“It is not always the volume of your voice that matters most, but how deeply your words resonate with those who hear them.”

Aliza Jaffer

2025 Top 30 Under 30

About

AGE: 23

PRONOUNS: She/Her

HOMETOWN: Calgary, AB

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Calgary, AB

ORGANIZATIONS:

Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Learning Beyond Borders, HEAL International
Medical Sciences Student Association
University of Calgary Graduate College
Graduate Students’ Association Awards Committee

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

I am most passionate about:

What specific issue(s) are you working to address, and what motivates you to do so?

I am most passionate about advancing maternal and child health research and improving the global quality of education.

At the Alberta Children’s Hospital, I use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study brain function in infants exposed to prenatal and postnatal maternal distress (i.e., anxiety and/or depression). Through my research, I hope to identify opportunities for timely, evidence-based interventions to improve child health outcomes and inform healthcare policy and practices for prenatal and postnatal care.

I am also committed to promoting accessible, inclusive, and engaging learning opportunities for students globally. In my involvements with the Learning Beyond Borders charity, I have organized initiatives to support quality of education in rural Ugandan primary schools and raise awareness about global inequities in access to education. Locally in Calgary, I have also led educational outreach sessions for elementary students, presented lectures for neuroscience and health literacy courses, and supported multidisciplinary research initiatives for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Calgary.

What is your foundation?

My foundation is rooted in the values of service, equal opportunity, and lifelong learning. I became acutely aware of the privilege of having access to quality education and healthcare at a young age. These formative experiences shaped my understanding of the disparities that exist within the education and healthcare systems, and motivated my commitment to addressing these inequities.

I have also been incredibly fortunate to work alongside exceptional mentors and colleagues who have encouraged my growth as a student, researcher, and advocate. Their guidance has been instrumental in shaping my mindset and defining my aspirations. I feel truly privileged to have contributed to transformative efforts in these areas and am excited to continue collaborating with others who share this vision.

What is your vision for the future?

My hope for the future is to contribute to the advancement of pediatric neuroimaging and maternal mental health research. In parallel, I hope to empower future students through teaching at the post-secondary level, both locally in Alberta and internationally.

Aliza sharing her research on maternal mental health and child neurodevelopment at the University of Calgary’s 2024 Alumni All-Access – One Child Every Child: 3-Minute-Thesis Edition event.

Aliza presenting at University of Calgary Board of Governors reception.

Aliza and her colleagues from the Alberta Children’s Hospital leading an educational outreach session for elementary school students as part of the international ‘Brain Mappers of Tomorrow’ initiative.