Vina (she/her) is a PhD student in Health Systems Research (Health Informatics) at the University of Toronto and a trainee in the iOUCH Pain Lab at The Hospital for Sick Children. She brings both academic expertise and lived experience of paeditatric chronic pain to her work. After sustaining multiple injuries in an accident and undergoing extensive medical treatment since adolescence, Vina’s experiences as a patient shaped her commitment to transforming how pain is understood, prevented, and treated. Her research focuses on co-designing a digital stigma-reduction intervention for youth with Sickle Cell Disease, integrating participatory co-design and patient engagement to ensure solutions are grounded in real-world experiences. She is passionate about bridging the gap between patients and systems to reimagine a compassionate and equitable space for all.