School of Public Health graduate Breanne Aylward is awarded prestigious SSHRC fellowship

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Breanne Aylward is researching climate change, but not in the way many have seen before. She’s focusing her research on the mental, emotional and identity implications climate change has on young people in Canada.   

The University of Alberta School of Public Health graduate student is also the recipient of the prestigious Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship — a fellowship Aylward says she’s honoured to receive.  

 Aylward, who holds a bachelor’s in biological sciences and a master’s of science in health promotion and socio-behavioural sciences from the University of Alberta, shares her passion for pursuing public health studies, her research goals as a PhD student, and the impact she hopes to make with her research and fellowship.

Why did you choose to pursue public health studies?

My early volunteer experiences piqued my interest in public health by exposing me to the social determinants of health.

One of my volunteer roles involved visiting patients on a dialysis unit at a hospital. I began to form relationships with individuals who spent 12 hours a week having their blood filtered by a machine because their own bodies could no longer handle this task. Although the patients on the unit had different backgrounds, I noticed that many of them shared underlying social problems that continued to affect their health, such as unemployment and the struggle to maintain a stable income.

When I started volunteering as a respite caregiver for children with disabilities, I saw how physical and mental disabilities had both direct and indirect effects on the health of children and their families. For example, caring for a child with disabilities often influenced caregivers’ employment status and resulted in sometimes costly respite care.

These experiences further reinforced my conviction that health status is not just a product of our lifestyle choices but is shaped by our social and physical environments. My volunteer roles increased my determination to work to reduce the barriers blocking an individual or community’s path to optimal health. I chose to pursue graduate studies in public health to advance this goal.  

What are you focusing your graduate research on?

My doctoral research focuses on the mental, emotional, and identity implications of climate change for young people in Canada. Although growing evidence indicates that climate change poses a significant threat to human livelihoods, there are significant gaps in understanding young people’s experiences, including their mental, emotional, and identity responses. I hope to promote young people’s well-being by building an understanding of how climate change is impacting their well-being and by exploring potential protective factors and coping strategies.

What was your first thought when you found out you were awarded a prestigious SSHRC fellowship?

It was a combination of excitement and disbelief. Receiving this award has affirmed my enthusiasm for the work I’m doing, and I am deeply honoured to be a recipient of the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship.

How will this award impact your research? 

This award will have a substantial, positive impact on my graduate research. It will provide me with the financial stability to work full-time on my doctoral thesis and the flexibility to pursue additional training opportunities and meaningful volunteer work. In particular, I look forward to continuing to lead science-related activities with young people in an attempt to spark their intellectual curiosity and build their motivation for lifelong learning.

What are your academic aspirations for the future?

After graduating, I plan to pursue postdoctoral studies to further my public health research and contribute to meaningful policy changes. My hope is that this research will support my broader mission of building a community of support for young people during rapid climatic changes.

Do you have any words of advice for fellow public health graduate students at the beginning of their graduate studies? 

Pursue topics that you are passionate about and opportunities that interest you, even if they diverge from what you had originally planned for your studies.