A $5,000 scholarship from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will enable UWindsor student Jasmine Kobrosli further her work examining the psychological effects of inflammatory bowel disease.

Kobrosli, entering her fourth year of undergraduate study, has lived experience with IBD: she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2013 and Crohn’s disease in 2018.

“I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis during my final year of high school,” she says. “Since my illness was so severe at the time, my university career was delayed.”

After regaining her health, she enrolled at the University in 2018.

“I had always planned to study psychology, but since being diagnosed with both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, I have been inspired to conduct research that will have a meaningful impact on the inflammatory bowel disease community by tying my love of psychology into the experiences that I and others have had,” says Kobrosli.

Her honours thesis project on the subject will qualitatively examine the lived experiences, struggles, and quality of life in individuals with IBD.

“Being diagnosed with IBD and experiencing the unpredictability it comes with has been a trying experience,” she says. “However, what I have learned about myself and others through living with IBD has been immeasurable.”

She says that the scholarship will be of significant benefit, allowing her to devote more time to her studies and research. Kobrosli is one of two co-ordinators in professor Kendall Soucie’s Health Experiences and Longevity (HEAL) Lab and serves as vice-president of the Windsor chapter of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. She co-founded the Gutsy Youth Group to mentor children and adolescents with Crohn’s or colitis and plans to pursue graduate study towards practice in clinical psychology.

The AbbVie IBD Scholarship recognizes post-secondary students living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis who exemplify outstanding leadership in their community and strive to maintain an optimal level of wellness. Kobrosli was one of 20 recipients across the country, double the usual number in celebration of the program’s 10th anniversary.