About us
We are a multidisciplinary team with diverse backgrounds across health sciences, social science, community engagement, and implementation research.
The REACH Lab is led by Dr. Jill Murphy, Assistant Professor and Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions, whose work focuses on improving equitable access to mental health care both globally and locally.
With a range of expertise and shared passion, our team works together to understand people’s real experiences with mental healthcare and use that knowledge to improve the systems around them.
Dr. Jill Murphy, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Jill Murphy, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions at in the Interdisciplinary Health Program at St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Her expertise is in mental health services research, global mental health and implementation science with a focus on improving access to and equity in mental health prevention, promotion and care. Her research interests include using co-design to develop appropriate mental health promotion and care interventions with adults and youth, enhancing access to community-based mental health care, digital mental health and equity, and best practices to promote the meaningful engagement of people with lived experience of mental health conditions in research. She is currently leading studies in Vietnam and Nova Scotia, Canada and is a co-investigator on several international and Canadian studies. To support her own mental well-being, she enjoys walks and snuggles with her dog Brie and can be caught watching episodes of The Traitors and RuPaul’s Drag Race to unwind.
Kyrae Carvery
Research Assistant
(She/Her)
Kyrae Carvery is a 3rd year Bachelor of Health student at St.FX and is working towards becoming a dentist. She is passionate about promoting mental health equity and improving access to community-based services in rural and underserved areas in Nova Scotia. Drawing from her background in health and roots in the African Nova Scotia community, Kyrae brings a strong commitment to having inclusive and equitable approaches to mental health research. Kyrae previously worked as a Marketing Intern for The PREP Academy, where she gained experience in content creation, outreach and organizing program events. On campus she also serves as a Cheer Captain on the St.FX Cheerleading Team but beyond academics and athletics, Kyrae is committed to giving back to her community. She volunteers as a First Responder with X-Med, assisting in events and supporting in emergency response, as well as, she is a mentor with The Black Peer Mentorship Program here at St.FX, working with local high school students to provide guidance, encouragement and support through their educational journeys.
Rosie Tran
Research Coordinator
(She/Her)
Thu (Rosie) Tran holds a Master of Education in Developmental Psychology and Education, with a specialization in AI and data science from the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining the REACH lab, she worked as an elementary school special education assistant and behaviour interventionist. Rosie is drawn to research that aims to make mental health care more accessible, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate. Her research interests include cultural adaptations of mental health interventions and assessments, digital mental health, and special education. In her free time, she likes exploring new restaurants, watching movies, and singing karaoke.
Allison Hancock
Research Manager
(She/Her)
Allison Hancock holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and a Special Concentration in Forensic Psychology from StFX University. Through practicum placements with vulnerable populations, she developed a strong interest in compassionate, person-centred mental healthcare across diverse contexts. Prior to joining the REACH Lab, Allison worked in applied mental health programming, designing and delivering supports tailored to the agricultural sector. Building on this work, she is interested in ways to make mental health supports more accessible and effective, particularly through reducing stigma, encouraging help-seeking, and improving mental health literacy in underserved populations. Outside of work, Allison enjoys spending time with her dog, Winston, trying out local coffee shops, and getting outside whenever she can, especially near the ocean.
Madison Weston
Research Assistant
(She/Her)
Madison is a third-year student at StFX university working towards her Bachelor of Arts and Science in the Health Program. Her favourite subjects have been her core health courses, chemistry, and ethics/humanities courses. Born and raised in the Tri-Cities of British Columbia, Madison has spent much of her time here in Antigonish immersing herself in this new community as a lifeguard and volunteering at the hospital, regional library, and on campus at sporting events! Mental health access and promotion became a passion for Madison through her experiences in her home community as well as her mother’s previous experience as a psychiatric nurse. She is most looking forward to finding mental healthcare gaps and reaching towards a more equitable, culturally competent future for healthcare.
Sophia Bramwell
Honours Student
(She/Her)
Sophia Bramwell is a third-year Health Sciences student at St. Francis Xavier University, pursuing a concentration in Biomedical Science. Her academic and professional interests are centred on advancing equitable and accessible mental health care, with a particular focus on substance use and addictions among university students across Nova Scotia. She is deeply committed to promoting evidence-based education on the harms of substance use and contributing to initiatives that improve mental health outcomes within diverse populations.
In addition to her academic pursuits, Sophia demonstrates strong leadership and community engagement through her extracurricular involvement. She serves as captain of the StFX Competitive Dance Team and is a dance instructor at the Maureen Fraser School of Dance in Antigonish, where she works closely with children and youth. These roles have strengthened her leadership, communication, and mentorship skills, which she brings into both academic and community settings.
Sophia is also an active participant in the StFX Global Medical Brigade and will be travelling to Athens, Greece, in April 2026 to work with underserved populations. Through this initiative, she will contribute to delivering health education and volunteering in clinical settings, further developing her understanding of global health inequities and culturally responsive care. Additionally, her involvement as a volunteer with the StFX Health Society has strengthened her knowledge and engagement in health promotion and advocacy.
Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Sophia aspires to pursue a career in medicine following her graduation in Spring 2027. She is particularly interested in contributing to the evolving field of mental health and addictions through both clinical practice and research. She is excited to be part of the REACH Lab and to contribute to advancing equitable and accessible mental health care.
Ana Clancey
Honours Student
(She/Her)
Ana Clancey is a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health, with a concentration in biomedical sciences. Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she aspires to move back home after graduating from StFX to pursue a career in Pharmacy. Through coursework with Dr. Murphy, Ana has developed a strong academic interest in promoting mental healthcare equity and addressing inequity among disadvantaged communities. Additionally, driven by her interest in substance use and addiction, Ana’s honours project is looking to explore cannabis usage patterns and sleep quality in undergraduate students. Beyond her studies, Ana is passionate about giving back to her community, having volunteered with organizations such as HRM recreation, the Ronald McDonald House and Adsum for Women and Children. Through these experiences, along with previous employment, she has cultivated strong leadership, organizational, and compassion skills, which will support work in this area of research. Ana is extremely excited to work alongside the REACH Lab team and contribute to meaningful initiatives aimed at enhancing access and delivery of quality mental healthcare.
LEAP Members
Kathleen Gough
(She/Her)
Kathleen has lived in Antigonish the majority of her life. She has worked as a social worker in child protection for 30 years and is now working as an adult protection social worker.
Kathleen has had direct experience supporting individuals struggling with mental health issues through her work and also within her family .
Breanna Peters
(She/Her)
Breanna is a lifelong mental health advocate in Antigonish who values connection and authenticity. She has been involved in many helping roles from Peer Supporter, to Reiki Practitioner, to Registered Social Worker. In these positions she has learned we are all struggling with similar things, but in isolation. Together is where we need to be - gathering, supporting, connecting and understanding (preferably in nature and with animals).
She believes we heal when we are leaning on each other from a place of lived experience, as education and professional experience can only go so far. REACH is an opportunity for Breanna to use her lived experience in ways she cannot always use professionally, and to make a difference in the complex systems we all use and are a part of.
Colin Gennoe
(He/Him)
Colin Gennoe is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and nutrition coach based in Nova Scotia. Colin is also a volunteer with NORS (Northern Overdose Response System). He is passionate about helping individuals make practical, sustainable changes to improve their health and overall well-being. His approach blends coaching, accountability, and evidence-informed nutrition to support long-term personal success.
As a LEAP volunteer, Colin values collaboration and is dedicated to offering observations, personal learning, and supporting fellow participants as LEAP seeks to broaden its awareness, understanding and as such, its recommendations to furthering mental health and addiction supports in Nova Scotia.
Hailey Mitton
(She/Her)
Hailey is 25 years old, and loves making art and hanging out with her cat! Hailey is originally from Prince Edward Island, but she recently moved here to Nova Scotia.
She spent her younger life in and out of treatment programs for her mental health, and later went on to work in the mental health field herself. Because she has seen the challenges from both sides of the system, she hopes that by being a part of this project, she can share her experiences and help guide a better future for mental healthcare in Nova Scotia.
Julia
(She/Her)
Julia lives on the Eastern Shore and was drawn to the LEAP team to help support healthy initiatives for community based mental health support. She works in the mental health profession and has a passion for mental health literacy and wellness. She homeschools her daughter and likes running in her spare time.
Rodney Beck
(He/Him)
Rodney is 45 years old and lives in Pictou County Nova Scotia. He is someone who has had mental health challenges for most of his life, relying on a broken system to help treat him. The public system is difficult to navigate and fight for proper treatment when all we seem to do is be put on a wait list.
Rodney is a lover of horror movies, he is a pet lover and he enjoys helping people. He went to college to become a CCA, he is funny and likes to make people laugh. Leap is important because it gives us a voice and allows us to suggest and express our feelings on how we can make this system a better support system so we can receive the care we deserve.
Keith Anderson
(He/Him)
Keith is a lawyer who had depression. He is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School ( LL.B., 1983) and University College London ( LL.M., 1987).
He first went public with his journey in an article in the National Post newspaper, called How I Returned to a Life Worth Living, published on February 20, 2008.
Since then, Keith has spoken at national and international mental health conferences, legal conferences, universities, and fundraisers.
He published the book, Life Worth Living: A Mental Health Anthology July, 2021. He was joined by 11 other authours each contributing a chapter based on their journey. It is an incredibly diverse group, from Canada, the United States, and Nigeria.
Keith also worked with the Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia:
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Project Manager of the SEAK Project, a national project to bring social and emotional learning into schools in Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia (2011-13)
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Provincial Lead for Peer Support (2019-23)
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Provincial Lead for Suicide Prevention (2021-23)
He launched Spirit ‘n’Soul Wellness Centres in 2025. It recently purchased 75 acres of property in Mira Gut to be developed as a mental health and addictions treatment centre, using peer support, therapy animals, working the land, a sweatlodge, a truly holistic approach to recovery.
