People profiles

Research interests: health informatics and socio-cognitive studies of human-computer interaction, principles of HCI design, health education and modelling understanding of health and disease

Stephanie Austin chose the Health Studies program because it seemed like the “ideal pre-med program,” combining natural and social science courses.

Research interests: health behaviour change, disease prevention, tobacco, population level intervention, evidence-based practice

Research interests: health informatics, translatonal research in healthcare and medicine, health system integration, semantic interoperability, healthcare decision making and decision support, health data analytics, medical imaging informatics, patient safety

Research interests: about and for change, emphasizing social science tools (e.g., ethnographic and mixed methods, social marketing, photovoice, training) for knowledge translation, health communication, quality improvement, and community-based participatory action, and health promotion

Research interests: longitudinal data methodology and analysis, survival methodology and analysis, graphical methods, prediction models. Application areas include nephrology, cancer, smoking cessation, aging, and the environment.

Research interests: population-based chronic disease prevention, health of Nunavummiut, knowledge exchange, capacity building, implementation, practice-based evidence, public health policy and systems, qualitative and mixed methods, realistic evaluation

Research interests: population health, health behaviour, health policy, tobacco, smoking, health communication, media, nutrition, diet, public health, e-cigarettes, nicotine, caffeine, energy drinks, global health, international health, cannabis and harm reduction

Health informatics may not be a term you’re familiar with – but if you’ve visited a hospital or clinic lately you have likely seen it in action. People like Rose Harrison are using information technology to better manage the health care you receive.

Research interests: community and public health, health information systems, health policies, caregiving, aging, home care, mental health, long-term care, palliative care, quality of life, pharmacoepidemiology, knowledge translation.

Research interests: economics of public health, economics of nutrition, development economics, poverty

Research interests: molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of communicable bacterial infectious diseases, public health prevention of infectious diseases through immunizations, appropriate health and hygiene practices, harm reduction programs

Research interests: dietary assessment, measurement error in diet, food access and food security among marginalized populations, food environments, food and nutrition policy, dietary guidance

Research interests: contaminants; risk assessment; risk communication; hazard; environmental health; exposure; country food; aboriginal; First Nations; Inuit; mercury; arsenic; selenium; diet; mixtures; nutrient-toxicant interaction; toxicology; soil; bioaccessibility; bioavailability; contaminated sites; Dehcho region

Research interests: health behaviour surveillance (physical activity, obesity, alcohol and drug use, tobacco use, eating behaviour, sedentary behaviour); built environment and behaviour; impact of policies / programs on behaviour; co-morbid health behaviours; internet gambling and problem gambling; knowledge translation and exchange systems; cancer epidemiology; social epidemiology

Research interests: infectious diseases, particularly foodborne, waterborne and enteric diseases; surveillance and burden of illness methods; survey research methods; epidemiology and epidemiologic methods; public health practice; systems approaches to food-related health outcomes; knowledge synthesis methods; knowledge brokering

Research interests: environmental health, occupational health, risk assessment and management, health policy

Research interests: trust and risk in medical decision making; access to and uptake of preventative services in Canada and Australia (specifically vaccination and cancer screening); access to and social determinants of bariatric surgery; food regulation and policy; and trust in food.

Research interests: mHealth and wearable technology design, ubiquitous sensors for smart homes, usage data and health data analytics, technology for aging.

Research interests: health human resources, work-life balance, retention of midwives in Canada, women’s experiences of pregnancy, international students in Canada, and technology use in academic classroom.

Research interests: epidemiology, population and public health, chronic diseases, aging, dementia, caregiving, knowledge translation, systematic reviews, health economics, health policy

If you asked Phuc-Nhi Phuong (Health Studies ’04, Master of Public Health ’08) to create a job description based on her university experience, her current position as a Public Health Planner for the Region of Waterloo would be it!

For Patrick Seliske (Health Studies '78), the decision to attend Waterloo was simple – it was the Canadian leader in health studies and health promotion. Now working as an Epidemiologist for the Child and Family Health Division (CFHD) of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH), he also credits the program for providing him with the unique opportunity to study epidemiology.

Research interests: Geriatrics, health care systems, rehabilitation, patient and citizen engagement, health information systems and databases, health outcome measurement, and knowledge translation

Research interests: brain and behavioural development (drugs and nutrition)

Dr. Doris Winfield (MD, Health Studies '89) didn’t always know what she wanted to do with her career, but with the support of friends and professors who she met in Health Studies she found her fit by pursuing a career as a physician.

Astha (BSc '07) graduated from Waterloo’s Health Studies program, and her passion for health promotion and social justice led her to internship placements in Nepal and work in Tanzania.

Social entrepreneur Christina Marchand (BSc ’14, HEALTH, MPH candidate) launched FullSoul to raise money for mothers and babies in Uganda.

As part of her doctoral research, Lesley Johnston is investigating ways in which community well-being in Mongolia and Zambia are affected by Canadian-sponsored mining operations.

As a Policy, Planning & Research Analyst and also studying in the Master of Health Evaluation (MHE) program, Rick Pittman believes the recipe to success is self-discipline and efficient time management. For Rick and for many other working professionals, the self-paced, online format of the MHE is perfect because it allows flexibility for studying and for learning new material.

As a former physician in a small Ontario practice, Miriam Klassen decided to shift her work from one-on-one health care provision to address broader population health issues. Now working as Medical Officer of Health at the Perth District Health unit, her Master of Public Health degree allowed her to focus her knowledge and understanding for the new role.

Pemma Muzumdar credits the University of Waterloo's Master of Public Health (MPH) program for teaching her the importance of maintaining a strong learning network, developing collaborative practices, and sharing knowledge and resources in an online environment. Now working as Communications Coordinator at the National Collaborating Centres for Public Health her experience in the program has positively impacted her career.

Harnoor Rangi gained hands-on experience and technical skills that launched him into a new career even before graduating from the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program. Now employed as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Canada, he works with big analytical companies to maximize production efficiency for a variety of businesses. 

While juggling full-time work, part-time online studies, volunteering with the Canadian Evaluation Society, and networking with health professionals, Eden Amare created a peer network of connections and resources that has opened doors to opportunities that have launched her new career. Eden credits the Master of Health Evaluation (MHE) program for giving her the confidence and knowledge she needs to truly make a difference for diverse populations in her role as Program Evaluator at Toronto Public Health.

Contact information

Email: msdolson@uwaterloo.ca

Research interests: aging and dementia, caregiving for persons living with dementia, health technologies, mixed methods research approaches