Natyra Haxhiavdija
Natyra, a dental hygiene practitioner in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), is pursuing a Master of Science in Craniofacial Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC), focusing on oral cancer prevention. She volunteers regularly with the BC Oral Cancer Prevention Program and joined their Next Gen Oral Dysplasia clinic as a clinician and clinical coordinator, where she helps provide free oral cancer screenings and works with a team of specialists to monitor those with dysplasia or other pre-cancers.
While an undergraduate student in the UBC Dental Hygiene Degree Program, Natyra provided dental hygiene care to various populations, including frail elders in a residential care setting, adult refugees and new immigrants in a community setting, Indigenous populations in temporary housing, and people with a history of incarceration and drug addiction. Born in Kosovo, Natyra immigrated to Canada as a refugee at the age of five. Having experienced, both personally and first-hand, the health disparities among vulnerable populations, she strives for a more in-depth understanding of oral health-related topics. Her future goals are to combine her clinical background with a research career and improve oral health practices, strategies, and screening technology to better prevent and manage oral conditions and cancers. When not working, studying or volunteering, Natyra can be found hiking Vancouver's beautiful trails, biking around Stanley Park, and watching more TV than is healthy.