Currently a second-year student, Noorloos and her team are working on their capstone project where they are co-designing an intervention to support youth with sickle cell disease when transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare services. The group was inspired by a guest speaker in the Foundations of Translational Research course, Serena Thompson, who described her experiences in the healthcare system and why she became an advocate for people with sickle cell disease. From there, Noorloos and her team began building their project in one of the many offered modules TRP has to offer and carried it through to their capstone. “A year ago, I never would have thought my capstone would have ended up being on sickle cell disease,” she said. “You get the opportunity to work on so many different projects, to learn and try new things, and you might end up actually finding a new area of interest or developing new skills.”  

In addition to her master’s degree, Noorloos is currently working at the Knowledge Development and Exchange Hub (KDE Hub), at Renison University College and affiliated with the University of Waterloo. “Our hub really focuses on merging policy, practice, and research. We support projects funded through the federal government, all focused on mental health promotion,” said Noorloos.  

Before working with the KDE Hub, Noorloos gained experience working for an Ontario Health Team in mental health and addictions, in addition to her work at the shelter. “I ended up having a niche in mental health, and on top of that, having an interest in innovation,” she said. “The team I work with supports the promotion of health and well-being for people in Canada, so my skills and interests matched up with this position.”