AV¾ãÀÖ²¿

Congratulations to our Dal Health Class of 2025! Get to know more of our featured grads.

In this Convocation Q&A learn about Anam Khan, PhD in Health, from Delhi, India.

What inspired you to choose your field of study?

My personal experiences with mental health challenges in my youth sparked an interest in pursuing psychology. After completing my master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2018, I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant on a project exploring resilience and mental health among young Indian adults who had overcome childhood adversities, at IIT Hyderabad in India. This experience deepened my interest in youth mental health research and helped me understand the importance of positive adaptation following adverse life circumstances. Around this time, I also lost a close friend to suicide, a loss that, combined with my own struggles with suicidal thoughts and behaviours, strongly motivated me to pursue the field further. I became particularly interested in resilience and the factors that support well-being after traumatic experiences.

Driven by both personal and academic interests, I reached out to Dr. Michael Ungar, a world-renowned expert in resilience research at the School of Social Work and founder of the Resilience Research Centre. I was incredibly grateful that he agreed to supervise my PhD, which led me to join the PhD in Health program at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ in the Fall of 2020. My thesis explored resilience to self-harm through a culturally informed lens by studying the lived experiences of young adults in Canada and India.

What was a moment at Dal that you’ll never forget?

There are countless moments I’ll never forget from my time at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿. The entire journey of building not only my career but also a new life in Nova Scotia has been a rollercoaster of experiences. Perhaps the most unforgettable part was starting a PhD and moving to a new country in the middle of a global pandemic. I began my first term online from my home country, attending classes at 2 a.m. due to the time difference. When I finally arrived in Halifax in the Winter of 2021, I spent my first two weeks in quarantine and saw my first snowfall through the window of the Westin Hotel. Despite the many challenges of studying and living in a new country during a pandemic, I was lucky to find friends and a supportive community who never let me feel alone, as well as solace in exploring the beautiful landscapes of the province. I was quickly embraced by the warm, welcoming spirit of the East Coast, and soon found myself feeling right at home.

Who supported you along the way and how?

The support of my family, especially my brother, along with my mentors and friends back in India, gave me the strength and encouragement to pursue this program. Once here, I was fortunate to find support through friends, lab mates, and most importantly, my supervisor. Each of them played a key role in helping me grow professionally and live a fulfilling life.

One of the first and most memorable moments of the program was receiving a parcel in the mail from Niki Power, affectionately known as "PhD Mom", who was the program administrator at the time. She had sent me a thoughtful care package filled with AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ swag and goodies, a kind gesture that really helped calm my nerves as I prepared for the big move.

Is there a course/research topic/placement or project that really impacted you?

Working at the Resilience Research Centre, first as a student and later as a project manager, had a significant impact on my growth as a researcher. It allowed me to apply what I was learning in classes to real-world projects, gave me the opportunity to collaborate with national and international experts, and helped me build a strong foundation in research. Throughout my PhD, I also took on various research assistant roles, often juggling multiple responsibilities. In addition, I taught several courses at Mount Saint Vincent University, a challenge I took on to push myself, which turned out to be incredibly fulfilling. All these experiences taught me a lot about my strengths and weaknesses, and helped me better understand what I want to pursue in the future.

What does graduating mean to you?

Coming from a culture where women are often silenced, marginalized, or expected to lead invisible lives, graduating to me means freedom, respect, and empowerment. It represents so much more than earning a degree and has been a deeply personal achievement that reflects the life I’ve always dreamed of and worked so hard to create for myself.

What is next for you?

Continuing my work in youth mental health, I’ve recently started working as a Research Associate with Dr. Lori Wozney, the Sun Life Chair in Youth Mental Health and a scientist at IWK Health. I’m so excited and incredibly fortunate to be part of her team and to contribute to the important ongoing projects at the lab.

Looking ahead, I plan to continue developing my skills through community-based research and lifelong learning. My goal is to make meaningful contributions to the field of youth mental health while continuing to grow both professionally and personally.