Palak Desai

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Co-Design Dear Professor Desai, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Mental Health Symptom Changes by Sex or Gender Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Why has academic public health research on "South Asians" failed to mobilize South Asian knowledge and reduce South Asian health disparities in Canada?" (2023), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]