research Project Coordinator 

Kirsten completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours), specializing in Biology and Psychology, and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Public Health with a focus on perinatal mental health. She has over three years of experience in the youth mental health field. Prior to joining Foundry, Kirsten worked as a Youth Outreach Worker with young people ages 10-24. Her current role supports the Lift/Futur en tête and Foundry Work & Education projects. Outside of work, Kirsten loves to attend yoga classes, hike and bake! 

Chris Paige | Youth and Family Research Steering Committee Member 

Chris Paige (he/him/his) is a member of the Foundry Surrey Family Engagement Leadership Table (FELT), the Foundry Provincial Family Advisory Committee (PFAC) and the Foundry Youth and Family Research Steering Committee (YFRC). Chris says, “Foundry is very dear to me. As a parent of five children and grandparent of nine, I have lived experience to some of the needs for our youth… To find a local organization that will benefit our youth and families is beyond words. The passion and care I see with Foundry counsellors, caregivers and staff makes me richer as an adult and feels good for the soul.” Chris also wishes to take this opportunity to acknowledge that the land on which he lives is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the semy’ome (Semiahmoo), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and the sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen) First Nations, on which we are learning, working, meeting and organizing today. Continues Chris, “Furthermore, I want to extend this land acknowledgement to recognize the harm of colonization and the impact it has had and continues to have. We would like to pay respect to the Elders of the past, present and emerging. Reconciliation and respect for Indigenous Peoples means going beyond equity and inclusion and instead acknowledging the history, the harms and legacies of colonialism.” 

Jeanna Pillainayagam | Youth and Family Research Steering Committee Member 

Jeanna has been a Provincial Youth Advisor at Foundry for the past five years. A recent graduate of the Master of Public Health program at McMaster University, she has close to a decade of experience in youth mental health advocacy and research. Jeanna is also passionate about promoting genuine and ethical youth engagement in health research. During her free time, she enjoys writing short stories and poems, baking and spending time with friends and family.

Oks Soychuke | Research Assistant 

Oks obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Counselling and Human Development. While completing undergraduate studies, they assisted in several psychology research labs with a focus on projects that explored intergroup relations and prosocial behaviour. Oks is certified by Peer Support Canada, brings seven years of experience in youth mental health care and peer support, and is currently working as Peer Coordinator at Foundry North Shore under Vancouver Coastal Health. Driven by a deep passion for advocacy, Oks dedicates their efforts to creating and refining systems for delivering services informed by lived experience to support youth, families/caregivers and peer support workers. In their free time, Oks enjoys crafting, thrifting, attending concerts and spending time with their calico cat Olive!

 

Corinne Tallon | Research Operations Lead 

Corinne brings over ten years of experience in health research. She is passionate about working with others to create and leverage evidence that supports health systems improvements for young people and their families. She loves supporting others to pursue their passion in research and believes that the world of research can offer amazing opportunities for anyone and everyone to get involved and find answers to their most burning questions.   

Corinne started her research journey in clinical research before completing a Master of Public Health at Simon Fraser University and turning to applied research in mental health and substance use. She joined the Foundry Central Office team in 2018. 

Corinne loves to spend time with family and friends and enjoys going on adventures with her husband, their son, and their black lab Shilo.

Karen Tee | Co-Executive Director 

Karen Tee is Co-Executive Director of Foundry and a Clinical Psychologist passionate about early intervention in youth and young adult mental health. She brings over 20 years of direct service and program development and management experience in youth mental health, having previously developed the Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) Program and led the Child, Youth and Young Adult Mental Health portfolio in Fraser Health, British Columbia. She has been with Foundry since its inception in 2015 and is responsible for providing clinical leadership and overseeing service implementation. In collaboration with Foundry Network clinical leaders, Karen has been leading the development and implementation of Foundry’s Integrated Stepped Care Model. When she is not working, she can be found dancing on a ballroom floor, or travelling in another country. 

Roxanne Turuba | Research Coordinator 

Roxanne completed her Master of Public Health (MPH), specialized in Epidemiology, at Lakehead University while assisting with research projects at the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. This work primarily focused on developing and implementing person-centred health interventions to improve access to maternal care and substance use services in rural and remote First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario. She is now leading research studies at Foundry that focus on improving mental health and substance use service for youth, as well as improving the experiences of family members/caregivers and service providers. Roxanne is passionate about actively engaging youth and families/caregivers in her work and empowering them to improve how services are delivered. Fun fact: Roxanne grew up in a small francophone town in Northern Ontario. She has French, Finnish and Ukrainian heritage – naturally some of her favourite things include croissants, saunas and homemade perogies! 

Cassia Warren | Research Project Coordinator 

Cassia attended the University of British Columbia for her Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Oncology. Cassia’s journey in health research extends from working in cell culture to project management and research trial coordination, and more recently moving into the mental health sector after joining Foundry in 2021. She is passionate about bringing to life research questions raised by communities and mentoring youth to guide and lead the work. Cassia is of Chinese and Ukrainian ancestry, and as a settler on the lands of the Lheidli T’enneh she adventures with her pup Pippin and does all things creative and crafty.

Madelyn Whyte | Research Project Coordinator 

Madelyn is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a degree in biochemistry. She brings over four years of research experience and previously worked on clinical research in an emergency department. She is passionate about meaningfully engaging young people in research and empowering them to voice their perspectives and advocate for their needs. Her current research projects focus on the youth peer support program at Foundry and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people. When Madelyn is not at work, she loves spending time outdoors, travelling and hanging out with her friends, family and cats!

Kelli Wuerth | Research Grants Manager 

Kelli is passionate about understanding the relationships among infectious diseases, substance use, mental health issues and other determinants of health and how we can improve related health outcomes. At Foundry, she manages, writes and edits grant submissions; tracks and reports on research metrics; and supports activities related to publishing research papers and other knowledge products. She has a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia. In her spare time, Kelli enjoys curling, cooking and taking care of her container garden.