Ashley Patel, Research Assistant at the Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases at Mount Sinai Hospital

For as long as she can remember, Ashley Patel has dreamed of a career in the field of medicine. Currently a research assistant at the Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases at Mount Sinai Hospital, Ashley brings a unique perspective to the team when it comes to mental health and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as a result of leading a clinical research study on the subject and having a “lived experience” as a patient, diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

Motivation from lived experience

Back in 2017, Ashley was in her third year of a Health Sciences degree at Wilfred Laurier University, when she was first given a misdiagnosis of IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  “I was 21 years old and couldn’t leave the bathroom”. By the end of her first year of symptoms, Ashley was at her lowest weight of 95 pounds.

Fast forward to the fall of 2020, and three years into her misdiagnosis, Ashley answered a job posting by Dr. Laura Targownik, Gastroenterologist,  who was looking for a research assistant interested in studying IBS and IBD.

As Ashley progressed in her work, she began to realize that her symptoms were more typical of IBD than IBS.  Four months after starting her research position, Ashley underwent an emergency colonoscopy, confirming a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.

Just one week after Ashley’s IBD diagnosis – on what she now refers to as “Superbowel” Sunday – she collapsed and was hospitalized once again.

By September of 2021, Ashley underwent bowel resection surgery.

Now, two years into her IBD diagnosis, Ashley wants to “be the change” by having a career in medicine that contributes toward bridging the gap in areas of need while also helping an overwhelmed health-care system.

Today, Ashley is enrolled as a student at Toronto Metropolitan University, and is one of the recipients of the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s AbbVie IBD Scholarship award.  She is working on completing an applied science degree in public health and safety and aspires to become a physician assistant.

Looking to the future

As much as Ashley loves working in the gastrointestinal space, she describes how she could even work as a physician assistant in family medicine, to help bridge the gap for patients living with IBD in diverse community settings, and connecting harder to reach populations to more resources.

Ashley stresses the importance of representation in health care. “I am a South Asian female of two immigrant parents. If I had someone of my skin colour or skin tone from my community share their symptoms I know it would be a lot easier for me to share. IBD is not a pretty thing to talk about and often has a stigma – especially for women.”  Ashley would like to see more positive conversations around the resources and treatments that exist. “I don’t think most people even know what an ostomy bag is and I think there needs to be more media around capturing the understanding of what it is, what it can do for people and how amazing it is.”

Dr. Targownik has rave reviews of Ashley’s work so far. “Ashley is a really strong advocate for the patient experience. She comes now with the perspective of not just someone who is coordinating research but understands the patient perspective.”

Ashley and the study team are now in the final stages of preparing to present at the Canadian Digestive Diseases Week conference in March, to showcase their work on IBD and mental health.

Ashley plans to apply for her final degree toward becoming a physician assistant later this year.