YAB: Meet the new 2025 Youth Advisory Board Members
Launched in 2018 through the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Prevention and Early Intervention in Mental Illness and Substance Use (PREMISE), the Matilda Centre Youth Advisory Board (YAB) was established to provide a critical opportunity to listen to and understand the needs, perspectives, and aspirations of Australian young people.
The Youth Advisory Board taps into the diverse lived experiences of young Australians, working together to co-produce resources, provide valuable feedback on research, and highlight the issues and solutions they believe should be prioritised in research and policy.
Under the PREMISE Next Generation Centre for Research Excellence, we are thrilled to welcome six new members to the Youth Advisory Board in 2025. Representing a diversity of perspectives from across the nation, these new members share a commitment to driving meaningful action in mental health and substance use research policy.
Meet our new members below.
Savannah Bolt - NT (she/her)
My name is Savannah Bolt and I am a proud Yuin young lady. I am heavily involved in sports including netball, rugby league and rugby union; the latter two for which I have represented the Northern Territory. I am currently attending a Charles Darwin University PrePrograms in health with a goal to study paramedicine.
I am a very outgoing person and in my spare time I like to hang out with friends and go to the gym to improve my overall health. I am also a qualified netball umpire with a C Badge and I thoroughly enjoyed umpiring the under 12 Netball Nationals in Melbourne last year. I love to swim in my pool and take my two dogs on early morning walks on the beach.
Timothy Duy To - NSW (he/him)
My name is Timothy. I am a current Research Investigator at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) as part of my Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) at The University of New South Wales. It involves improving social isolation and cognitive functioning in Parkinson's disease.
I currently work at the Black Dog Institute's Centre of Research Excellence in Depression Treatment Precision (CORE-DEP) as a Lead Lived Experience Advisor. What I observe is early detection of depression is lacking as there is no definitive biomarker, diagnosis is dependent on observational behaviours and interactions. There I address integration of artificial intelligence to personalise depression treatments in a cost-effective manner through evaluation and assessment of AI-enhanced trials to better understand how substance use influences depression.
An emerging field I see is one that bridges youth mental health, social isolation and neurodegenerative disorders associated with aging such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease. This is a space I intend to follow as I contribute to the research and practice of mental health interventions and prevention, particularly in the practice of psychiatry in the future.
I observed there was the lack of youth voices and representation, especially with co-occurring mental health and caregiving experiences. There was not that opportunity for them to lead and take charge of the research project from its conception to real-world implementation beyond a purely advisory role.
What sparked my interest to apply for the Youth Advisory Board was my current involvement in projects at The Matilda Centre such as COPE-A Telehealth, National Practice Standards for the management of mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment settings and the Climate Change, Place and Mental Health Incubator.
The YAB presents a unique opportunity to shape the governance and research themes of PREMISE that is done and led by young people in an equal and reciprocal partnership. With the growing global prevalence of mental health and substance use associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease in later life, I believe this role would be able to bridge the research gap between youth mental wellbeing and neurodegenerative disorders.
Mia Giovannoni - NSW (she/her)
My name is Mia, I’m 21 years old, and I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of Sydney. Through my studies, volunteer work at the University of Sydney Social Cognition and Individual Differences Laboratory and previous involvement in Expert Advisory Groups with the Matilda Centre, I’ve developed a strong passion for collaborative research, with a special interest in mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
Combining this experience with my own lived experiences with these challenges, I’m excited to use my voice as a young person to contribute where it matters most and to something I feel truly passionate about.
As a prospective clinical psychologist with a strong interest in mental health conditions and AOD issues, any opportunity to contribute to research and guidelines is incredibly exciting. Last year, I had the privilege of joining the Matilda Centre’s Expert Advisory Group on developing National Practice Standards for the Management of Mental Health Conditions in AOD Treatment Settings.
Collaborating with experts, learning from diverse perspectives and knowing I was participating in something that would positively impact lives was a deeply enriching and rewarding experience. When the chance to do so again—this time alongside like-minded young peers—arose, I knew I had to take it. With my understanding of mental health and AOD issues from both personal, community and academic perspectives, I’m eager to contribute my unique insights and help drive meaningful change.
Taryn Lee - WA (they/them)
Hi! I'm 18, and I spend most of my time in Canberra studying Public Policy and Applied Data Analytics, but you can also find me in my hometown in Boorloo (Perth).
I'm really passionate about speaking up for the underrepresented communities I am a part of. I advocate with an intersectional lens in mind, considering the perspectives of the queer and disability community.
When I'm not advocating, you can find me ice skating, drawing, working with resin, and spending time with my loved ones.
I've always been passionate about empowering youth. Even though we are the future, our voice often gets overlooked, and without co-design and input from young people policy and programmes targeted at us usually fail to engage us.
I first engaged with the Matilda Centre through their COPE-A Lived Experience Advisory Group in November 2024, and I've really liked the work I've done there - especially the research side. The positive experience I've had with the Matilda Centre and the passion I felt working on that was one of the main reasons why I joined the YAB.
Grace Sholl - QLD (she/her)
My name is Grace, and I'm a 23-year-old queer woman proudly born in Lismore and living in Logan, QLD. I'm passionate about combining my lived experience of mental illness and suicide with my academic background to advocate for systematic and social change. I'm from a farming family, and both my parents are army veterans, so the wellbeing of these communities and the impact of intergenerational trauma is very important to me. I also live with a chronic illness called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which has further inspired my interest in holistic mental health care. My goal is to better incorporate lived experience in research and elevate lived experience expertise.
I hold a Bachelor of Psychological Science and a Master of Suicidology from Griffith University. As part of my master's dissertation, I conducted research investigating people's experiences of consent and decision-making while in hospital post-suicide attempt. The aim of this research is to better understand the difficulties that people with a lived experience of suicide face and spark further conversations about how to best engage with and support people after a suicide attempt. I hope that this research will also support people with a lived experience to advocate for their rights and needs.
I'm passionate about quality, lived experience led research and the positive impact it can have on clinical care, government policy, and the lives of people living with mental ill-health. I've been following the Matilda Centre as both a lived experience advocate and aspiring researcher for several years and was so excited when I saw the opportunity to join the YAB. I love meeting new people and learning from their expertise and lived experiences!
Mason Hill, NSW (he/him)
My name is Mason Hill, I am a proud Wiradjuri man from Wellington NSW. I am currently studying at Wellington High School in Year 12. I enjoy Rugby League and spending time with my mates.
When I was told about the YAB, I didn’t hesitate in saying Yes straight away! I’ve always wanted my community to be a safer place for our youth so to be able to join this program and create initiatives to stop drug and alcohol abuse and create a positive impact for Mental Health in young people is a dream come true!
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