Laetitia Satam

I am a third year Nutrition student at the University of Alberta. I am passionate about nutrition throughout the lifespan, epigenetics, and the interdisciplinary role of nutrition in both physical and mental wellbeing. After taking a Nutrition Through the Lifespan course, I became increasingly interested in how parental health influences the health of their children and subsequent generations. This summer, I will be working in Dr. Miliku’s lab to explore how paternal health (a historically overlooked factor) affects developmental outcomes.

Outside of nutrition research, I am heavily involved in the mental health field. I began volunteering with Kids Help Phone, the largest provider of e-mental health services when I was just 12 years old and today sit on their Board of Directors. I have been able to blend my passion for mental health advocacy and research by leading a study on how youth councils can serve as a pipeline to address employee shortages in the mental health field. I also served as a researcher and Knowledge Mobilization Officer for the HEARTS study at the University of Calgary, where I researched how to improve access and redesign mental health systems for young adults with mental health related disabilities and incorporate lived experience into participatory research. Blending my nutrition background, I will also be conducting research on the unethical nutrition trials that took place in Alberta Residential Schools, and the impact on mental health of Indigenous populations today.

In my free time, I am an avid baker (who is currently experimenting with sourdough), love running and pilates, or anything outdoors!