UNews - Julia Brassolotto

Now you’ll know where to go when you gotta go

caroline.zentner — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:52:14 +0000

A team of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers have created a digital interactive map of publicly available washrooms in the city called GottaGoYQL.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto

Known as the Lavatory Laboratory, the research team, including Drs. Julia Brassolotto, a public health professor, Philip Bonnaventure, a geography professor, along with geography master’s student Zeeshan Hamayun and public health master’s student Brianna Rogers, travelled around town mapping public toilet locations and documenting their features.

“Public washroom access is important for public health, equity and dignity,” says Brassolotto. “It is also a critical part of an age-friendly and accessible community. We all need to use the washroom throughout the day, each with different needs and varying degrees of urgency.”

“As a geographer, I am always looking for ways to communicate information spatially and through mapping,” says Bonnaventure. “When the opportunity to work with public health was proposed, I saw this as a way to blend our disciplines while aiding our community. Everyone feels more comfortable knowing where you can go when you are on the go.”

Public toilets create cleaner and more sanitary spaces, which reduces deaths and improves health. They also create greater social participation. One study done in the UK found that 20 per cent of people don’t go out as much as they’d like to because of limited bathroom access. About a third of people lose some bladder control as they get older, and having public washrooms available enables them to participate more. People with medical conditions such as Crohn’s and colitis may be especially impacted because they may need to access a washroom quickly.

The GottaGoYQL map indicates the location of public washrooms around the city and the amenities each one offers. Public washrooms are those that members of the public can use without needing to be paying customers. In addition to the location pins, the map also provides information on whether the washrooms are gendered, their accessibility features, if a changing table is available and more.

“Maybe you’re a new parent who wants to find a washroom with a change table,” says Brassolotto. “Or maybe you have a health condition that requires frequent bathroom visits or you’re out walking the dog when nature calls. Whatever the situation, the map shows you where to go when you’ve gotta go.”

More than $1 million in SSHRC grants to support vital social sciences and humanities research projects

caroline.zentner — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:23:51 +0000

Several ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers have received Insight and Insight Development grants worth more than $1 million through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Their projects will delve into varied topics including immigration, artist-run centres, charitable giving, Depression-era Canadian poetry, and medical assistance in dying (MAiD).

“Research in the social sciences and humanities plays an essential role in understanding and improving the human condition,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president of research at ULethbridge. “These grants enable our researchers to enrich cultural understanding, foster a deeper appreciation of human experiences and make an impact on the lives of everyday citizens.”

The following researchers have been awarded Insight Grants:

Dr. Debra Basil, a Dhillon School of Business professor of marketing, will look at the immigrant settlement experience in small to mid-sized cities in Western Canada and develop a community-based social marketing program to improve newcomer settlement experiences.

Dr. Devon Smither, associate dean in the Faculty of Fine Arts, plans to examine and document the history and impact of artist-run centres, which were created in the 1960s and 1970s as alternatives to commercial galleries.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto’s project focuses on the complexities of MAiD in Canada by examining the ethical issues surrounding MAiD through official government statements and lived experiences.

The following researchers have been awarded Insight Development Grants:

Dr. Hamid Akbary, a sociology professor, will examine potential biases in Canadian immigration policies and the public perception of refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Dr. David Hobbs, an English professor, looks to recover vital portions of Western Canadian literary culture from the Great Depression by examining the work of poet Dorothy Livesay.

Anthropology professor Dr. Jodie Asselin’s project centres on the transformation of culturally significant landscapes due to climate change and climate change mitigation measures. While such landscape change is occurring around the world, Asselin will focus on sites in rural Ireland to both record and acknowledge site loss and the implications for rural futures, providing a lesson applicable to communities across the global north.

Dr. Jessica Jacobson-Konefall, a Faculty of Fine Arts professor, plans to examine longstanding ancestral cultural forms as they appear in contemporary art in Winnipeg. The project brings attention to Anishinaabe, Eastern European and Caribbean diasporic arts.

Charities in Canada face increasing demand but many lack the resources to serve everyone. Dr. Rhiannon Mesler, a Dhillon School of Business professor at ULethbridge’s Calgary Campus, will look at consumer backlash to charities that accept donations from firms that generate their money by legal but morally questionable means, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling or non-renewable energy, and how they might navigate the challenge.

The Research Support Fund supports a portion of the costs associated with managing the research funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, such as salaries for staff who provide administration support, training costs for workplace health and safety, maintenance of libraries and laboratories, and administrative costs associated with obtaining patents for inventions.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto appointed Associate Dean

caroline.zentner — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 16:01:25 +0000

Dr. Julia Brassolotto, an Associate Professor in the Public Health program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, has been appointed Associate Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences. She assumed her new role on July 1, 2024.

Brassolotto earned her undergraduate degree at McMaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and moved to York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to complete her master’s and a PhD in Health Policy and Equity.

She joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2016 and was appointed the Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (AIHS) Research Chair in Healthy Futures and Well-being in Rural Settings. Broadly, Brassolotto’s research looks at issues related to aging and dying. Her research has examined long-term care in rural Alberta, sexual expression in continuing care homes, age-friendly communities and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in rural communities. Through a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant, she and co-investigators from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto and Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ are looking to develop and evaluate a toolkit designed to help support safe and healthy sexual expression for people living with dementia. Her Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funded research continues to examine MAiD, with a focus on the discourse surrounding concepts of autonomy and vulnerability.

Most recently, Brassolotto has collaborated with Dr. Phil Bonnaventure in the geography department, two graduate students and the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization to create a digital interactive map of publicly accessible washrooms in the City of Lethbridge. This applied research project recognizes public washroom availability as a health-equity issue and an important component of an age-friendly community.

“I am thrilled to have Dr. Brassolotto accept the associate dean role for the Faculty of Health Sciences,” says Dr. Jon Doan (PhD ’06), Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. “Julia brings a clarity and a vision to every project she works on, and her thoughtful and thorough approach and her capacity for clear and effective communication will be very welcome as our group continues to evaluate and evolve our academic programs and develop our next strategic plan. I look forward to working with Julia and our academic and support staff on the important opportunities and challenges that connect with Health Sciences and the health of our community and beyond.”

Unique rural perspectives on medically assisted dying must be considered in policy and service provision

trevor.kenney — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 18:28:03 +0000

As Canadians from all walks of life continue to contemplate how medical assistance in dying (MAiD) may influence their end-of-life decision-making, a recent study out of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge suggests that those living in a rural setting are influenced by distinct factors that present both challenges and opportunities with respect to MAiD.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto, a researcher in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Public Health program, and her team interviewed physicians and nurse practitioners, nurses, family members, clinical ethicists and patients from rural communities throughout southern Alberta about their attitudes and experiences with MAiD and its delivery. In all, 29 participants were involved in the study, including eight family members and three patients. The stories they tell and the perceptions they convey give a glimpse of the attitudes and experiences unique to a rural setting and may influence health-care policy and standards going forward.

ULethbridge study sheds light on experiences of those in a rural setting.

“Given the distinct aspects of rurality that may impact health service access and utilization, and the current dearth of literature related to MAiD in rural settings, our study was initiated to better understand rural residents’ experience with MAiD,” says Brassolotto, a former Alberta Innovates Health Solution (AIHS) Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-Being. “Although this study focuses on southern Alberta, we believe our findings may have implications for other jurisdictions in which MAiD is legal or under consideration, and that MAiD policy and service provision ought to be context-sensitive and attentive to the particularities of rural settings.”

Through the interview process, researchers found that, in general, there is limited awareness and understanding about MAiD in southern Alberta, health-care staff have minimal MAiD-related training and continuing education opportunities, many patients do not know that MAiD is available in their rural communities, some members of the public do not know that the practice is legal, and there are some misperceptions and disinformation about the practice in circulation.

They noted that, in some ways, the expectations and stereotypes about the region were confirmed. In a region with a populace that presents an above average representation of socially conservative, religious people, conscientious objection to MAiD is prevalent. Several study participants shared how they’d experienced hearing unprofessional comments about MAiD by health-care practitioners who were not only unsupportive of the practice but actively worked against the program.

“On the other hand, some participants’ experiences challenged the stereotypes about the region,” says Brassolotto. “For instance, we were told that the backlash that some participants had anticipated never came to fruition and that community members often “agreed to disagree” rather than adopt a polarized stance on the issue.”

Some participants suggested that their rural roots and personal histories with local ranching informed their decisions to become involved with the MAiD program. They indicated the program reflected similar values about humanely alleviating suffering for living beings at the end of their lives. Several other patients indicated they wanted to die on their land.

“I don’t want to be on machines. I don’t want to be in a respite home. I don’t want to be in a nursing home,” said one patient. “When I pass away there’s going to be no gravesite, we’re going to take my horse and he is going to haul my fat ass and the ashes from one of my favourite dogs and we’re going to go west of town and they’re going to spread them in the wind.”

Brassolotto also explored how personal and professional lives often intersect in rural settings. Communities are small and health-care providers and patients inevitably have personal relationships as well, which can significantly influence an intimate process such as MAiD provision.

“Several physicians described MAiD provision as part of the “cradle to the grave care” that they offer rural residents,” says Brassolotto.

On the other hand, privacy concerns are substantial with more visibility and less anonymity in rural settings. Some physicians worried about potential harassment they or their families might receive if they were to become known as a MAiD provider, while some nurses claimed that being casually involved with the MAiD program felt like being a member of a “secret society.”

“I think in southern Alberta you have to be very aware that MAiD isn't something that a lot of the physicians down here are on board with. I told very few people,” one nurse said. “It was almost like it's a secret society, and I didn't ever want them to know that I was providing that service or a part of that program. I feel like it would have changed how they looked at me or felt about me, and maybe potentially how we were able to interact at work.”

The study aptly identified the many issues associated with MAiD and the specific considerations when applied in a rural setting — issues that strike at the heart of access to information about MAiD as well as service delivery.

“Overall, our findings suggest that the particulars of the rural setting are significant for experiences with MAiD and that relational dynamics in the rural locale complicate decisions about involvement with the MAiD program,” says Brassolotto. “Rurality has distinct implications for MAiD that are worthy of greater attention in policy and public discourse.”

The full study can be found on Science Direct.

U of L researcher to explore safe and healthy sexual expression for long-term care residents living with dementia

caroline.zentner — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 19:44:14 +0000

Dr. Julia Brassolotto, a Faculty of Health Sciences professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and co-investigators, Drs. Pia Kontos and Alisa Grigorovich from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto, are looking to develop and evaluate a toolkit that can be used in long-term care settings to support healthy and safe sexual expression for people with dementia.

“For many residents with dementia, intimate relationships can be really grounding,” says Brassolotto. “There’s a lot of benefit, emotionally, physically and mentally, for residents to still engage in some form of intimacy, especially when they’ve lost a lot of other social roles and activities and are living in continuing care.”

With a $325,000 grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the researchers will study two long-term care homes, one in urban Ontario and one in rural Alberta. In the first phase, the researchers will use demographic questionnaires, observations, interviews and document analysis to understand current practices. The interviews, either virtually or when safe to do in person, include persons living with dementia and their family members, care providers, managers and professional consultants. The second phase of the study involves developing and evaluating a digital arts-informed toolkit to help individuals and organizations support sexual expression.

While sexual expression has many benefits for older adults, such as improved quality of life and mental health, people with dementia living in long-term care face many barriers. These barriers can include a lack of privacy, attitudes of staff and family, community dynamics, and the need to balance autonomy and protection from harm.

Not much is available to help educate, prepare or train staff, so they typically improvise to the best of their abilities, but practices can vary within a care team or from one long-term care home to another. The situations they encounter can also vary widely. Sometimes people with dementia may become more sexually disinhibited and express interest towards staff or residents who are uninterested or their behaviour may signal something else.

“We never suggest care staff or other residents should have to be accepting of unwanted expressions,” she says. “With related training, toolkits and policies in place, care staff will be better prepared and equipped to navigate sexual expression. Our goal is to help support this component of people’s lives that feels very human and connected and gives them joy and pleasure, while also being very careful to make sure it’s safe, that interactions are wanted and that people aren’t getting harmed.”

Researchers to examine attitudes and perceptions of medically assisted dying in rural communities

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 17:22:34 +0000

What are your thoughts on medically assisted dying? What do you suppose shaped those opinions? How much might your location impact your experience with the practice? These are the types of questions a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher and her team will be examining over the next two years.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto and a team of researchers have received a SSHRC grant to examine ethical and policy issues related to MAiD in rural Alberta.

Since the federal government legalized Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in 2016, little research has been done on how the new law is affecting those in rural communities. Data from Alberta Health Services suggests there are differences in knowledge and attitudes about MAiD between urban and rural communities, but these differences have yet to be explored. Dr. Julia Brassolotto and a team of researchers have received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant to examine ethical and policy issues related to MAiD in rural Alberta.

The project received funding in July and is currently in the ethics approval stage, after which Brassolotto and her group, which consists of Drs. Monique Sedgwick (Faculty of Health Sciences, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge), Duff Waring (philosophy, York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ), and Sally Chivers (cultural studies, Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ), will begin their examination of the issues related to MAiD from various angles.

“Our goal is to better understand MAiD in rural Alberta,” says Brassolotto, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Public Health program and the Alberta Innovates Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being. “We want to understand how current policies affect rural communities and gain insight into people’s lived experiences of related ethical issues.”

Brassolotto sits on the Alberta Health Services South Zone Ethics Committee and a conversation at a meeting in 2019 identified some unexplored differences in rural communities. This got her thinking about the shortage of physicians in rural settings and the limited access to palliative care. Some people have worried that MAiD could present ethical issues specific to rural settings. For example, there may be stigma associated with providing or requesting the practice, limited privacy, or overlaps between personal and professional relationships that complicate decision-making.

Brassolotto and her team want to dig deeper and gain a clear understanding of the local policy landscape and the influences that have helped shape people’s views.

“We wanted to explore this issue from a social sciences and humanities perspective, and ask questions like, “Are your decisions made fully on your own when you are in this complex web of relationships in a small community, for better and for worse?”” she says. “We want to get away from stereotypes or assumptions about what rural residents think. We want to develop a rich understanding of people’s concerns, what’s working well, and what needs work.”

One of the interesting avenues they will explore is the role popular media has played in shaping peoples’ ideas of MAiD. Drawing from cultural studies, the group will conduct a content scan of MAiD in regional and more widespread media. How the practice is discussed in news stories, film and literature can shape public perception in urban and rural settings.

The research team involves both undergraduate and graduate students in data collection and analysis, with the group looking to begin interviews with rural residents and health-care providers early next year. They expect to speak with 25 to 30 people in all. The team’s aim is to add to the body of knowledge about MAiD by giving it some rural context.

“In terms of change that we’re trying to make, I’d like to see more context-specific policies and practices,” she says. “We can’t necessarily have a blanket policy for all of Alberta and assume it will play out the same in Calgary as it does in Bassano or Milk River, for example.”

Brassolotto is excited about the blend of social science and humanities approaches and believes the project will benefit from the involvement of a bioethicist, a nurse, a policy expert, and a cultural studies professor on the project.

How does where you live affect your health?

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 22:19:50 +0000

When researcher Dr. Julia Brassolotto accompanied her partner, an elementary school teacher, to a small northern Alberta community in 2010, she didn't know the decision would profoundly impact her own career.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto is using her interdisciplinary expertise as a social scientist and health-services researcher to examine how living in a rural area affects health and health care.

At the time, Brassolotto had just begun her PhD studies in Health Policy and Equity at York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in her native Ontario. Soon after moving to the hamlet of Cleardale, though, Brassolotto saw an opportunity to investigate health equity issues from a rural viewpoint — a topic that up until then she had not explored.

Today, Brassolotto is applying the knowledge she gained in rural Alberta, and her doctoral work in rural British Columbia, to her current role as the Alberta Innovates Research Chair in Healthy Futures and Well-being in Rural Settings. Brassolotto, who joined ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2016, is also an assistant professor in the Public Health program in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Focusing on care for older adults in rural Alberta, Brassolotto is using her interdisciplinary expertise as a social scientist and health-services researcher to examine how living in a rural area affects health and health care. Although other researchers have found that rurality exacerbates the effects of other, health-related factors, such as low social-economic status, Brassolotto says rural life also has positive, health-promoting aspects. They include high levels of community engagement, the flexibility of small care teams, and informal support networks that enable people to connect and share their experiences.

It's important, though, to recognize differences among rural communities, says Brassolotto. "Each area has unique strengths, politics, local resources and employers."

To that end, older adults in rural communities aren't the only ones who will benefit from Brassolotto's research. She is also sharing her insight with younger people through her course "Rural Health Issues" and by enabling undergraduate and graduate students to work alongside her as research assistants.

"High-quality, person-centred care is important to me," Brassolotto says. "By improving our understanding of rural health, we can inform policy decisions and ultimately improve care for older adults."

U of L introduces Dr. Julia Brassolotto as the new AIHS Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being

trevor.kenney — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 17:42:31 +0000

Dr. Julia Brassolotto has always looked at health policy issues from an equity perspective. That point of view shaped her first research work in rural Alberta and set the stage for her new role as Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (AIHS) Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Brassolotto officially began her role at the U of L on July 1, but has seemingly been pointed in this direction since beginning her PhD work at York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2009. The Ontario native earned her undergraduate degree at McMaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, followed by master’s and PhD studies at York.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto's work includes looking at the conditions of care work, both paid and unpaid, and how public policy and the allocation of resources affects health and health care in a rural setting.

At the onset of her PhD research, she accompanied her partner to Northern Alberta where he was a teacher in an elementary school. Seeing an opportunity to investigate health equity issues in a rural setting, it set her on a career path that ultimately brought her to the U of L.

Her work in the North, and subsequently in the bordering communities in Northern rural British Columbia, shaped her PhD thesis and gave her experiential insight to the issues rural populations face. These interests persisted during her postdoctoral fellowship in Ontario.

“Living in rural Alberta, I noticed the ways in which rurality was a distinct determinant of health and had effects on other matters of health and health care. The way I had been approaching health equity up until that point hadn’t sufficiently addressed geography or rural Canada, so that was something I really wanted to explore. I got a taste of the distinct strengths and challenges of rural Alberta,” she says. “So, when I applied for this position at the U of L, it ended up being a perfect fit and brought me back to Alberta.”

Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Dr. Chris Hosgood could not be more pleased. He sees Brassolotto’s skill set as an ideal match to the scope of the new Chair.

“We are delighted to welcome Julia as the Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being. Her expertise in rural health, particularly relating to policy, will be a tremendous asset to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the province,” says Hosgood.

“Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions is pleased that Dr. Brassolotto is now at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ensuring equity in health for rural Alberta,” says Dr. Pamela Valentine, AIHS CEO (interim) and Transition CEO for Alberta Innovates. “The work that she is embarking upon is critically important to improved care for older Albertans.”

The (AIHS) Research Chair in Rural Health and Well-being is designed to create a research program focusing on social determinants of health and a big picture approach to rural health care.

“Broadly, it’s about the intersections of formal and informal care for older adults,” says Brassolotto. “I’m particularly interested in older adults with dementia in rural Alberta, looking at how the boundaries between public and private care are organized differently in rural areas than they are in urban areas.”

Her work includes looking at the conditions of care work, both paid and unpaid, and how public policy and the allocation of resources affects health and health care in a rural setting.

“Sometimes policy decisions are made without really considering the demographics and capabilities of the affected communities,” she says. “I want to find the gaps in our knowledge about rural dementia care, build on existing knowledge, and design research for the next couple years so that the research reflects the needs of rural Albertans.”

She says there will be ample opportunity for students to participate in the research work, something she found very valuable throughout her studies.

“I really benefited from that during my grad studies and that was what allowed me to get the experience I needed to be eligible for this position,” she says. “My supervisor for my post-doc and PhD had a CIHR Chair in Gender, Work, and Health, and by being able to take part in her research program, I had the opportunity to get my hands dirty. I’d like to be able to pass along that type of experience to my students.”

Brassolotto’s position is funded for five years, with a two-year option for extension.

UNews - Julia Brassolotto

Now you’ll know where to go when you gotta go

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