Guramrit (Amrit) Thandi

Amrit Thandi is a second-year medical student at the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Her research project focused on engaging community members to characterize the barriers and facilitators to cardiovascular self-management education and support (SMES), and to explore the potential role of culturally adapting a SMES intervention, ACCESS, for Punjabi, Tamil, and Afro-Caribbean communities in the Peel Region and Toronto. Led by Dr. David Campbell, the original ACCESS trial demonstrated a 36% reduction in cardiovascular hospitalizations among participants in Alberta using low-cost mailers from an engaging fictional peer but primarily reached English-speaking White participants. Partnering with OneHeart (Punjabi), Roots Community Services (Afro-Caribbean), and the Seniors Tamil Society of Peel, and in collaboration with patient partners and youth representatives from each community, the project used focus groups and community workshops to identify barriers, facilitators, and community needs for cardiovascular SMES. These findings will inform the adaptation and translation of intervention materials to ensure cultural relevance and accessibility. This community-engaged approach lays the foundation for advancing equity in cardiovascular disease prevention across ethnically diverse Canadian populations.  Amrit is supervised by Dr. Calvin Ke. 

Supervisor: Dr. Calvin Ke