About Us

Faculty Lead

Dr. Kim Hellemans

Dr. Kim Hellemans is an Assistant Professor in Neuroscience and Associate Dean of Science at Carleton University. She has received several prestigious teaching awards that recognize her passion and dedication to university teaching, including the Provost’s Fellowship in Teaching Award and, most recently, the OCUFA Provincial Teaching Award. Her current research explores how early-life trauma and cannabis use relate to mental health and academic outcomes among university students. She is passionate about knowledge translation and knowledge mobilization and has created several freely available animations on the topic of neuroscience, addiction, and stigma. She is also the co-host of the award-winning podcast “Minding the Brain”.

Meet The Team Leads

Sarah Krieger (she/her)

Hi, I’m Sarah (she/her), A fourth-year Honours student in Neuroscience and Mental Health at Carleton University, and I’m incredibly proud to be Co-Lead of Stigma Ends.

My passion for mental health advocacy is both personal and academic. I’ve seen how deeply stigma can affect people’s ability to seek support, including in my own life and the lives of those I love. That’s why creating spaces where people feel safe, seen, and supported isn’t just important to me—it’s essential. I believe that honest conversations, community care, and education can be powerful tools for change.

Through my studies, I’ve grown fascinated by how the brain, mental health, and our environments interact, especially in adolescence. I’m currently pursuing an honours thesis and hope to continue into child psychology and neuroscience research.

Outside the lab and classroom, I find joy in writing poetry, thrifting, hiking, and having real conversations about what it means to be human. I joined Stigma Ends at CU because I wanted to be part of a movement that doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations but meets them with empathy, as we all deserve support, dignity, and a voice.

Emma Kursell (she/her)

Hi, I’m Emma (she/her). I have a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Studies with a minor in Indigenous Studies, and I’m currently pursuing a second degree in Psychology at Carleton University with a concentration in Health Psychology.

I’m proud to be Co-Lead of Stigma Ends at CU and help to create space for open, compassionate conversations around mental health.

Much of my advocacy is grounded in reducing stigma and spreading awareness around substance use. Through both academic study and personal experience, I’ve seen how harmful misconceptions and silence can prevent people from accessing the support they deserve. I’m passionate about shifting the narrative from one rooted in shame and judgment to one built on empathy, education, and harm reduction.

With a background in Child and Youth Studies and Indigenous Studies, I’m especially interested in how early experiences, culture, and systemic barriers intersect with substance use and mental health. My current studies in Health Psychology allow me to explore how our environments, bodies, and behaviors are deeply connected and how understanding those connections can lead to more compassionate care.

Outside of school, you’ll usually find me swimming, hiking or getting lost in a craft project. I joined Stigma Ends because I believe that vulnerability is powerful, stigma is a story we can rewrite, and no one should ever feel alone in their struggle.