Holly Mathias

Hailing from Westville, Nova Scotia, Holly Mathias is a PhD student and Vanier Scholar in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta.

Holly holds a masters degree in Health Promotion (Dalhousie University). Her doctoral research uses an engaged scholarship approach to examine the gendered experiences of family caregivers of people who use drugs in rural Canada. This novel research will contribute to limited international knowledge on families and substance use in rural settings. Holly’s research is driven by her desire to generate policy relevant data to equitably support and improve the lives of people who use drugs, their families and communities in rural and remote Canada.

Holly is an active community member. She is a member of her School’s Diversity Inclusion Action Group, the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute Trainee Advisory Committee, and Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy-Edmonton Chapter. In her spare time, Holly enjoys cheering on her favourite sports teams, spending time with family, and traveling. She is fluent in English. Through the support of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Holly looks forward to learning with and from other Scholars, expanding and challenging her knowledge of self, others and systems, and furthering her leadership skills.