Gabrielle Leblanc-Huard is a doctoral student in Social Work at Université Laval and a Vanier Scholar. Her doctoral thesis focuses on the experience of crip time among young adults living with chronic pain during the period of transition to adulthood. While her research interests are diverse, she primarily focuses on improving the living conditions and empowerment of young adults living with chronic pain, as well as other chronic and rare conditions, understanding the relationship to time and the repercussions of chrononormativity on disabled and chronically ill persons, and enhancing access to healthcare and services for this population.

As someone living with rare health conditions and chronic pain herself, Gabrielle gets involved to gain recognition for the posture of patient-researcher, i.e. health and social services researchers who have lived experience of their subject of study.

Watch her thesis presentation of three minutes titled “Growing up in pain: qualitative, exploratory, and critical study of the transition to adulthood for young people living with chronic pain” during an introductory meeting in Saint-Paulin, Quebec (available in French only).