During a 12-week Mitacs Globalink research internship at the University of British Columbia in the summer of 2012, Linda Yang quickly realized she wanted to return to complete her Master’s.

In 2009, the Tsawwassen First Nation situated south-west of Vancouver became the first in British Columbia to sign a self-governance treaty with the governments of Canada and British Columbia. It effectively set up a new government jurisdiction for the local population under the formal treaty negotiation process, allowing them to pass new laws over their land and decide, independent of other levels of government, how the community should be managed.

My research is particularly important because it identified that stigma may be preventing open discussions about the risk for psychiatric disorders. An open discussion is the first step in making sure patients receive proper and timely mental health care, which can greatly improve prognosis.

I believe that knowledge is not just attained within the classroom but also in the real world. Developing skills outside of a laboratory is a modern way to build open-minded and engaged researchers.

His research will help health care providers determine the best policies, to maximize their effectiveness and ultimately see better health outcomes.

“I’ve supervised many Mitacs Accelerate internships, more than I can remember. The program has been instrumental with helping me develop new applications for industry and engage with industry partners.”