Founder and President

Sana is a second-year medical student at the University of Alberta. She is the elected provincial governance representative of the class of 2027 at the U of A. She sat on the AMA board from October 2023- September 2024. She started this committee last year to give medical students a voice on pressing healthcare issues that will affect them as future physicians. In her free time Sana likes to hike, golf and do yoga.

AMA Board Representative 2024-2025

Jake Thorsteinson is a first-year medical student at the University of Calgary. Originally from Edmonton, he is an avid Oilers fan and passionate about health policy in Alberta. He attended a small University in Iowa on a music scholarship where he earned his BSc in Biology. After graduation, he worked as an OR Attendant in Edmonton and was enrolled in the Nursing After-Degree program at the U of A before entering medical school. Living in a place with a completely different health system sparked his passion for health policy, and after working close to 3000 hours in hospitals across Edmonton, it was evident that our system needs more resources to support its excellent staff and programs. Currently, Jake sits on the AMA Board of Directors as the Medical Student Observer and is VP External: Provincial for the Calgary Medical Students' Association. 

Website Chair

Riya is a second-year medical student at the University of Alberta and this year’s Website Committee Chair for the AMA Advocacy Committee! I previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry before pursuing an MD. I’m passionate about patient advocacy, especially lobbying to the government for changes in health policy. I’m also a huge hiker, enjoy skiing, and a big Formula 1 fan!

Social Media Chair

Palak is a first-year medical student at the University of Calgary. Growing up in Alberta, she is passionate about advocating for improvements in accessibility and addressing barriers to provide quality patient care, especially amongst marginalized and vulnerable populations. In her free time, she likes to dance, hang out with friends and try and explore new restaurants and cafes.

Vice-President Internal

My name is Kaiden, and I am a medical student at the University of Calgary. I have lived in Alberta my entire life and did both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees here which is why it is so important to me that our healthcare system receives the support it deserves from our provincial government. I strongly feel that students are underrepresented in the decision-making processes and hope to give students a voice through this role. In my free time I enjoy spending time in the mountains while skiing, hiking, and camping.

Communications Officer

Radha Maradiya is a medical student in her first year of the MD program at the University of Alberta! She has previously completed a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a Masters in Public Health at the University of Alberta. She is passionate about women’s health, sexual and reproductive health education, and community-based research. Radha loves to advocate for immigrant women and vulnerable populations, and is excited to be a part of the AMA Advocacy Committee!

VP External (UAlberta)

Chelsea is a first-year medical student at the University of Alberta. Prior to medical school, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Calgary. Chelsea is passionate about fitness, nutrition, and improving healthcare practices, with a particular interest in addressing vulnerable populations and promoting patient-centered care. Outside of school, she enjoys staying active through figure skating, teaching fitness classes and sharing her love for food and health through her blog, @freshandflavourful. 

VP External (UCalgary)

Ali Bayrouti is a first-year medical student at the University of Calgary. Ali is passionate about advocacy, health equity, systems leadership, and the interplay of medicine and society. Before medical school, Ali completed his Bachelor of Nursing degree at Mount Royal University combining his passion for direct patient care with evidence-based practice, science, health promotion, and healthcare management. Originally completing training in an urban operating room, Ali had an opportunity to provide crisis relief support in a remote northern community during the COVID-19 pandemic where he found his passion for remote and rural healthcare. Ali then practiced in numerous rural/remote communities across every AHS Zone as a registered nurse and charge nurse in emergency/trauma, acute medical/surgical, public health, and long-term care. Witnessing province-wide healthcare inequities on the front lines has inspired Ali to advocate for healthcare changes to ensure all Albertans have access to timely and quality healthcare services. Ali continues to occasionally practice nursing as a Charge RN for mass gathering medicine where he leads ad hoc medical teams and supports medical learners on a multi-disciplinary team. In his role as VP External, Ali builds relationships with external stakeholders, manages partnership development, media relations, public engagement, and represents the committee at public events. In his free time, Ali enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with friends and family. Ali is excited and happy to serve on the Alberta Medical Association Advocacy Committee.

Accountability Officer

I am a medical student at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta. Passionate about internal medicine and healthcare policy, I strive to advocate for medical students and drive positive change within the healthcare system. As the Accountability Officer for the Alberta Medical Association Medical Student Advocacy Group, I am committed to upholding professional standards and ensuring the efficient completion of organizational tasks. In the future, I aim to contribute to healthcare policy decision-making to improve patient outcomes. Outside of academics, I enjoy staying active through soccer, basketball, snowboarding, and golfing, and have a passion for cooking.

Website General Committee Member

Ehsan Misaghi is an MD/PhD student at the University of Alberta and a clinician-scientist-innovator-in-training. Ehsan is passionate about combining scientific research, novel technologies, and advocacy to improve patient-oriented and patient-centred care. Ehsan's work spans a wide range of areas, from understanding basic genetic mechanisms to the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. As part of the website team at the AMA advocacy committee, he is contributing to our understanding of the applications of disruptive technologies in healthcare.

Website General Committee Member

Sarah Rabi is a first-year medical student at the University of Alberta. Before starting medicine, Sarah completed a Bachelor’s degree at Queen’s University and a Master’s in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses largely on issues of health equity and accessibility for both local and international communities. Since entering academia in 2019, Sarah has also developed a deep interest in patient- and community-oriented research methodologies. Outside of research, she is passionate about supporting inner-city programs that work to support systemically marginalized populations and that champion the importance of holistic care.

Website General Committee Member

Radha Maradiya is a medical student in her first year of the MD program at the University of Alberta! She has previously completed a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a Masters in Public Health at the University of Alberta. She is passionate about women’s health, sexual and reproductive health education, and community-based research. Radha loves to advocate for immigrant women and vulnerable populations, and is excited to be a part of the AMA Advocacy Committee! 

Website General Committee Member

Tark is a second-year medical student at the University of Alberta. Before medicine, Tark earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences with an Economics minor. As a first-generation immigrant, Tark is passionate about advocacy, particularly focusing on the experiences of newcomers. He aims to amplify these efforts through his involvement with the AMA student advocacy committee. Outside of academics, Tark is an avid sports fan, with a particular love for basketball!

Website General Committee Member

Reanne is a second-year medical student at the University of Calgary. Before pursuing medicine, she completed a degree in Biological Sciences with a focus on English Literature. She is drawn to the intersection of science and humanities, particularly within the context of medicine. She believes accessible and engaging storytelling is a powerful way to share medical knowledge and amplify underrepresented narratives in healthcare. In her spare time, she can be found reading a few books at once, baking, and exploring new cafes around the city.

Social Media General Committee Member

Jessica is a second-year medical student at the University of Calgary. As an immigrant, she is particularly interested in refugee and immigrant health, wellness, and transition and is involved in efforts to support these communities. She’s excited to bring her experience with social media to the AMA Student Advocacy Committee to help raise awareness surrounding vulnerable populations. Outside of medicine, she enjoys reading a wide range of genres and loves playing basketball!

Social Media General Committee Member

Rose is a medical student at the University of Calgary. She is passionate about advocating for positive change and reforms in the healthcare system to improve access and reduce stress for patients, their families, healthcare professionals, and everyone else involved! When not studying, she also likes to play piano, badminton, and board games.

Social Media General Committee Member

Juliette Eshleman is a second-year medical student at the University of Calgary. Before starting medicine, she completed a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Alberta, studying cell biology. Aside from her passion for biomedical research, Juliette became interested in health advocacy through her employment with Ronald McDonald House Charities. Seeing how families, often from underserved communities, struggled to get the support they needed inspired her to get involved with the AMA student advocacy committee. She hopes to contribute towards efforts to make healthcare more accessible and equitable for all.