Michelle Yao is a Program Analyst on the Global Health Innovation team. In her role, she supports Grand Challenges Canada’s Global Mental Health portfolio, which focuses on improving mental health and wellbeing of young people in low-resource settings.

Michelle holds a Master of Bioethics from the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, where she was also the recipient of the 2022 Marcia Pines Award in Bioethics and Public Health. As a graduate student, she volunteered for a local harm reduction resource centre and served as a governing board member for the university’s community engagement and service-learning centre, SOURCE. During this time, she also worked at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, contributing to Knowledge SUCCESS, a USAID-funded global project dedicated to promoting teamwork and knowledge exchange within the family planning and reproductive health community.

Michelle has previously worked on community initiatives and research centered on child and youth mental health, reproductive justice, environmental racism, and cultural awareness in health education. She received her honours Bachelor of Health Sciences degree (with a Minor in English and Cultural Studies) from McMaster University.