Migrant 'Illegality' and Access to Health Care: Case-study of Undocumented South Asian Migrant Agricultural Workers in Greece
Please Join us on Wednesday, October 14th from 12:30pm-1:30pm EST. with Dr. Reena Kukreja to learn more about her work on the topic!
Thank you: Breagh Cheng's Kind Words About Her Time with ARCH
The year and a half I spent as part of the ARCH group as a MSc student has been an important part of my growth as a researcher and overall graduate experience. Through monthly meetings (that continued, albeit virtually due to COVID-19), group discussions, and seminars, ARCH has shown utmost dedication to its trainees. I learned to receive and apply critical feedback, a skill that has repeatedly pushed me to put my best foot forward in my writing and presentations at conferences. ARCH has also served as an intellectual meeting-ground, which has allowed me to feel connected and inspired by a community equally passionate about global health equity and thoughtful about its complexities. It has been a supportive and encouraging learning environment that has helped me persevere and gain confidence in my abilities as a researcher. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the ARCH group!
Sherri Dutton's ARCH Trainee Reflection
Congratulations to Sherri Dutton for passing her Comprehensive Candidacy Exam! We are so excited for you!
Sherri shared some kind words about her personal experience, found below:
"Being a trainee with ARCH has enhanced my graduate education in many ways. I have been able to gain foundational Public Health skills in interdisciplinary and collaborative work, within a respectful and supportive environment. Through participation in projects, lab meetings, and attendance of presentations I have been challenged to consider research methodology and practice within a global context and to critically think about health equity and determinants beyond my own project and discipline. I feel fortunate to be a part of such a collaborative team, learning with and from inspiring researchers and trainees dedicated to ethical partnerships, advocacy, and action.”
The photo on the left captures Sherri while in Arviat, Nu, while the right photo she is pictured alongside Dr. Davison again in Arviat, Nu. Both photos were taken while Sherri was there for her MPH practicum as a part of the ARCH project 'Deliberative Dialogue and Arts-Based Discussion Facilitation- Catalyzing Indigenous Wellness Research and Programming in Arviat, Nunavut'.
We thank her for all she has done and are excited for our continued partnership!
First ARCH Monthly Health Seminar for the 2020-2021 Academic Year!
Date: September 9th, 2020
Special Feature/Guest: Dr. Elijah Bisung
These seminars will be held on the second wednesday of every month over the noon hour, and will feature a variety of speakers from the Queen's community and elsewhere engage in research related to Global Health and Health Equity. For the fall semester at least, they will be held via zoom, and you are welcome to attend as many as you are able.
The purpose of these seminars is to highlight the work done in Global Health research at Queen's, and to provide a platform for learners to meet and learn from each other. Each seminar will have a 30 minute presentation followed by a Q&A
The first seminar is Wednesday September 9th from 12 to 1pm. It will feature Dr Elijah Bisung from the school of Kinesiology and Health. Dr Bisung is a health geographer whose work focuses on food and water security as well as the relationship between environment and health. Much of his work is in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Please join us for the inaugural seminar of 2020-2021!
The link can be found here:
Topic: ARCH Monthly Seminar
Time: Sep 9, 2020 12:00 PM Montreal
Successful Grant - Catalyst Fund Grantees (Queen's Funding Opportunities)
Date: August 27th, 2020
Amount: $25,000
Principal Investigator: Susan Bartels (co-PI Dr. Melanie Walker)
ARCH Co-Investigator: Eva Purkey
Source: Queen's Caralyst
Successful Grant - The Cost of COVID: Primary Care Interventions to support the Social and
Emotional Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children, People Experiencing
Intimate Partner Violence and Urban Indigenous People
Lead Researcher: Eva Purkey
Source: PSI Foundation
Amount: $100,000 over 1 year.
Role: Co-PI with Dr Imaan Bayoumi; Dr Colleen Davison also investigator on grant
Successful Grant - The Cost of COVID: Social and Emotional Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Principal Investigators: Eva Purkey and Colleen Davison
Source: Queen’s Rapid response SARS CoV/COVID-19 funding competition
Amount: $30,000.00
Role: Co-Principle Investigator (other investigators include Colleen Davison and Imaan Bayoumi - co-PI)
Dean Jane Philpott's Gazette Interview Highlight
Date: July 6th, 2020
Successful Grant Update
Farewell/Congratulations to our Peers
Data in Context: Reflections Abroad from a MSc Epidemiology Student
What happens when you go beyond the data?
As a MSc epidemiology student, my thesis focuses on malaria, where I am analyzing survey data collected from the eastern border regions of Myanmar.
Little did I know that I’d have the opportunity to go beyond the data, in a literal sense. In the summer of 2019, I travelled to Mae Sot, a city in western Thailand near Myanmar to meet and work with the researchers involved in the implementation of the health survey informing my research. During this time, I learned from members of the Burma Medical Association (BMA) and Health Information System Working Group (HISWG), which are ethnic health organizations involved in health system strengthening through health care service provision and information sharing and management, respectively.
I’ve learned that the complex political environment cannot be ignored when studying health. Indeed, they are often intertwined, especially in a region like Myanmar, where ongoing civil war has disrupted the local health system. Through community meet ups with local residents working at nonprofit groups, attending ethnic health conferences, and insightful dinner conversations with my Thai-based supervisor, I gained a local’s perspective into the complex history of Myanmar involving decades of conflict between ethnic and government groups, with repercussions across all societal sectors. Beyond the literature, I began to understand how factors such as extreme language differences can further contribute to challenges in collaboration and the health inequities among ethnic minorities in Myanmar.
Moreover, I heard about community health priorities, a perspective which is not always highlighted in some global health work. The leaders of the ethnic health organizations I spoke to had strong convictions in their desire to seek change for their communities, highlighting the importance of self-determination, health human resource capacity-building, and education. Understanding both historical and current perceptions would ultimately help ensure I understand and accurately interpret the results from my thesis research.
Although I’ve since returned to my academic routine at Queen’s University in Canada, my trip has left a lasting impression on me. This brief glimpse into another culture and community has prompted me to consider how to reconcile my analytical skills as an epidemiologist with the realities occurring in the field. It’s also made me realize that while data offers the potential for generating deep insights about an issue, it does not always tell the whole story. The social, cultural, and historical perspective gives additional context to understanding global health problems, and the people of that setting.
Conference Attendance and Reflections
By: Breagh Cheng
Meeting 1: The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) 68th Annual Meeting
Date: November 20-24, 2019 (Wednesday through Sunday)
Location: National Harbor, Maryland USA (adjacent to Washington, DC)
Meeting 2: "The Future of Malaria Research”, John Hopkins Malaria Research Institute
Date: November 18, 2019
Location: Rockville, Maryland USA
During these two American conferences, I presented preliminary descriptive statistics from my thesis work on malaria and a review of data challenges related to administration of the health survey I am using for my research. The Future of Malaria Research Conference is a forum for young scientists to share their research in malaria, while the ASTMH is the largest international scientific organization of experts dedicated to reducing the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health.
1) Context: Both conferences covered a broad range of backgrounds in clinical, biological and broader population-based aspects of malaria transmission, although ASTMH had a broader focus that included all neglected tropical diseases such as tuberculosis and lymphatic filariasis. As an epidemiology student with interests in big data, I was glad to also learn from methodological-focused sessions that discussed new data collection and analytical approaches for malaria surveillance and prediction were presented. Dr. Caroline Buckee in particular stands out with her presentation on integrating mobile phone, mobility, and epidemiological data to understand malaria transmission.
2) Connections: With over 5000 tropical disease experts convening over four days, witnessing the scale of individuals committed to the goal of eradicating malaria was inspiring (and slightly overwhelming). However, as I’ve learned through my travel experiences in Thailand, attending any event solo in an unfamiliar setting can be intimidating but overcome with an open attitude. By finding common ground and discussing ideas with my peers during small moments, such as waiting in line for lunch, I was able to connect with new colleagues and learn about new aspects of malaria research.
3) Open-minded: The range of sessions were numerous, and it was tempting to visit only the talks that were most relevant to my field of research. After visiting posters related to topics outside my field, I was quickly reminded about how learning about other fields can spark ideas for my own projects.
These experiences were a valuable networking opportunity that allowed me to connect with peers and researchers from interdisciplinary backgrounds.
Accountability and Governance in Global Health- CSIH Blog Post
Convocation Announcements
November, 2019
In November, two ARCH Trainee's, Luissa Vahedi (Left) and Lesley Anne Pablo (Right) took part in the convocation for the successful completion of their MSc Epidemiology degrees. Congratulations to you both!
Canadian Conference on Global Health Equity
October 17-19, 2019
MSc Defence Announcement
August 26, 2019
Congratulations to ARCH Trainee, Lesley Anne Pablo for successfully defending her MSc Epidemiology thesis!
ARCH in the Queen's Gazette
August 12, 2019
Check out this article reporting on our visiting Queen Elizabeth Scholars working on collaborations with local Kingston researchers.
MSc Defence Announcement
July 29, 2019
Congratulations to ARCH Trainee, Luissa Vahedi for successfully defending her MSc Epidemiology thesis!
PhD Defence Announcement
March 15, 2019
Ph.D Dissertation Defence Announcement
January 25, 2019
Ph.D Dissertation Defence Announcement
January 24, 2019
November 23, 2018
Topic: Providing Healthcare to Eastern Burma's Ethnic Minorities
Thank you to all those who were able to come and listen to Saw Nay Htoo's talk! We were very happy to be able to have the opportunity to host him for the Queen's University community.
November 19-21, 2018
ARCH in the Queen's Gazette
September 13, 2018
Check out this article reporting on ARCH and the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Scholars – Advanced Scholars program funding securement!
ARCH in the Queen's Gazette
May 11, 2018
Check out this article that features Drs. Colleen Davison and Martin Ayanore after their panal discussion with Dr. Lydia Kapiriri on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights in sub-Saharan Africa!
May 2018
Topic: Medical and Policy Perspectives on Adolescent's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
Guest Speaker: Dr. Vandana Sharma (MD, MPH)
October 2017
Topic: Impact Evaluations: Assessing the effectiveness of Maternal Health Interventions in Northern Nigeria; and, Developing and Evaluating Interventions to Prevent and Reduce Intimate Partner Violence in Non-humanitarian and Humanitarian Settings
Thank you to all those who were able to come and listen to Dr. Vandan Sharma's talk! We were very happy to be able to have the opportunity to host her for the Queen's University community.
ARCH in the Queen's Gazette
March 30, 2017
Check out this article reporting on our ARCH PI's securing funding for the Queen Elizabeth Scholars Network for Equity in Maternal Child Health!
