Loa received her BA with dual majors in Psychology and Anthropology from McGill University in 2015 and her MA in Public Issues Anthropology from the University of Guelph in 2018. Her Master’s research employs a critical disability studies approach to consider the experiential health expertise of Canadian university students with mental health struggles as they navigate various care systems, both clinical and self-administered, in the quest for wellness. 

Loa’s doctoral research will continue to investigate mental health inequalities in institutions of higher education. She will question the conventional conceptualization of mental illness as “invisible” as it relates to issues of embodiment and disclosure. By highlighting the lived experiences of Canadians with psychiatric disabilities and the structural barriers to care they face as both students and “patients,” Loa works toward making university campuses more accommodating and inclusive-oriented spaces.