HEAL Spotlight: Megan Udit

• Post by: Anastasia Soukhov
• 9:29AM Jun 02, 2026
• No Comment

The HEAL Spotlight series is a monthly feature where we celebrate the people behind the research and highlight the diverse voices that make the HEAL such a vibrant community.

Meet Megan Udit:
Hometown: Caledon, Ontario
Hobbies: Weightlifting, pilates, nature walks with friends, and baking
Education: Honours BSc in Life Sciences from McMaster University
Current role at HEAL: 2nd year MSc Student in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (thesis supervisor Dr. Jamie Seabrook and Dr. Jason Gilliland) and HEAL Youth Advisory Council (HEALYAC) Staff Co‑Facilitator
Joined the HEAL: September 2024

Research at HEAL:
As a team member of the Grade 5 ACT-i-Pass project, Megan provides both administrative and research support. The ACT-i-Pass, offered by the HEALab, provides Grade 5 children living or attending school in London, St. Thomas, and the Counties of Oxford, Elgin, and Middlesex, with access to free and low-cost physical activity opportunities at participating service providers.

Megan’s graduate research uses ACT-i-Pass data to examine patterns of youth physical activity levels over the past decade. Her thesis investigates temporal trends in physical activity levels and identifies key sociodemographic, household, and behavioral factors associated with variation in youth physical activity across the greater London region of Southwestern Ontario.

What Megan Enjoys Most About Working with HEAL:
What is your favourite part of working with the HEAL: My favourite part of working with the HEAL is being part of a collaborative and supportive research environment that brings together people with diverse perspectives and areas of expertise. Contributing to community-based projects such as the ACT-i-Pass is particularly meaningful, as it provides me with the opportunity to engage in research that has tangible impacts on children and families. I have also greatly appreciated my involvement with the HEALYAC over the past few years, where engaging directly with youth has reinforced the importance of integrating their perspectives into youth-focused research. HEAL’s commitment to producing work that is interdisciplinary and rooted in mobilizing knowledge for creating healthy, thriving communities makes it an especially rewarding environment to be part of.