Leia Bulosan-Burns, Manager

Leia Bulosan-Burns is the new Manager for the Provincial ADHD Program at UPEI. Her background is as a Registered Nurse, having spent time in acute mental health, public health, inpatient/urgent care, corrections and primary care. She graduated from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and minor in psychology in 2010 and is currently working on a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University. She has also completed a Project Management Certificate from the University of Winnipeg. 

Leia is originally “from away” and bounced back and forth between the Maritimes and Ontario before deciding to settle on the island with her husband, three children, and dog. She enjoys going to spin class, playing video games with her kids, and reading in her downtime. Leia is looking forward to working with the team to provide evidence-based, high quality patient care to Islanders living with ADHD.

Dr. David Wong, Physician

Dr. David Wong is the Medical Director of the Provincial ADHD Program and is a retired pediatrician in Summerside. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong and received training in pediatrics and infectious diseases in the United States of America before coming to Prince Edward Island in 1986.

After seeing many children with ADHD, he decided to help adults with this condition after his retirement. Dr. Wong still practices part-time at the Summerside Medical Centre, seeing adults with ADHD. He attends the ADHD clinic at UPEI during the fall and winter semesters. He has written many columns on ADHD in the Guardian newspaper over the years. You can read these columns at www.askdrwong.ca to learn more about ADHD.

Dr. Wong and his wife live in Summerside. They have two adult sons and four grandchildren. 

Dr. Mitch Zelman, Physician

Dr. Mitch Zelman has practiced as a general Paediatrician for more than 30 years. He has worked on Canada’s East Coast (PEI) as well as the West Coast (Vancouver Island).

Throughout his career, Mitch has enjoyed a diverse Paediatric practice focusing on asthma and allergies, Public Health, and most recently primarily working with individuals with ADHD, autism and other neuro-diverse conditions.

Mitch grew up in Montreal, attended McGill Medical School and completed his Paediatric Residency at the IWK Hospital for Children in Halifax. He was honoured to be named the Canadian Paediatric Society Distinguished Community Paediatrician of the year in 2020.

Mitch enjoys an active lifestyle participating in activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, running, hiking, swimming and yoga. Mitch is happiest near the ocean and holds a special place in his heart for PEI where he loves spending time with his family.

Dr. Brent Macdonald, Psychologist

A native Islander, Dr. Brent Macdonald is a registered psychologist in Alberta, BC, PEI, Nova Scotia, and the Northwest Territories, and is a certified teacher with over 25 years’ experience working with individuals with a variety of complex learning differences. Dr. Brent maintains consultative relationships with a variety of public, independent and charter schools across Canada. He is a sessional instructor in the Departments of Psychology, Continuing Education, and Community, Health & Education at Mount Royal University. He is also an adjunct assistant professor with the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Brent is a frequent guest on CBC Calgary and PEI, Global Television, Breakfast Television, CITY-TV, and CTV. He is currently the lead psychologist with his own practice, Macdonald Psychology Group with offices in Calgary and Charlottetown. He and his team provides counselling and assessment services, along with consultation services to educators and parents. Brent works extensively with high-performing individuals with a focus on overcoming perfectionism and enhancing mental toughness. In relation to mental toughness, Brent has recently published Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: Mental Toughness for Everyone with Kendall-Hunt Publishing.

Dr. Brent divides his time between Calgary and PEI, where he lives in Belfast and enjoys all the Island has to offer, not the least being the fantastic food! 

Cindy Parrill, Primary Health Care-Nurse Practitioner 

Cindy Parrill is a Primary Health Care-Nurse Practitioner (PHC-NP) who has been hired to assess and treat adults who have Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Cindy was born and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador and she is the second oldest of seven siblings. She has been working as a Registered Nurse since 1994 and has a PHC-NP since 2000, working in a variety of settings that have given her the knowledge and confidence to work autonomously in a collaborative practice. Her work in PHC has focused mainly on adults and the elderly. Most of her work has been in a rural setting and she has worked with a diverse population in rural NL, Saskatchewan, and PEI.

Cindy has a diploma of nursing from Western Memorial School of Nursing (1994); holds a Bachelor of Nursing from Athabasca University (2003); an NP certificate (2000) and a Master of Nursing from Memorial University of NL (2011). She is also a member of the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA).

She has two married adult children and five grandchildren. She and her husband have decided to put down permanent roots in PEI so they can spend quality time with their daughter and her young family. She enjoys reading, walking, yoga, music and theatre and spending time with her family. She has recently had a cottage built at St. Peter’s Harbour and she is looking forward to making many wonderful memories in this beautiful province. 

Suzanne Tobin, Nurse Practitioner 

Suzanne Tobin is a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner working part time with the Provincial Adult ADHD Program. She is currently licensed to practice in PEI and Ontario.

Suzanne’s nursing career began in 1986 when she graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Early in her career Suzanne developed an interest in addictions and mental health and acquired a Certificate in Addiction Studies from Western University in 1997. She attended one of the first Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner programs in Canada at Western and acquired her “extended class” licence in 1999 to practice as a Nurse Practitioner in Ontario. Suzanne completed her Master of Nursing from Athabasca University in 2016.

Prior to working with the Provincial ADHD Program, Suzanne’s has worked as a Nurse Practitioner in a variety of health care settings, including at a Health Outreach for Homeless, a Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic as the Director and NP Lead, Public Health, and most recently in Occupational Health and Safety from which she retired in April 2024. Through these roles Suzanne developed expertise in mental health assessment and treatment, including ADHD in adults and related disability management. 

Originally from the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, Suzanne has spent most of her life in Ontario and numerous summers vacationing on PEI. Having always considering the Maritimes her home, she and her family put down roots on the Island’s North Shore in 2023 where Suzanne, her husband, their dog and extended family spend as much time as possible. She enjoys hiking, running, kayaking, biking, golfing, gardening and cooking with Island seafood and farm-to-table ingredients. 

Liz Thomson, Nurse Practitioner 

Liz Thomson is a Nurse Practitioner at the Provincial ADHD Program. She began her nursing career in 2007 after completing a Diploma in Practical Nursing with Holland College having worked primarily in medical surgical nursing units at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. In 2015, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from UPEI and worked in the Emergency Department at the QEH. In 2016, Liz began working for Indigenous Services Canada – First Nations and Inuit Health Branch as a Community Health Nurse in a remote northern community in Manitoba for six years.

In 2022, Liz obtained a Master of Nursing in Nurse Practitioner Degree from Athabasca University and worked in Long Term Care prior to transitioning to her role at the Provincial ADHD Program. She is looking forward to supporting clients and families affected by ADHD.

In her downtime, Liz enjoys travelling, baking, golfing, and spending time with her husband, two adult children, and two dogs. 

Stephanie MacDonald, Nurse Practitioner 

Stephanie MacDonald is a Nurse Practitioner (NP) at the Provincial ADHD program as well as the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre. She was born and raised in Charlottetown, PEI. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at St. Francis Xavier University in 2008. She worked primarily in emergency as a Registered Nurse at the QEH in Charlottetown for almost 10 years and later did some remote nursing in northern Manitoba.   

She completed her Master of Nursing/Nurse Practitioner in 2019 from Dalhousie University and has been practicing as an NP in primary care in PEI since. Stephanie joined UPEI in 2021 and has been working in Summerside with Dr. Wong since the fall of 2021 providing ADHD care on a part time basis. She will now provide services at the provincial ADHD program.   

In her downtime she enjoys cooking, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family.   

Stephanie is thrilled to become a member of the PEI provincial ADHD program and the Health and Wellness team at UPEI and looking forward to connecting with the students, faculty, staff, and families. 

Emily MacLeod, Registered Nurse

Emily MacLeod is a Registered Nurse at the Provincial ADHD program. She graduated from UPEI’s nursing program in 2021. She has previous nursing experience working on a medical unit in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Emily is excited to begin working in this new role to help individuals with ADHD develop skills and coping strategies to better manage their symptoms of ADHD. Emily grew up on Prince Edward Island and now lives with her husband, and her dog, Charlie. She enjoys hiking, travelling, baking, tennis, the beach, and spending time with friends and family. 

Rebekah Gough, Registered Nurse 

Rebekah Gough is a Registered Nurse who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UPEI in 2019. She has worked as a nurse in the ICU, ER, and medical surgical nursing units in PEI as well as in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. 

Rebekah joined the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre in 2022 as a part of the provincial ADHD program for adults on PEI. She is excited to partner with people with ADHD to explore the ways it affects their lives and help them find skills and coping strategies to better manage its symptoms and co-occurring conditions.  

Rebekah lives close to Charlottetown with her husband and son, and in her time off she enjoys biking, reading, being outdoors, and spending time with friends and family. 

Anna Smith, Occupational Therapist 

Anna Smith is an Occupational Therapist at the Provincial ADHD Program. She was raised in Summerside, PEI. She completed her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at UPEI in 2018 and her Master of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie in 2021. She moved to Ottawa, ON in 2021 to work at CVE Inc to focus on adult clients with complex mental health concerns, return to work services, and neurodivergent affirming OT Coaching. She continues to work with CVE Inc as a virtual contractor.

In 2024, Anna was very excited for the opportunity to return to PEI to work at the Provincial ADHD Program as an Occupational Therapist. When not at work, she enjoys deeply researching areas of interest to briefly try out new hobbies, caring for her plants, and spending time with loved ones and pets. Anna looks forward to collaborating with clients and colleagues at the ADHD program to support clients in meeting their personal goals. 

Kathy Jones, Social Worker

Kathy Jones is the social worker at the ADHD clinic on a part-time basis. Kathy has worked in various capacities over her 37-year career, including numerous clinical and several administrative roles. Kathy retired from Health PEI in 2017 where her most recent position was Director of Public Health and Childrens Developmental Services. She then joined Family Service PEI as the Executive Director as well as a clinical therapist where she worked until 2022.

Kathy has also held several leadership roles in the social work field on PEI as well as in Canada. She has been the National Vice President of the Canadian Association of Social Workers, National Chair of the Code of Ethics Committee as well as National Chair of the CASW Committee on Psychosocial Care for Individuals with HIV/ AIDS. She is currently President of the PEI Association of Social Workers and sits on the National Committee for Clinical Standards in Social Work Practice. Kathy has published twice in social work textbooks on ethics in social work practice. Kathy is thrilled to join the ADHD clinic and looks forward to working with clients as well as the ADHD clinic team. In her spare time Kathy enjoys reading, going to the beach and travelling as well as spending time with her husband and two adult daughters as well as their significant others.

Khanh Pham, Administrative Assistant 

Khanh Pham is an Administrative Assistant at the Provincial ADHD program. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Business Administration from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta in 2018 and relocated to beautiful Prince Edward Island in 2022. She has had various experiences in office administration and front-line customer service before she joined our team in September 2023. She looks forward to exploring more about the ADHD program and connecting with people.

She loves spending time with her husband and her dog and enjoys travelling, cooking, movies and boardgames. 

Blerta Avdija, Administrative Assistant 

Blerta Avdija is an Administrative Assistant at the Provincial ADHD Program. She graduated from UPEI in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology. Originally from Kosovo, she has lived in Prince Edward Island since she was six years old. 

Before joining our team in October 2024, she gained valuable experience in office administration and customer service. She looks forward to working with our team and helping patients. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. 

Shantol Clarke, Administrative Assistant  

Shantol is an Administrative Assistant at the Provincial ADHD Program and is always excited to contribute to the team’s mission of supporting individuals and families affected by ADHD.

As a mother of two, Shantol understands the importance of balance in life. When she’s not at work, she enjoys staying active through barre and Pilates classes, which help her maintain a healthy lifestyle. Family time is precious to her, and she loves taking long walks with her husband and children, exploring the beauty of the outdoors together.

Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Shantol is committed to both personal and professional growth. In her free time, you might find her reading a good book or experimenting with new recipes at home. 

Marilyn Barrett, Director

Marilyn Barrett is the Director of the Health and Wellness Centre at the University of Prince Edward Island. She formerly held the role of Director of Primary Care and Chronic Disease Prevention/Management for Health PEI in Prince Edward Island, a position she held from December 2010 to August 2018. Marilyn has held a number of management positions in Health PEI, including Manager of Implementation and Change Management for the CIS Project which implemented the Electronic Health Record in the health system in Prince Edward Island. In addition, she has held a Chief Nursing Officer position for community hospitals and continuing care, Director of Acute and Continuing Care (rural community hospital, home care, and long term care) and worked at the UPEI School of Nursing in positions of Clinical Instructor and Clinical Coordinator.  

Marilyn has a diploma in Nursing from the PEI School of Nursing (1987); holds a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of New Brunswick (1996) and a Master’s Degree in Nursing from Athabasca University (2009).

Marilyn has been a surveyor with Accreditation Canada since 2012 and her greatest strength as a surveyor is the diversity of her experience, particularly knowledge gained in the build and implementation of the electronic health record in Prince Edward Island hospitals.  

Marilyn is a past board of directors’ member of the Canadian Nurse's Protective Society (CNPS), is a past president with the Association of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island and has served as a board member of the Canadian Nurse's Association. She sits on the Granting Committee of the Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island, is the Secretary/Treasurer for the PEI Funeral Home and Professions Board, is past chair of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Atlantic Canada and is serving as a Patient on the Community Patient Advocacy Committee at CADTH (Canadian Agency for Drugs and Therapeutics for Health). Marilyn has recently joined the Board of Directors of Canadian Blood Services representing Atlantic Canada.