Welcome to the Geographies of Health in Place (GoHelP) lab, led by Susan J. Elliott, PhD, in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo.
News
2026 Flight 302 Legacy Award
Congratulations to Joan Kaburia on receiving the Flight 302 Legacy Award! This award honours the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 tragedy by supporting students whose work demonstrates a commitment to global impact and service.
A PhD student in Geography at the University of Waterloo and member of the GoHelp Lab, Joan’s research focuses on food security and promoting equitable, sustainable food systems. Guided by the values of equity, dignity, and global solidarity, she views this recognition as both an honour and a responsibility—strengthening her dedication to purpose-driven research and community engagement.
GoHelp Community Spotlight: Abraham Co-Authors UN Paper on Gender Equity in Water Leadership
Abraham Nunbogu has co-authored a United Nations University report examining the gender gap in Africa’s water leadership. This informative paper highlights current challenges and outlines strategies to foster more inclusive and equitable leadership across the sector.
New RSC Fellows from UW
We're proud to celebrate Susan Elliott, who is one of 5 University of Waterloo researchers to be recognized as Royal Society of Canada (RSC) fellows and a member of the RSC College.
Events
CAG Annual Meeting
The Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG) annual meeting will take place June 1-4, 2026 at the University of Victoria.
Join the Canadian Association of Geographers-CAG / Association Canadienne des Géographes-ACG and the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives-ACMLA / Association des Cartothèques et Archives Cartographiques du Canada-ACACC on Lək̓ʷəŋən territory, also known as Victoria BC, on June 1-4, 2026. This year’s theme is Resilience. Join us as we work together to wrestle with these issues, offer solutions, and take action.
2026 International Medical Geography Symposium (IMGS)
The 2026 International Medical Geography Symposium (IMGS), themed Geographies of Wellbeing: Environments, Transitions, and the Futures of Societal Wellbeing, will be held at Toronto Metropolitan University. Bringing together scholars, researchers, and practitioners, the symposium will explore how global transitions shape societal wellbeing through interdisciplinary dialogue and innovation.
Registration and abstract submission are now open.
Blog
Taylor's experience at LUPUS 2025
Taylor is an undergraduate Science and Business student at the University of Waterloo. During her co-op term, she is working as a research assistant in Dr. Elliott’s GoHelP Lab on the GAPS project. Learn more about her experience and the opportunity she had to present her research poster at LUPUS 2025.
Maria's MITACS experience
Maria Eduarda Almeida is a Psychology undergraduate at the State University of Maringá, Brazil. As a MITACS Research Assistant in the GoHELP Laboratory at the University of Waterloo, she contributed to international projects such as CANVAS, which examines the impacts of everyday violence on children in vulnerable settings. Her work emphasized the value of interdisciplinary and qualitative research, highlighting how collaboration and cultural context shape efforts to improve health, human rights, and well-being. Learn more about her experience here!
Beyond Borders: Field School in Ghana – Experience as a Teaching Assistant
Learn about Pascal’s experience as a Teaching Assistant with the Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) program in Ghana, where he supported University of Waterloo students in adapting to a new culture while engaging in field-based learning. This unique exchange showcased the power of collaboration and experiential education in tackling complex environmental challenges.