Fifteen Students Living With IBD Receive Scholarships to Help Pursue Their Education

The AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program marks 15 years of recognizing the resilience and ambitions of students across Canada living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and AbbVie Canada are proud to announce the 2026 recipients of the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program. Fifteen students from across Canada will each receive a $5,000 scholarship to support their postsecondary education while living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

This year also marks 15 years of the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program. Since its launch in 2012, the program has now supported 184 students across Canada with $920,000 in scholarships.

“Students living with Crohn’s or colitis are working toward the same goals as their peers, but their disease can demand time, energy and attention that other students are free to put elsewhere,” said Josh Berman, President and CEO of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. 

“The AbbVie IBD Scholarship recognizes that added burden, but more importantly, it celebrates what these students are accomplishing. By easing some of the financial pressure of postsecondary education, we can give recipients more room to focus on their studies, their communities and the futures they are building. We are incredibly proud of this year’s recipients and grateful to AbbVie for 15 years of commitment to students living with IBD.”

Living with IBD can affect very practical parts of the student experience. A recent national survey conducted by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada confirmed that three in four respondents said they are always adapting their lifestyle around the disease. For students, a flare can mean missing class, and fatigue can make it harder to study or participate in campus life. An urgent need for a washroom can shape how someone plans their day. And because many of these challenges are not visible, students may also find themselves navigating a disease that instructors or peers are not aware of or do not fully understand. The AbbVie IBD Scholarship helps ease some of the financial pressure of postsecondary education, giving recipients more space to focus on their education, their health, and the futures they are working to build.

"Postsecondary education is a time of growth, independence and possibility. For students living with IBD, it also means managing the physical, emotional and social challenges of a chronic disease during some of the most important years of their lives," said Tanu Misra, vice-president and general manager, AbbVie Canada. "As we mark 15 years of the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program, we are honoured, alongside Crohn's and Colitis Canada, to recognize students whose determination and resilience continue to inspire us. Their achievements are a powerful reminder that IBD does not define what is possible for their future."

2026 AbbVie IBD Scholarship recipients

• Autumn Beemer, British Columbia — University of Alberta Clinton Shard Memorial Scholarship recipient 
• Aya Chapanian, British Columbia — Queen’s University
• Mya Chàvez-Bourget, Quebec — Université de Sherbrooke
• Thunder Crowshoe, Alberta — University of Lethbridge
• Edden Gitelman, Quebec — Université de Montréal
• Courtney Kates, Ontario — York University
• Olivia LeBlanc, Nova Scotia — Dalhousie University
• Hannah MacDonald, New Brunswick — Dalhousie University
• Julia Rutenberg, Ontario — Wilfrid Laurier University
• Madison (Mady) Saby, Alberta — University of Calgary
• Bethany Suen, Ontario — University of Toronto
• Gayashan Tennakoon, Ontario — University of Toronto
• Alexis Tremblay, Quebec — Université de Sherbrooke
• Jonas Wong, Alberta — University of Alberta
• Ethan Zahn, Ontario — Brock University
  

To learn more about the 2026 AbbVie IBD Scholarship recipients, visit crohnsandcolitis.ca/recipients.

Additional Facts

More than 322,000 Canadians currently live with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, with that number expected to rise to 470,000 by 2035. These conditions can develop at any age, though they most commonly appear in early adulthood, between the ages of 20 and 29. Alarmingly, new diagnoses are increasing most rapidly among children under the age of six.

Crohn's and colitis cause the immune system to attack healthy tissue in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to inflammation. Common symptoms include severe abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, internal bleeding, and an urgent, unpredictable need to use the washroom.

About the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada partnered with AbbVie Canada in 2012 to launch the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program to support students living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis as they pursue their academic goals and make a meaningful difference in their communities.

Each year, 15 students receive a $5,000 scholarship toward their postsecondary education.

About Crohn’s and Colitis Canada

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is on a relentless journey to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by these diseases.

Through research funding, advocacy, education and patient programs, the organization advances care and support for people living with IBD. Learn more at crohnsandcolitis.ca. Follow @getgutsycanada on Facebook and Instagram, and at Crohn’s and Colitis Canada on YouTube and LinkedIn.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca. Follow AbbVie in Canada on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

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