A Research Collaborative for Global Health Equity
One of the key activities of ARCH is capacity development. ARCH faculty are involved in the training and supervision of researchers at many levels, from undergraduate students and graduate students to medical residents. ARCH faculty supervise students and student projects, and students also work directly on ARCH projects.
ARCH faculty believe that there is a role for providing mentorship and role modelling to researchers in how to form respective and ethical partnerships, how to ask research questions that lead to advocacy and action, and how to engage research subjects as participants with agency. ARCH faculty also believe that supporting students is in itself a source of ongoing growth and learning.
In addition to integrating students into ARCH projects and providing supervision for student projects, ARCH hosts a monthly lab group for interested students. Students who are interested in more information are encouraged to email Meghan Jenkins at 18maj2@queensu.ca.
CURRENT TRAINEES
Tess Marusyk, MSc Epidemiology Candidate
Project: Early Risk-Taking Behaviours and Mental Health Outcomes among Canadian Adolescents: Examining the Association using Intersectionality Theory
Bio: Tess is currently pursuing a MSc in Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences. She completed a BSc in Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, which led her to work in clinical research at the BC Centre on Substance Use before coming to Queen’s. Tess is passionate about using epidemiological methods to support evidence-based decision making that addresses health inequities. Specifically, she is interested in the areas of mental health, substance use, adolescent health, and the social determinants of health. Her master’s thesis is examining the relationship between early risk-taking (e.g., substance use and sexual activity in early adolescence) and mental health outcomes later in adolescence, while simultaneously considering the intersections of key factors that modify this relationship.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
Sherri Dutton, PhD Candidate
Lisa Wight, BA
Isobel Sharpe, MSc Epidemiology Candidate
Victoria Sicilia, PhD Candidate
Project: Exploring Aspiration and Duty through an Intergenerational Lens, with Hindu Mothers and Daughters in Northern Malabar
Bio: Victoria is a PhD student in the Cultural Studies Interdisciplinary Graduate Program at Queen’s University, having recently completed her MA thesis fieldwork in the Malabar region at the University of Calicut in Kerala, India. Her doctoral dissertation will interrogate the disconjuncture between aspirations and duty of class for university-going Hindu women in the Malabar region, through an intergenerational analysis of their mother’s comparative experience of gender performing duties. On a personal note, Victoria loves reading, painting and her St. Bernard named Benjamin who is twice the size of her!
Supervisor: Drs. Colleen Davison and Reena Kukreja
Lesley Johnston, PhD Candidate
Project: Integrating Gender, Mining, Health and Governance in Zambia and Canada
Bio: A student of Dr. Colleen Davison, Lesley Johnston is a SSHRC CGS-supported PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health and Health Systems. She is exploring the impacts of mining on women’s health and wellbeing in Zambia, and the associated local and global governance implications. The project is titled Integrating Gender, Mining, Health and Governance in Zambia. She has an MSc in Population and Public Health from Simon Fraser University, a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Developmental Biology from the University of Alberta, and has conducted and contributed to a number of research projects, both local and global, investigating various aspects of social and environmental determinants of health. Previously, Lesley was researcher and policy analyst specializing in education and human development issues at Social Planning Toronto. Her work focused on promoting equitable access to education and community programming for Toronto’s children and youth.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
Victoria Delisle, BSc
Project: Child marriage among Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon
Bio: Victoria is currently a fourth year biochemistry student completing a specialization project on the role of actin type II receptors in pulmonary arterial hypertension. She is interested in global health, and the role of local and international communities in humanitarian crisis.
Supervisor: Dr. Bartels
Katrina Streef, BSc
Project: The needs of the family vs the needs of each child: Parents making tough decisions in situations with limited resources in Thailand
Bio: Katrina is currently a fourth-year undergraduate Life Science student specializing in Epidemiology. She is passionate about global health research and interested in studying inequities faced in health systems. Her research interests include the social, political and economical factors that influence health.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davidson
Samantha Gray, MSc Candidate
Project: UN peacekeeper relationships and the stigmatization of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Bio: Samantha is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Epidemiology at Queens University. Her research interests lie in investigating reproductive health, mental health, human rights, and health policy. Her thesis supervisors are Dr. Susan Bartels, and Dr. Heather Stuart. Outside of her thesis work, she is currently working on a project assessing predictors of fatal overdose deaths in Canada as part of the CRDCN National Policy Challenge.
Supervisor(s): Drs. Susan Bartels and Heather Stuart
Georgia Fraulin, BSc
Project: Studying the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti cholera outbreak
Bio: Georgia is currently a third year Life Science and Global Development Studies student who is interested and passionate about global health. She is specifically interested in cross-cultural health research and the connections between political, economic and social factors leading to health disparities globally.
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Nida Azad
Project:
Bio:
Supervisor:
Mikyla Callaghan, BScH
Project: Parenting in Adversity: An International Comparative Study
Bio: Mikyla is a fourth-year Life Sciences student completing an independent study project with Dr. Susan Bartels. She is interested in global health inequities, with a passion for understanding the specific challenges populations face due to adversity. Mikyla has previously worked as a research assistant in the topic of maternal health and fetal development, and looks forward to examining the relationship between parenting and child well-being. Through the parenting project, she hopes to gain an understanding of parenting strategies and adaptations used in situations of adversity, and services that may support the unique situations of the families.
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Aisha Nathoo, BScH
Project: Improving care experiences of equity-seeking groups in the Emergency Department
Bio: Aisha is a fourth-year Life Sciences student at Queen’s University. She is passionate about addressing health inequity on a local and global scale through evaluating and improving access to healthcare resources, delivery, and technology. Specifically, Aisha’s research interests include reproductive, maternal, and child health.
Supervisors: Dr. Susan Bartels and Dr. Melanie Walker
ALUMNI
Caroline McKenna, BSc
Project: The association between women's decision-making power and malnutrition in their children under five in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Bio: Caroline is currently a fourth year Life Science student who is passionate about Global Health. She is interested in studying health disparities in marginalized populations, especially women in developing countries. Specifically, Caroline's research interests include women's sexual and reproductive health as well as maternal and neonatal health and nutrition. Her supervisors are Dr. Susan Bartels and Dr. Melanie Walker.
Supervisor(s): Drs. Susan Bartels and Melanie Walker
Anne-Marie Voyer, BSc
Project: Clinic-Level Factors associated with Appropriate Immunization practice in health clinics in Eastern Myanmar: An Epidemiological Investigation
Bio: Anne-Marie is currently a fourth year Life Science student specializing in Epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Colleen Davison.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
Alexa Boblitz, BSc
Project: Access to essential medicines within the ethnic health system in eastern Myanmar
Bio: Alexa is a fourth year undergraduate Life Science student interested in exploring inequities in access to health services, whether that be locally or globally.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
Atul Jaiswal, PhD
Project: Participation of Persons with Deafblindness in India
Bio: Atul is a doctoral candidate at the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University. He is an occupational therapist, trained in India, where he previously worked for seven years as a disability rehabilitation professional. He received a gold medal during his Master’s degree in Disability Studies and was instrumental in initiating a successful advocacy campaign for people with disabilities (resulting in sanction of INR 15 million) during his fellowship. He is a recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship and currently pursuing his doctoral research on deafblindness in India. The aim of doctoral research is to understand the meaning of “participation” for persons with deafblindness and ways to enhance their participation in society. To know more about his study, please visit his recent publication. His current work also focuses on understanding the use of assistive technology for people with deafblindness.
Supervisor: Dr. Heather Aldersey
Ebenezer Dassah, PhD
Project: Access to healthcare for people with physical disabilities in rural Ghana
Bio: Ebenezer Dassah is a doctoral student at the School of Rehabilitation Therapy. Before coming to Queen's, he worked as a research assistant with the Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg on a project entitled "Improving Health Policy Decision-Making in the Face of Uncertainty: A Case Study of Endovascular Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis." His research broadly focuses on chronic diseases, health policy decision making, healthcare accessibility and utilization among persons living with disabilities
Supervisor: Dr. Heather Aldersey
Christiana Okyere, PhD
Project: Inclusive education for children with intellectual disabilities in Ghana
Bio: Christiana is a recent graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy Program in theSchool of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University. She completed her undergraduate and Master’s degree in Ghana. Her Masters project focused on participation barriers for children with intellectual disabilities in segregated special schools. In her doctoral thesis, she explored inclusive education for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ghana. Prior to Queen’s, Christiana was engaged in advocacy work for children with intellectual and related developmental disabilities in Accra, Ghana- in particular as it relates to their right to access quality, inclusive education in the community. She is a proud Mandela Washington Fellow and a Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee II Scholar! Her ultimate goal is to contribute to the inclusive educational advancement, health and quality of life and overall well-being of children with IDD and their families through childhood disability research and global development projects.
Supervisor: Dr. Heather Aldersey
Megan Butler, BSc
Project: Women’s Decision Making Power around their own Health Care and its Relationship to the Use of Modern Contraception in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Bio: Megan is a fourth-year Life Sciences student with a passion for global health research and a particular interest in maternal and child health. Her supervisors are Dr. Melanie Walker and Dr. Susan Bartels.
Supervisors: Drs. Susan Bartels and Melanie Walker
Bernice Ho, BSc
Project: Life Courses of Amerasians in Vietnam: A Qualitative Analysis of Emotional Well-Being
Bio: Bernice is interested in research that focuses on health equity, and advocacy for children/vulnerable/minority populations’ rights through knowledge translation, and multidisciplinary approaches. Recently, she has conducted a study with Dr. Bartels from the University of Birmingham to fill the knowledge gap on the life course of Vietnamese Amerasians, mixed-race children born during the Vietnam War.
Supervisor(s): Drs. Susan Bartels and Lee
Daniel Korpal, MD
Project: Relationship between ACE and ED Utilization
Bio: Daniel obtained his BSc Honors in Health Science from Brock University, and his MSc in Global Health from McMaster University. He is currently a MD candidate at Queen's University. Past research projects have examined undergraduate students experiences of global health electives, First Nations health and education, Malaria in India, Geospatial factors in the distribution of Soil-Transmitted Helminthes. Currently, Daniel is working with Dr Susan Bartels, Dr Eva Purkey, and Dr Colleen Davison among others, on a project examining the impact of adverse childhood exposures on emergency room utilization. We are looking forward to pursuing publication shortly.
Supervisor(s): Drs. Eva Purkey and Susan Bartels
Momina Khan, BSc
Project: Improving Maternal and Child Health in Remote Indigenous Communities Across Canada
Bio: Momina Khan is a fourth year biochemistry student completing a specialization project on transcription factors that give rise to cardiovascular disease. Outside of research on a molecular level she works with Dr. Jenn Carpenter and the Office of Global Health on a program called Mama-We. The program aims to equip Indigenous mothers with the tools and resources they need to live and lead a healthy lifestyle for themselves, their families and the community at large.
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Ailish Valeriano, MD Candidate
Project: Exploring Physician Perspective in the medicalization of female genital mutiliation/cutting (FGM) in Egypt
Bio: Ailish is a third year medical student with an interesti n health advocacy, global health, and Emergency medicine. She worked with Dr. Bartels and Dr. Mealnie Walker for her Critical Enquiry project in preclerkship.
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Luissa Vahedi, MSc
Project: Sexual abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers in Haiti
Bio: Ms. Luissa Vahedi is pursing a Master of Science in Epidemiology at Queen’s University, within the department of Public Health Sciences. She completed her undergraduate training at Western University in the Health Sciences. Luissa is passionate about utilizing the methods of epidemiology as equity tools to understand and reduce global health disparities. Her current thesis, supervised by Dr. Susan Bartels and Dr. Heather Stuart, utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the phenomenon of sexual interactions during peacekeeping operations and the children born from such encounters. She is involved in a a number of projects at Queen’s University, including implementing the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, and Act sexual assault resistance program. Currently, Luissa is preparing to pursue field work in Haiti, to support the completion of her Master’s thesis.
Supervisor(s): Drs. Susan Bartels and Heather Stuart
Lesley Anne Pablo, MSc Candidate
Project: Exploring Fathers’ Changing Familial Roles and its Association with Child Illness in Mongolia
Bio: Lesley obtained her Hons BSc at the University of Toronto and she is currently in hre 2nd year of the MSc Epidemiology program at Queen's University. She is generally interested in studying the social determinants of health within global health settings.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
Susan Thanabalasingam, MD Candidate
Project: Gaps in Child Maltreatment Research in Canada: Where does opportunity lie?
Bio: Susan Thanabalasingam is a second-year medical student who has an interest in fostering more equitable, sustainable healthcare policies. She has been working with Dr. Colleen Davison since 2016 on a commentary centred on gaps in child maltreatment research. She also collaborated with the summer 2018 QES Scholars on a project focusing on parenting in adversity.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
Hayley Watt, BHSc
Project:Access to health services among young female Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Bio: Hayley is currently a fourth year Health Science student specializing in global and population health who is interested in studying health inequities in marginalized populations.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
Reshma Parvin Nuri, PhD Candidate
Project: Policy to practice: what works to meet the needs of families of children with disabilities in Bangladesh.
Bio: Reshma Parvin Nuri is currently pursuing a PhD in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen’s University. Her doctoral research examines how the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh is working to meet the needs of children with disabilities (CWDs) and their families in order to ensure their fundamental human rights and dignity. Ms. Nuri has several years of professional experience in working with CWDs and their families as a physiotherapist and researcher. She also worked two years as a Gender Coordinator and Internal Evaluator in an international development project supported by the government of Canada prior to immigrating to Canada.
Supervisor: Dr. Heather Aldersey
Surajo Sulaiman, PhD Candidate
Project: Exploring Quality of Life among Polio Survivors in Northern Nigeria.
Bio: Surajo Sulaiman is a doctoral candidate at the School of Rehabilitation Therapy. Before coming to Queen's, he worked as a community physiotherapist with Jigawa State Ministry of Health. He was providing general rehabilitation services in a community medical center to individuals with different categories of disabilities such as musculoskeletal injuries, stroke, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. His area of research broadly focuses on community based inclusive development and provision of accessible medical and rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities.
Supervisor: Dr. Heather Aldersey
Megan Singh, MD Candidate
Project: Obstetrical Risk Factors of Neonatal Malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Bio: Megan Singh is a third-year medical student with an interest in inner city health and international health. In 2018 she travelled with Dr. Susan Bartels to Goma, DR Congo to work alongside Dr. Stan Hangi, a local pediatrician. While in Goma, she collected data on the obstetrical risk factors for malaria and clinical indicators of malaria amongst febrile children presenting to the emergency department. She has also worked with Dr. Eva Purkey to conduct interviews for a study that examined the impact of adverse childhood exposures on emergency room utilization and a study assessing palliative care goals in vulnerably housed individuals in the South East local health integration network.
Supervisor: Dr. Eva Purkey and Dr. Susan Bartels
Jodie Pritchard, Global Emergncy Medicine Fellow, PGY4 Emergency Medicine
Project: Variety of educational development, clinical, research and humanitarian projects over Fellowship year
Bio: Dr Jodie Pritchard is an Emergency Medicine Resident from McMaster University who will be joining Queen’s University to complete a Global Emergency Medicine fellowship this year. She has obtained her Masters of Public Health, and came to medicine from a career as a Critical Care flight Paramedic. Dr Pritchard has work experience in Lao, Libya, Cambodia, South Africa, and Ghana prior to her fellowship year and is looking forward to expanding her experiences in academic Global Medicine.
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Emily Robinson, Emergency Medical Resident
Project: Men and masculinities among Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Amanda Collier, Emergency Medicine Fellow
Project: Variety of clinical, research and humanitarian response projects over 2 years
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Shaimaa Helal, MD Candidate
Project: Lived Experiences of Syrian Refugee Child Brides in Lebanon After Marriage
Bio: Shaimaa Helal is a first-year medical student with an interest in women’s health and international medicine. Since 2016, Shaimaa has worked under the supervision of Dr. Susan Bartels on various projects relating to maternal and adolescent health outcomes among Syrian refugee child brides in Lebanon.
Supervisor: Dr. Susan Bartels
Jessica Gilmore, MSc Candidate
Project: Parenting in Adversity and Individual Perceptions of Access to Supportive Services
Bio: Jessica is interested in researching barriers to health care access for minority demographics. She completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at Queen's University and is now in the process of completing her MSc in Health Promotion under the supervision of Drs. Colleen Davison and Elaine Power.
Supervisor(s): Drs. Colleen Davison and Elaine Power
Breagh Cheng, MSc Candidate
Project: Predictors of long-lasting insecticide-treated treated bed net utilization and ownership among ethnic communities in Eastern Burma.
Bio: Breagh is currently completing her MSc in Epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Colleen Davison. Her work and professional experiences in global health ethics, community engagement, and malaria has fueled her research interests in infectious diseases and health equity. Besides her thesis work, Breagh is studying risk factors for opioid overdose in Canada as part of the CRDCN National Policy Challenge.
Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Davison
