Vedanshi Vala (pictured) is a second-year student in the Faculty of Science’s Integrated Sciences program working in Ziliang Ye’s lab at the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (SBQMI). She is also Co-Founder and Executive Director of the BOLT Safety Society, NCO Development Officer with St. John Ambulance, and Co-Coordinator for the Provincial Alumni Council of the BC Heritage Fairs Society. She is also a dancer and documentary film-maker, and has worked with a local arts group to develop Art Hearts, a program that delivers virtual performances to seniors in long-term care in order to nurture connectedness and reduce the harm caused by isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Vala has worked in Ye’s lab since January 2020, and while she is not specifically studying physics through her program, Ye is her supervisor and mentor in the Integrated Sciences program. While her focus is the disciplines of chemistry, biology, and microbiology, Vala says that working with Ye and colleagues has been a source of inspiration.

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“I’m interested in how organometallic materials can be used to develop nanotechnology for medical diagnosis and treatment,” said Vala, who hopes to one day enrol in medical school. “We need the knowledge from the types of materials we study at SBQMI; experience across multiple disciplines is really beneficial for research and the development of new technology, as so much of science is interconnected. Many of the ideas we talk about in my chemistry classes, for example, I already have some context for through working in the lab.”

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Vala was recently awarded the VGH + UBC Hospital Foundation’s 2020 Outstanding Young Ambassador Award for Leadership in recognition of her efforts to connect people in the community in various ways.

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As a Grade 10 student at McRoberts Secondary School in Richmond, Vala co-founded an organization that would come to be known as BOLT Safety, a federally registered non-profit that connects local survivors of intimate partner violence with tools and resources to meet their needs, from where to go for help to support from peers to take their next steps.

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“We felt that our community wasn’t doing enough to support survivors of intimate partner violence,” said Vala. “There are a lot of resources out there, but it’s hard to know where to start. We have been working since 2017 to make BOLT Safety the first place people go when they aren’t sure what kind of help is available to them.”

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Safe Hubs is a recent pilot project developed through BOLT Safety that provides a network of safe spaces for survivors of domestic abuse in partnership with local businesses. This initiative compliments the team’s mobile platform that includes safety and self-defence guidelines, information on locally available support services and crisis resources.  Their platform was developed in consultation with various community experts, including Annalijn Conklin, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, whose research looks at the link between social connections and health; Conklin is also an accomplished martial artist.

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“Our goal with BOLT Safety has always been to connect people with the help that they need, and to flip victim-blaming narratives around violence against women,” said Vala. “One of the unfortunate realities of this past year is that the pandemic has exacerbated vulnerabilities in our communities, from isolation and loneliness to experiences with violence at home. During the pandemic, domestic violence has been a serious issue; crisis lines have reported a 400% increase in calls for help, while shelters are at capacity. Organizations are doing the best they can, and if we can help increase the outreach and accessibility of these resources, we hope we can ease the pressure on a system that is in some cases overwhelmed, and difficult to navigate.”

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Vala’s work has always been about helping her community, and the pandemic has disproportionately affected seniors. To help provide levity and a sense of community to elders in long-term care or living in isolation from their friends and families, Vala teamed up with U Create Art Productions and other local artists and organizations to launch Art Hearts, a virtual production featuring musical and dance performances by Metro Vancouver youth.

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For Vala, education and knowledge confer responsibility to make the world a better place. “As students, we have a responsibility to use what we have learned to help our communities wherever we see a need. Living our daily lives with compassion, respect, and empathy is, to me, what leadership means.”