UNews - Faculty of Health Sciences

Celebrating National Public Health Week

caroline.zentner — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:16:07 +0000

National Public Health Week, April 6 to 10, is a time to highlight all the ways public health practitioners make a difference in the health and well-being of Canadians.

Dr. Julia Brassolotto

“National Public Health Week provides us with an important opportunity to acknowledge the many ways in which public health initiatives have improved daily life and strengthened our communities,” says Dr. Julia Brassolotto, associate dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. “This week is also a chance to honour public health workers, who work tirelessly to advocate for policies and practices that promote good health for all.”

ULethbridge Public Health students, whether they are pursuing the two-year post-diploma or the four-year undergraduate program, are well prepared for diverse careers through a combination of classroom learning, hands-on activities and practicums in the community. The undergraduate degree is the only program of its kind in Alberta.

“Through coursework and experiential learning, our program provides Public Health students with the knowledge and skills to promote and protect population health locally and globally," says Brassolotto.

For example, students in Keltie Hamilton’s medical microbiology course spend time in biology labs to solve a food-borne illness outbreak, thanks to a collaboration with the biology department. The scenario is based on a real-life Shigella (an intestinal bacterial infection) outbreak at a shelter in Edmonton a few years ago. Students must first identify the pathogen and then develop recommendations to address the outbreak. They also create a news statement to distribute to the media.

Keltie Hamilton

“You have to be mindful in public health about how you speak about others,” says Hamilton, an instructor and program coordinator. “It’s designed to teach them about how to speak to the public about different health outbreaks in a way that’s very kind and clear.”

In partnership with ULethbridge nursing and drama departments, Hamilton’s students in the Advanced Public Health course participate in a mass casualty simulation based on a ferry crash scenario. The public health students act as operations managers, facilitate communication with paramedics, the hospital, and emergency services, and ensure the nursing team has the support it needs.

“We work hard to make sure our students get real-world experiences, and we try to relate those experiences to what’s currently going on in the world,” says Hamilton.

Public Health students can also elect to complete a practicum in the community. In the past, students have worked in occupational health and safety, analyzed data for the provincial government and worked with Pro-Choice YQL.

“We think these placements are so valuable for students because they give them real-world experience and a reference they can use in their job search,” says Hamilton.

Dr. Richard Larouche

Students in Public Health can also participate in a research practicum. Dr. Richard Larouche, who researches active transportation, independent mobility and physical activity of children, had his practicum students analyze data from interviews with parents of children aged seven to 12 about the factors they consider when allowing their children to move around their neighbourhood without adult supervision. With Larouche, the students wrote a paper on their findings, which has been published in the Active Travel Studies journal.

Experiences like these allow students to develop their core competencies in public health, such as analyzing and synthesizing data and communicating their findings to the public.

“Research experience is good in terms of career development, especially for students who are interested in graduate schools, and it’s something that can help them win competitive graduate scholarships,” says Larouche.

Details about ULethbridge Public Health programs are available online.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic to co-host regional nursing schools conference

caroline.zentner — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:06:01 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic are joining forces to host the 2026 Western North-Western Region Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (WNRCASN) conference from April 26 to 28 at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge.

The Bridging Practice and Possibility: Advancing Nursing Education for the Future conference includes oral and poster presentations, networking opportunities and sessions that highlight research, teaching innovations and collaborative approaches to nursing education.

“We are very excited to be co-hosting, alongside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic, a large regional nurse educator conference,” says Gillian Comchi (BN ’09), co-chair of the conference planning committee and an instructor in the Centre for Health and Wellness at Lethbridge Polytechnic. “Like our bridge, our conference theme, Bridging Practice and Possibility, invites attendees to build meaningful connections with colleagues from across Western Canada, connect with exciting innovations and possibilities of nursing education and connect with the land and culture of beautiful southern Alberta.”

The conference is an opportunity to showcase nursing scholarship and research, provide participants with experience in presenting, networking and professional engagement, strengthen collaboration among Western Canadian nursing programs and highlight Lethbridge as a host community committed to health-care education and workforce development.

The opening keynote speaker on April 27 is Dr. Heather Bensler, an associate professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. Her research focuses on white settler identity in nursing education and the use of participatory theatre to build the capacity of nursing students and practicing nurses to recognize and disrupt anti-Indigenous racism in education and practice.

On April 28, co-presenters Dr. Marian Luctkar-Flude and Dr. Jane Tyerman will discuss the role of simulation in health education. Luctkar-Flude is an associate professor at Queen’s ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ School of Nursing and co-founder/co-president of the Canadian Alliance of Nurse Educators using Simulation (CAN-Sim). Tyerman is an associate professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa and co-president of CAN-Sim. Both are leaders in simulation-based nursing education.

Registration is now open. Nursing and health-care educators, nurses and students are encouraged to attend. Visit the conference website for more information and to register.

PUBlic Professor Series talk to examine the winners and losers of legalized gambling

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:25:44 +0000

People who gamble are always quick to tell the world when they’ve experienced a big win, but who’s really cashing in on gambling and who’s in the red?

Dr. Robert Williams is a research coordinator with the Alberta Gambling Research Institute and professor in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Health Sciences. He will explore the many facets of the exploding gambling world in his PUBlic Professor Series talk, Legalized Gambling in Canada: Winners and Losers, on Thursday, March 26, 2026, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge.

Dr. Robert Williams is asking who really benefits from gambling?

Who really benefits from gambling, who is left behind and how are emerging technologies like AI shaping the future of gambling?

“Gambling seems to be everywhere these days, on television, in the news, at the corner store, and increasingly online, yet gambling itself is not new. It's been part of human culture for 1000s of years, from dice games in ancient Greece to chariot races in Rome and even lotteries used to help finance projects such as the Great Wall of China,” says Williams. “What is new is the scale and structure of modern gambling today. It's no longer primarily a social pastime. Instead, it has become a sophisticated global industry designed for generating profit.”

Williams will delve into how modern gambling works and why it is so compelling.

“In this talk I will look at the psychology that drives gambling behaviour, including the powerful reinforcement patterns embedded in electronic gambling machines and other games,” he says in this preview video. “I’ll also examine the cognitive biases that lead people to believe they can beat games that are mathematically designed for the House to win.”

Williams is a clinical psychologist and professor in the ULethbridge Addictions Counselling program. He frequently provides consultation to government, industry, the media and public interest groups, and regularly gives expert witness testimony on the impacts of gambling. He is widely published and is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on the prevention and causes of problem gambling, online gambling, the socioeconomic impacts of gambling, the proportion of gambling revenue derived from problem gamblers, Indigenous gambling and the population assessment of problem gambling.

The 2025-26 PUBlic Professor Series is presented by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate. We gratefully acknowledge the additional generous support of Dr. Dennis Connolly (LLD ’17), Knud Petersen, Dave and Kathy Greenwood, Dr. Michelle Helstein, Dr. Digvir and Manju Jayas, Deborah Lucas and Dr. Dena McMartin.

The annual PUBlic Professor Series lectures spark thought-provoking discussions on the most relevant topics of the day, bringing together a diverse group of experts and researchers from across campus and into the community. Every talk is free of charge. This is the final event of the 2025-26 season.

High school students don lab coats in pursuit of research

caroline.zentner — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:53:18 +0000

Some of southern Alberta’s top high school science students will get the opportunity to work with leading ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers this summer as ULethbridge hosts the annual High School Youth Research Summer (HYRS) program.

Students in last year's HYRS program worked in labs across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

One of the most influential summer development programs for high school students, HYRS has proven to be a launching pad for exceptional science students and future post-secondary researchers.

“This is such a great opportunity for young people interested in science to really see their studies in action and take their learning to another level,” says Steph Elder, Manager of Destination Exploration, ULethbridge’s youth outreach program. “The hands-on work they’re involved in and the high-end lab facilities they get to work in really spark their curiosity and creativity. It gives the students invaluable experience they can build on as they finish their high school studies and take with them into a post-secondary setting.”

In just the last year, three local-area students who had the opportunity to train with ULethbridge researchers in the summer HYRS program won medals at the Canada Wide Science Fair. Fatema Riaz (Medicine Hat High School) earned a gold medal at the national science fair after being mentored by Dr. Dylan Girodat (chemistry & biochemistry); Mehnaz Khan (G.S. Lakie Middle School) earned a bronze medal after working with Dr. Matthew Bogard (biological sciences); and Nycea Hazelwood (Lethbridge Collegiate Institute) received the award for the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association after studying with Dr. Kim Stanford (biological sciences).

“One of the greatest strengths of the HYRS Program is the exceptional quality of researchers the high-school students are paired with from multiple departments,” says Dr. Trushar Patel, Canada Research Chair in RNA and Protein Biophysics and associate dean in the ULethbridge Faculty of Arts & Science. “These dedicated scientists not only lead cutting-edge research, but they also take the time to mentor and inspire the next generation of leaders. For high school students, this is a truly unique opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in their fields."

HYRS is a six-week consecutive program that runs annually at ULethbridge, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. Students receive a stipend of $3,000 for six weeks of training and get the opportunity to participate in hands-on research work with Alberta Innovates-funded research groups.

“Students will join research teams that include PhD, master’s and bachelor students, get full lab access and work on projects in fields such as genetics, neuroscience, bioengineering, molecular imaging, recreational therapy, health-care policy and more,” adds Elder.

In addition, students get the chance to hear guest speakers talk about their research careers and participate in a term-end research symposium where they can showcase their work to parents, mentors and members of the public. This year’s HYRS program runs July 4 to Aug. 15, with the research symposium taking place Thursday, Aug. 14, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in Science Commons Atrium.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers earn Digital Research Alliance grants

caroline.zentner — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:51:01 +0000

Four ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge scholars have received $35,000 from the Digital Research Alliance (DRI) of Canada for projects advancing equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) in digital research infrastructure. The funding, announced earlier this year, is part of $2.87 million awarded to EDIA Champions across the country.

From left to right are Toyin Aladejebi, Chiedozie Alumona, Frank Onuh and Dr. Nathan Woods.

“To have four scholars from ULethbridge receive these grants is an indication of the excellence in research, and it is worth celebrating,” says Martha Mathurin-Moe, vice-provost of Accessibility, Belonging and Community. “Investing in this type of research is crucial for creating an inclusive, innovative and diverse research ecosystem where students are able to connect deeply, learn from multiple perspectives and address critical research problems. These research projects will continue to strengthen and broaden the research landscape, but also create meaningful opportunities for all our diverse students to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.”

“Digital research infrastructure is transforming the way we conduct and share scholarly work,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president of research. “By leveraging digital tools and resources, these researchers can overcome traditional barriers, collaborate more effectively and drive innovation across disciplines. Not only did we see strong interest in this inaugural call for proposals, our success rate reinforces the quality of our research environment.”

Toyin Aladejebi, a PhD student in Population Studies in Health, focused her project on empowering graduate women researchers to build networks that enable them to find and share data and collaborate with other researchers in Canada and around the world.

Chiedozie Alumona is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Health Sciences studying under Dr. Olu Awosoga. Alumona’s project aims to train racialized scholars in the Faculty of Health Science in using digital research infrastructure.

Frank Onuh, a PhD student, conducts research at the intersection of information disorder, decoloniality and artificial intelligence (AI). His doctoral research centres on decolonizing information verification practices in Africa to leverage the insights and findings to develop appropriate intelligent systems for automated fact checking that capture and represent the African experience.

Dr. Nathan Woods, a postdoctoral fellow in the Humanities Innovation Lab, conducted a needs assessment study that looks at barriers and opportunities for humanities researchers to work with the Canadian digital research infrastructure.

Read the full story.

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.

Canadian children with greater freedom to roam show lower psychological distress

caroline.zentner — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 15:07:26 +0000

Parents today likely won’t be surprised to know their children have far less freedom to travel in their neighbourhoods than they did. But what they might not know is how that could affect their children’s mental health.

Dr. Richard Larouche, a Faculty of Health Sciences professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and other researchers across Canada have found children’s independent mobility (CIM), which is children’s freedom to roam and explore their neighbourhood without adult supervision, has declined over the past 50 years. Researchers have also noted the decline in CIM happened at the same time as a major increase in mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and suicide among children and adolescents.

“While there seems to be an association between mental health and CIM, there was no longitudinal evidence to support the idea,” says Larouche. “Using data from a national longitudinal study we conducted between December 2020 and June 2022, we tested the hypothesis that higher CIM would be associated with lower levels of distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The data were obtained from parents of 2,258 seven- to 12-year-olds in Canada. They were surveyed every six months and asked to assess their children’s distress and indicate how far children were allowed to roam alone or with friends or siblings — their home range.

“Consistent with our hypothesis, a higher home range was associated with lower odds of parent-perceived distress among Canadian children during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Larouche. “Children with the highest level of home range had 39 per cent lower odds of having elevated distress. This is a notable difference given that just over half of the children met the threshold for elevated distress at the beginning of the study. The proportion declined slightly to about 42 per cent by the end of the study when most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.”

While the study included a relatively large national sample size, the researchers say intervention studies are needed to further investigate the relationship between CIM and mental health and determine causality.

“Our findings concur with research showing that in-person school attendance was associated with better mental health than online attendance,” says Larouche. “Our results underscore the need to provide more mental health support for children during pandemics, especially for low-income families and children attending school remotely. Supporting CIM may be a no-cost, equitable approach to promote physical activity and support child development and mental health.”

The researchers suggest pediatricians and health professionals consider promoting the benefits of children getting out and about. The Canadian Paediatric Society released a position statement earlier this year regarding the benefits of outdoor risky play. CIM is viewed as one example of risky play, which is defined as thrilling and exciting play that can include the possibility of physical injury. Urban planners and policymakers could ensure children have access to places that support their independent mobility, including parks, playgrounds and walking and cycling paths. UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative is one such example.

“More research is also needed to develop, implement and evaluate effective interventions to promote children’s independent mobility,” says Larouche.

New EDI Scholars to build capacity for equity, diversity and inclusion at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:16:20 +0000

Now in its fourth year, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Scholars program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge continues to grow, welcoming three new scholars for 2024-25.

Drs. Bonnie Lee and Anastasia Stuart-Edwards, along with doctoral candidate Tara Million, have been named EDI Scholars, and will undertake projects aimed at advancing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s EDI goals. When complete, these scholars will share their findings with the broader campus community.

“We are thrilled to introduce our newest cohort of EDI champions,” says Hernando (Nando) Ortega Arango, project manager, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “Congratulations to our 2024-25 EDI Scholars and thank you to all applicants. This was a highly competitive selection process, and we look forward to collaborating with this exceptional group to enhance EDI capacity.”

Since its inception in 2021, the EDI Scholars program has named 13 scholars, including this year’s additions. In 2023-24, the program expanded its application process to increase EDI efforts across various faculties, departments and backgrounds. The projects for 2024-25 reflect this diversity, with participation from the Dhillon School of Business and the Faculties of Arts & Science and Health Sciences.

“Championing EDI initiatives is a collective responsibility, and everyone can contribute to fostering inclusion and belonging,” says Ortega. “Through the work of the EDI Scholars, we hope to reach diverse audiences and strengthen the impact of EDI efforts across campus.”

2024-25 EDI Scholars

Dr. Bonnie Lee

Dr. Bonnie Lee (Faculty of Health Sciences — addictions counselling) will launch the Student-generated Quick Cases: EDI Dilemmas from Students’ Lived Experience project. This competition invites upper-level and graduate health sciences students to create “Hollywood-style” vignettes based on their personal experiences with EDI dilemmas. The goal is to generate real-life scenarios for discussion and role-play, helping students explore various perspectives and compiling a valuable resource for future educational use.

“EDI issues are more complex than meet the eye,” says Lee. “It’s always instructive to consider these dilemmas from the standpoints of the various actors involved. We want to understand why people take the positions they do and get a deeper sense of what they feel inside.”

Tara Million

Tara Million (Faculty of Arts & Science — Indigenous studies) will expand her research on Indigenous law by drawing on Blackfoot, Cree and Métis legal orders to begin Indigenizing conflict resolution policies and procedures at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

“I am very honoured to have been selected as an EDI Scholar,” says Million. “My research project draws on the premises that Canada is a multi-juridical country where Indigenous laws exist alongside Canadian common and civil law and that the Numbered Treaties express a range of Indigenous legal orders. It’s extremely important to me as an Indigenous faculty member that my research helps to create a theoretical and physical space where the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ can function under the umbrella of Indigenous legal orders, as well as within provincial and federal laws.”

Dr. Anastasia Stuart-Edwards

Dr. Anastasia Stuart-Edwards (Dhillon School of Business) will study incivility within academic settings by exploring the experiences of faculty members with diverse backgrounds and focusing on the prevalence, perception and personal and organizational strategies that can mitigate its harmful effects. Ultimately, Stuart-Edwards hopes her research will inform policies and practices that enhance organizational behaviour and well-being in educational institutions.

“Receiving this award is a significant milestone for me as it underscores the importance of addressing incivility within academic environments,” says Stuart-Edwards, who invites faculty members throughout Canadian academia to participate in her survey. “Through my research, I aim to uncover the prevalence and impact of selective incivility, particularly among faculty members with traditionally stigmatized attributes, and to develop effective strategies for fostering more respectful and inclusive academic settings.”

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers to collaborate on projects funded by Partnership Grants

caroline.zentner — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 16:59:54 +0000

Several ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers are collaborating on recently announced projects funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grants.

“ULethbridge researchers involved in these projects are contributing their expertise to studies that have an impact across Canada and around the world,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, ULethbridge vice-president research. “Many research projects have an increasingly broad scope and depend on collaborations with researchers at other universities in Canada and abroad. These collaborations transform individual insight into collective knowledge and generate discoveries that a single researcher might not uncover alone.”

Dr. Lisa Starr, dean of the Faculty of Education, and Dr. Kaylan Schwarz, a professor in the School of Liberal Education, are involved in a project called TRANSFORM: Engaging with Young People for Social Change. The project is supported by a $2.5-million Partnership Grant from SSHRC and over $3 million in in-kind and cash contributions from partner universities and organizations.

The project is led by Dr. Claudia Mitchell from McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. The researchers will study how young people are pivotal agents of change in gender equality, particularly through visual arts. Using diverse art forms, such as photography, filmmaking, cellphilming (video shot on a cellphone or tablet camera), performance art and textile production, the TRANSFORM project will empower and champion youth-led agendas for transforming gender norms and inequalities. The study has field sites in Africa, South America and India.

Dr. Olu Awosoga, a Faculty of Health Sciences professor with expertise in quantitative research methods, is a co-applicant on a $2.5 million SSHRC Partnership Grant to improve the well-being of Black children and youth in Canada. The project is led by Dr. Bukola Salami at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary. The project focuses on experiences with the justice system, the education system, the child welfare system and immigration and settlement. Researchers will conduct a national survey focusing on Black children and youth in Canada — the first of its kind — to gather data on the lived experiences of Black youth.

Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc (BA’71), DASc ’04), vice-provost of Iniskim Indigenous Relations, is collaborating on a project led by Dr. Shalene Jobin of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. The Critical Approaches to Indigenous Relationality project is supported by a $2.5-million Partnership Grant.

A further project funded by a Partnership Grant and involving ULethbridge researchers is the already announced Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories of Performance project.

In addition, Dr. Kara Granzow, a sociology professor, is a co-applicant on a SSHRC program called the Reconciliation Network in Response to Call to Action 65 led by Dr. Vanessa Watts at McMaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. This joint initiative between the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and SSHRC supports the establishment of a national research program to advance the collective understanding of reconciliation. The project Re-Neighbouring as Reconciliation: Indigenous Stories of Resistance was awarded more than $975,000 over five years.

UNews - Faculty of Health Sciences

Celebrating National Public Health Week

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic to co-host regional nursing schools conference

Related Topics

PUBlic Professor Series talk to examine the winners and losers of legalized gambling

Related Topics

High school students don lab coats in pursuit of research

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers earn Digital Research Alliance grants

Related Topics

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

Related Topics

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

Related Topics

Canadian children with greater freedom to roam show lower psychological distress

Related Topics

New EDI Scholars to build capacity for equity, diversity and inclusion at ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

Related Topics

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers to collaborate on projects funded by Partnership Grants

Related Topics

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic to co-host regional nursing schools conference

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers earn Digital Research Alliance grants

New EDI Scholars to build capacity for equity, diversity and inclusion at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers to collaborate on projects funded by Partnership Grants