Profiles

Research interests: attitudes regarding public policies (both US and Canadian) designed to protect disadvantaged groups; prejudice; attitudes towards, and responses to, dying and the death process; individualism and collectivism and culture

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

While keeping up with the constant influx of new medications can be a challenge, Ben finds pharmacy an incredibly rewarding field; he helps patients manage their medications and conditions, ultimately improving their health. From interacting with patients and other health professionals to handling the business side of pharmacy, the diversity of the work keeps it interesting.

Stephanie Austin chose the Health Studies program because it seemed like the “ideal pre-med program,” combining natural and social science courses. The natural sciences were crucial for Stephanie’s MCAT preparation, but she had a keen interest in the social science courses - with the Health Studies program she didn’t need to compromise.

Research interests: Critical perspectives on substance use and addictions; drug policy; harm reduction; opioid agonist therapies; substance use in small urban, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities; gender and substance use; housing and homelessness

Research interests: interventions in occupational health; evaluation and measurement of health and safety management systems; risk assessment and standard setting in occupational health

Research interests: syndemics of infectious diseases, determinants of syndemics, methods for big data analysis, global health, spatial epidemiologic methods, development of a syndemic framework for non-communicable diseases and cancers

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

Research interests: incomplete/missing data, model selection, longitudinal models, computational statistics, signal saturation rate

Research interests: health informatics, translational research in healthcare and medicine, health system integration, semantic interoperability, healthcare decision making and decision support, health data analytics, Machine Learning and AI in Public Health; Real World Evidence, patient safety

Research interests: the social demography and health of Aboriginal peoples; social inequality, the welfare state, and the life course; population ageing and retirement

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

Jessica Delaney works with interdisciplinary teams to address public health issues such as substance misuse, mental health and youth engagement. As a Health Promoter she uses a population health promotion approach to guide public health programming which includes researching, planning, developing, implementation and evaluating programs for different priority populations.

Research interests: migration, food security, poverty, climate change, healthcare and social service access

Amanda's PhD research examines the impact that missing height and weight data can have on youth body mass index research.

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.

Laura's MSc research examined privacy and user trust in companies, and transparency in healthcare IoT (Internet of Things) data collection.

Research interests: epidemiology of child psychopathology, measurement of child psychopathology and quality of life, determinants and mechanisms of child multimorbidity, mental health service use

Eric's PhD research explores sexuality, information and communications technologies, and body image.

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

Mahmood’s PhD research evaluated how the authorized sale of alcohol in some Ontario grocery stores affected alcohol use behaviours among youth.

Research interests: social neuroscience of primary prevention; health neuroscience; lifestyle behaviours and brain health; behaviour change

Nour's PhD research investigated patterns of protective (physical activity) and risk health behaviours (binge drinking, cigarette smoking and cannabis use) and their relationship with weight status over time among youth participating in the COMPASS study in Ontario, Canada.

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

Research interests: human nutrition and chronic disease, evidence-based practice, body composition

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: chronic disease management in frail seniors - focus on cardiovascular disease and long term care

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

Somkene's PhD research examines the embedding of psychosocial stress among firefighters and university faculty and aims to increase our understanding of the relationship between stress and disease.

Nnenna's MSc research investigated the role of resilience on university students' use of mental health services while on campus. 

Research interests: In Public Health: health literacy, risk communication, consumer health informatics, mass media and health education
In Biohealth: physical activity and cancer prevention, exercise immunology, behavioural immunology, lymphocyte apoptosis

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

Research interests: prognosis of rheumatic conditions specifically psoriatic arthritis; and mental health

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: human-environment interactions, social inequities and health, global health governance, and maternal and child health

Teaching interests: Social development, social psychology, health promotion across the lifespan

Yong-Jin's PhD research investigates the cost-effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the first-line treatment of lung cancer in Ontario.

Research interests: dietary assessment, measurement error, equity, household food security, environmental sustainability, food and nutrition policy, dietary guidance, systems thinking

What does the University of Waterloo and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta have in common? Well-respected international reputations and Dr. Judy Kruger.

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 geomatics; healthy communities; disease mapping; measurement error, data uncertainty, and missing data adjustment in public health research; Bayesian spatial modelling and analysis in health research; determinants of health outcomes; health and crime; diet and health outcomes

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

Kirsten's PhD research investigates the potential for nutrition labelling on menus to support healthy and sustainable eating in cafeterias.

Jerrica's PhD research examined the clinical mental health needs and service access of emerging adults aged 18-29.

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

Alex's MSc research examined the impact of adverse childhood experiences on Indigenous children, and the nature of coping or resilience strategies to overcome these adversities. 

Research interests: Broad focus on policy and program evaluation and implementation, with a view to the organizational, social and policy determinants of work and health

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

Julia Man (MPH ’15) has worked for organizations like the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Office of the Auditor General and the Ministry of Health. In her roles, she has explored health issues from a variety of perspectives. Now, she is working for the Office of the Chief Coroner as an Executive Officer.

Research interests: dementia care, culture change, long-term care, retirement living

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

Sara's PhD research examines mercury exposure in First Nations communities in northern Canada. 

Research interests: design and use of health information systems; costing and performance measurement of health services; data standards, security and privacy of health information

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: neurobiological embedding of adversity (e.g., poor nutrition, psychosocial stress); biological characteristics that influence outcome from brain injury

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

Research interests: program evaluation, driver licensing, licensing policies, older adults, driving behavior, driving self-regulation, older adult mobility and transportation, driving confidence, balance confidence, commercial vehicle drivers

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 classrooms

Research interests: Indigenous health, global health, health inequalities, Indigenous food systems, maternal nutrition and child feeding, maternal and child health, community health

Research interests: Equitable healthcare access; tuberculosis/HIV healthcare delivery and quality of care; healthcare delivery and recovery from COVID-19; issues in global health

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

Research interests: health services research, evaluation, performance measurement, health information systems, decision support, knowledge translation, mental healthcare, long term care

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!

As a registered nurse, Sonya Pirani (MPH '20) noticed that decisions being made by policy makers did not always reflect the realities she experienced on the front line. Driven by her experiences, Sonya pursued the Master of Public Health program with her sights set on a career in health policy.

Emily's MSc research investigated the relationship between social support availability and cognitive function in Canadian adults between the ages of 45 and 85.

As a midwife, Gaby Sabados (Health Studies '99) requires a diverse set of skills. A strong clinical background is necessary in order to provide the best evidence-based care for clients, but she also requires the communication skills and the capacity to build relationships in order to become a trusted partner in care.

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.

Anis's PhD research examined how patient similarity analytics can accelerate the move toward precision medicine. 

Francesco Sijinardo (Masters of Health Evaluation, '17) is the Lead for Performance Improvement for a mental health, addictions, and seniors’ health service provider in Toronto. In this role, he is responsible for monitoring and improving the clinical and operational performance of the organization, and overseeing all evaluation related activities including reporting to funders and partners, quality improvement, implementing and monitoring service and care standards, and leading digital health initiatives.

Research interests: northern food systems and environments, nutrition and food insecurity, community-based health and food initiatives, program evaluation, access to healthcare in northern communities, and knowledge uptake and utilization

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

Ahmad Syed (MHI '20) started graduate studies with a clear vision – he wanted to work on the non-clinical side of health care. With this goal in mind, he pursued the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program at the University of Waterloo. Now, Ahmad works as a Surgical Clinical Analyst at William Osler Health System.

Research interests: health data science and analytics, unsupervised learning and knowledge discovery, digital health, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain, translational research, open science, data sharing and reproducibility

Research interests: aging, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic diseases, cognitive reserve, dementia, epidemiology, healthy aging, multimorbidity

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

Research interests: human-computer interaction, computer-supported cooperative work

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.

Research interests: cellular and molecular biology of the inner ear, age-related hearing loss and prevention, neuroprotection, biocomplexity, systems approaches to studying health and disease

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.

When AHS graduates and current PhD students Lana Vanderlee and Andrew Mitchell went to Nepal as volunteers, it didn’t take long for them to discover a serious problem.

Using simple technology, Master's of Public Health Student, Timothy Muttoo created a water filtration system that is transforming thousands of lives in the Dominican Republic.

Social entrepreneur Christina Marchand (BSc ’14, HEALTH, MPH '16) launched FullSoul to raise money for mothers and babies in Uganda.

Inspired by her time as a resident of Northern Ontario, Danielle Brandow focuses her Master's research on the health of indegenous people, and the disparities that many face when living in northern communities.

Vanessa Romano is a Health Sciences student who completed a study abroad term in Singapore

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.

Erika McMullin is passionate about making a change in Canadian Health Systems. Going through the Master of Health Evaluation (MHE) program has helped her take a step closer to achieving that goal, as she now applies her knowledge of health evaluation to improve government initiatives and health programs. Currently working with a dedicated team at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Erika hopes to continue collaborating with stakeholders and conduct creative interventions to improve patient care for the community.

As an Internal Medicine Physician, Babak Rashidi takes on various roles to contribute toward improved patient health care at two of the biggest hospitals in Canada's capital city. Completing University of Waterloo's Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program has connected him to the rising field of health technology, as he has contributed to projects such as CANImmunize, a user-friendly app that's helping Canadians keep track of their immunizations. 

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.

Working in a pediatric clinic after graduating from her bachelor's degree provided the inspiration for Denise Ng's graduate research. Now a Master's student, she focuses on health informatics and health service research, and explores the level of risk perceived by patients when they are asked to provide feedback via smart-phone technology.

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.

Merryn Maynard works at Meal Exchange, a national charitable organization that advocates for student food security in postsecondary institutions around the country. Her experiences both with pursuing an MSc in Public Health and Health Systems and becoming a finalist in the 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) competition have helped her successfully transition into her role as a Program and Operations Coordinator, working passionately to making a change to improve ’good food for all’ on Canadian campuses.

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. 

Madeline's MSc research compared health-related quality of life in parents of children with mental illness with what you would typically see in the Canadian adult population.

Ellen Stephanie Reyes' journey has taken her all the way to Vancouver, where she is pursuing a career that aligns perfectly with her research in toxicology and risk assessment during her time at the University of Waterloo. Ellen works at Golder Associates Ltd as a Human Health Risk Assessor, collaborating with scientists and engineers to solve environmental issues using statistical analysis and quality control measures.

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.

Research interests: implementation science, health evaluation, population health, health promotion, youth health

When he discovered that the University of Waterloo offered remote courses for its Master of Public Health program, Wilfrid Ntiamoah (MPH '12) was keen to apply. Living community in Canada's northern Qikiqtaaluk region (also known as the Baffin region) and working as an environmental health officer it was a good fit. Today, Wilfrid credits graduating from the program as a having a direct impact on his current role as director of population health.

Nicola Mercer (MPH '10) was already working as a critical care doctor and anesthesiologist when she realized that she wanted to make a bigger impact preventing disease in addition to treating disease. The flexibility of the Master of Public Health program at UWaterloo allowed her to fulfil a lifelong-learning passion, juggle family responsibilities with study and make an impact in health care.

For his PhD, Robert is studying how machine learning can be used by researchers to assist with thematic analysis of online communities that are discussing public health topics such as addiction recovery and vaccination.

Working with a NGO in the Philippines, Shoshannah pivoted her research plans in response to the global pandemic to understand more about the experience of community volunteers giving up their time to address the emergency food insecurity amongst some of the country's income-poor.

Kirti's research explores the use of NexGen data sources for public health surveillance. This includes the use of data from the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time monitoring of behavioural risk factors for chronic diseases in Canada.

Kathy's MSc research examined the interaction of gender and social networks and how social networks can be a source of assistance for women experiencing poverty when accessing health care services in the Philippines.

During her practicum placement for her Master of Health Informatics program, Acrifa Fears worked for St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton Ontario where she worked on a project that utilized digital health technology to monitor patients post-sugery at home wile faciltating administration of care and communication between patient and the healthcare system.

For her doctoral research, PhD Aging, Health and Well-being student Madara Marasinghe investigates the impact of assistive devices on the lives of older adults to understand more about the benefits and challenges these devices can have.

Gustavo Betini's PhD Public Health and Health Systems research took a turn when the global pandemic hit in 2020. His longitudinal study looks at the long-term affects of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadians.

Megan Janecka is doing her practicum as part of her Master of Public Health program. A chance connection through the social network Reddit led Megan to the placement she's doing at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. There she's working on creating a report that will summarize the latest epidemiology studies on the effects of radiation, to inform global radiation protection. 

Andrea Loncacric completed her practicum placement at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging as part of her Master of Health Evaluation program. Pushed outside of her comfort zone where quantitative evauation was more familiar, Andrea developed her skills around qualitative evaluation methods and hasn't looked back.

During her practicum placement at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Sara Husain contributed to three ongoing evaluations. There she realized the difference between learning about evaluation in the classroom and working in a real-world situation. Being in the workplace, she started to fully appreciate that the process of evaluation is a complex navigation of careful planning, insightful negotiations, teamwork and adaptation to dynamic situations.

People interested in health-care careers are often faced with choice overload. In a field that is so vast, with so many different pathways ranging from hospital work to dissecting health data, how does one choose the right direction? For Hoang Tang (MPH ’20),experiential education was her compass. Her practicum placement she experienced as part of her Master of Public Health program led her to where she is today.

Pam Hopwood's PhD Public Health Sciences research examines the experiences of women who find work via digital platforms or apps in feminised care occupations such as elder care work.

By 2031, immigration is projected to account for 80 percent of Canada’s population growth, making mental health among newcomers an important public health issue. Tasneem's doctoral research investigates the mental health of immigrants to Canada by applying ecological system and life-course perspectives.

The practicum component of the Master's of Health Informatics program has made a big impact on Brendan Flynn. Working at TAMVOES, a health management platform, Brendan has been involved with helping launch their new app. This experiential learning component to the program was central to his decision to choosing the program.

Public Health and Health Systems doctoral student, Shu-Feng Tsao is passionate about infordemic - or health mis-/disinformation associated with infectious diseases. In particular her research looks at the infodemic that has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shu-Feng explores how infodemic influences people's decisions and behaviour with Twitter data analyzed by machine learning or artificial intelligence techniques.

Busola Adekoya's PhD Aging, Health and Well-being research examines how policies and programs for alert systems at local, municipal, and provincial or national levels are developed and implemented in Canada and Scotland.

Margaret Mutumba's PhD Public Health and Health Systems research investigates the implementation of accessible and affordable fertility services in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

Adaora Enumah's MSc Public Health and Health Systems research looks at how stress that is experienced both directly and indirectly can affect the Prefrontal Cortex. Her research hopes to contribute to the little that is currently known about the effects of these types of psychosocial stressors on this part of the brain.

People with dementia often experience challenges communicating their experiences, which can impact their ability to participate in research. PhD Health and Well-being student, Emma Conway's research examines the current use of adapted or modified research methods with a view to improving the accessibility of research for people with dementia.

Kelly Gregory's master's research explores the occupational experiences of women first responders, through a comparative analysis of women police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. 

Although most of her doctoral program so far has been online due to the global pandemic, Joy Hutchinson's experince as a PhD Public Health and Health Systems student has still been incredibly positive. Her research is examining novel methods for characterizing dietary patterns and their relationships with markers of inequity in Canada.

As well as environmental and economic impacts, air pollution is considered a major global health risk. Working toward his PhD Public Health and Health Systems, Shahan Salim has partnered with UNICEF Mongolia to develop a tool that will better predict air pollution patterns and provide early warnings for vulnerable populations.

Through her MSc Public Health and Health Systems research, Mona Qutub is working to better understand food insecurity among post-secondary students, as it is a growing concern, particularly within this demographic. 

Intersectionality reflects the idea that people simultaneously embody multiple social characteristics such as gender, race, and socioeconomic position. Natalie Doan's PhD Public Health and Health Systems research uses intersectionality to advance our understanding of the systemic and structural barriers preventing adults in Canada from eating diets supportive of optimal health and well-being.

Nina’s thesis research investigates how the cost barrier to contraception might differentially affect racialized and Indigenous women.

Working at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for her practicum placement as part of her Master of Public Health program, Melissa Chao has had the opportunity to broaden her understanding of data collection and governance and its challenges in practice.

Since Mikki Campbell was a child, she wanted to become a radiation therapist. Inspired by the kindness of a health care worker who helped her dad during his battle with cancer, Mikki understood what her passionate purpose in life was from a young age. Now working as Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Sunnybrook Health Sciences, Mikki shares her journey to the Master of Health Evaluation and the impact of that program to where she is today.

Nicole's MSc Public Health Sciences research explores the role of public health in climate change initiatives withing the mining industry in Ontario.

Amber completed her Master of Public Health practicum at the Canada Public Health Association (CPHA). There, she worked on projects to support the development of policy positions. It helped her develop a new set of skills and understand more about the functions of a non-governmental and not-for-profilt orgaization.

Ashish is a fourth-year Health Sciences student working on his undergrad thesis.

Alexandra's research explores if and how food insecurity among adults and youth changed after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing our understanding of the impact of policy responses and how they may better prepare us to respond to food insecurity

Hibah is a fourth-year Health Sciences student working on her undergrad thesis project entitled "Exploring the experiences of receiving pregnancy care via telehealth in Ontario: A qualitative study"

Martin's research focuses on food literacy, the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate the modern food environment. A better understanding of food literacy can inform interventions to improve dietary patterns and practices to improve health.

Shweta completed her Master of Public Health practicum with HealthBridge, a Canadian non-profit organization. There, she researched common strategies or interventions for HealthBridge's partners in developing nations.

Isabella Coady is a fourth year Public Health student who studied at the University of Bristol in the Fall 2022 term.

Alexandra completed her degree in Health Studies in the School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS), and has done much more since then. Read about her life since graduating from SPHS!

Lesley's research is examining the proportions of children and adults in Canada who use low- and no-calorie sweeteners, as well as identifying the key food and beverage sources of these sweeteners.

Efuaye Abu is a fourth-year Public Health student who recently completed Dr. Kelly Anthony’s Community Learning Project class. She volunteered with United for Literacy to help international learners.

Natasa Milosevic is a Health Sciences student completing her exchange at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.

Danica Kannathasan is a fourth-year Health Studies student who completed an undergraduate thesis. Her research aims to explore the lived experiences of Tamil mothers during the postpartum period.

Mariella Santagata is a fourth-year Health Sciences student who recently completed Dr. Kelly Anthony’s Community Learning Project class. She volunteered at Going Mobile KW to assist in supporting homeless people.

Danielle Fearon is a PhD student in Public Health Sciences.  Her thesis focuses on individuals with traumatic life events who have been admitted to inpatient psychiatry in Ontario.

Bara's research focuses on proposing a new framework to understand how biological and social interactions between vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 can cause negative health outcomes among marginalized populations living in Ontario.

Emily's PhD Public Health Sciences thesis investigates how and to what extent does taking part in agroecology inflences women's capacity to sustain rural livelihoods in the Western highlands of Guatemala. As a growing movement, science and set of practices, agroecology offers a strategy for advancing food system transformation through the centring of ecological and social wellbeing.

Karen Hock is a second-year PhD student in the Public Health Sciences program. Her research will examine the impact of government policies implemented with the goal of reducing the occurrence of diet-related chronic diseases.

Kimberly's research aims to examine changes in the types of cessation assistance used by people trying to quit smoking over time.

Ashlyn Simpson is an MSc student with a specialization in epidemiology and biostatistics. Her research focuses on comparing the levels of dixons in people living in an arctic community with the Canadian national average, and looks to discover how traditional indigenous foods can expose these communities to environmental contaminants.

Sarah Sousa is a PhD student in Public Health Sciences.  Her thesis focuses on the use of technology designed for older adults with dementia located in northern British Columbia (BC)

Laura completed her degree in Health Studies in the School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS), and went on to go to medical school. Read about her life since graduating from SPHS!

Bradley completed his degree in the Honours Public Health program in the School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS). Read about his life since graduating from SPHS!

Nina’s research project explores the Region of Waterloo’s Drug Treatment Court and its role in addressing drug-related offenses, with a specific focus on understanding participant experiences and redefining success within the program.

Karen’s research examines the potential implications of a new staffing policy taking effect across Ontario’s long-term care homes.

Emma’s research explores the relationship between chronic stress and mental disorders in children with a chronic physical illness.

Alyssa's research aims to provide valuable insights into trends in diet quality which will inform decision-making and guide public health programs and guidelines.

Michaella's research focuses on the working conditions in long-term care for direct care workers and how staffing characteristics impact quality of care.

Arlene’s research leverages smart thermostat technology to gain insights into indoor heat levels during extreme heat events and inform warning systems and health programs.

Anita Quach (MPH '22) is a Wellness Partnerships and Innovation Specialist at Alberta Blue Cross who initially began working for her employer during her studies in 2021. By enrolling in the MPH program part-time, she was able to advance her education while gaining valuable work experience.

Emily Rutledge is a Health Sciences student who completed a study abroad term in Australia.

Zan Tao is a Health Sciences student who completed a study abroad term at United College London.

MHI student Chinelo Uddoh is a part-time graduate student, a mother of two young daughters, a pharmacist and a product manager at Deloitte.

Living with multimorbidity has influenced Aging, Health and Well-being student Raquel Watkis to dedicate her research to understanding how it affects Black women in Ontario, and ultimately, what changes are needed to increase the longevity of their lives.