The Vera Institute of Justice is a national research, advocacy, and policy organization that works to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems.I coordinate applied research on the intersections of public health issues and criminal legal system responses, including improving access to community-based care for substance use and mental health issues, advancing alternatives to arrest and incarceration, and narrowing the role and scope of policing. My recent projects have… Show more The Vera Institute of Justice is a national research, advocacy, and policy organization that works to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems.I coordinate applied research on the intersections of public health issues and criminal legal system responses, including improving access to community-based care for substance use and mental health issues, advancing alternatives to arrest and incarceration, and narrowing the role and scope of policing. My recent projects have explored policies and practices for 911-dispatched, civilian-staffed crisis response programs, offices of violence prevention and neighborhood safety, and suicide prevention and harm reduction strategies. Show less

Founded in 2015, the NYC Commission on Gender Equity (CGE) works to dismantle institutional and societal discrimination and inequities for girls, women, intersex, transgender, and gender non-conforming and non-binary persons regardless of age, ability, ethnicity/race, faith, gender expression, immigration status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.As part of a group of 32 appointed commissioners, we advise CGE on how to achieve its mission and vision, and support CGE in… Show more Founded in 2015, the NYC Commission on Gender Equity (CGE) works to dismantle institutional and societal discrimination and inequities for girls, women, intersex, transgender, and gender non-conforming and non-binary persons regardless of age, ability, ethnicity/race, faith, gender expression, immigration status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.As part of a group of 32 appointed commissioners, we advise CGE on how to achieve its mission and vision, and support CGE in implementing gender equitable policies and programs for the city's workforce and residents. Show less

Next Gen Men is a Canadian nonprofit organization creating spaces to engage, educate, and empower men and boys around gender equity and transformative masculinities in schools, communities, and workplaces. As Next Gen Men's Research and Evaluation Director, and one of three co-founders, I have led evaluation and knowledge translation for our programs, managed grant writing and reporting, and liaised with research and advocacy partners, in addition to a wide range of other… Show more Next Gen Men is a Canadian nonprofit organization creating spaces to engage, educate, and empower men and boys around gender equity and transformative masculinities in schools, communities, and workplaces. As Next Gen Men's Research and Evaluation Director, and one of three co-founders, I have led evaluation and knowledge translation for our programs, managed grant writing and reporting, and liaised with research and advocacy partners, in addition to a wide range of other responsibilities that come with starting up and scaling a nonprofit organization. I currently support Next Gen Men's team with all things research and evaluation on an ad-hoc, advisory basis. Show less

As part of a pilot project and research study carried out in collaboration with OnTrackNY, the New York City Health + Hospitals Correctional Health Services, and the New York City Department of Correction, our research team implemented and evaluated an intervention to better identify individuals with early psychosis in the New York City jail system and connect them with coordinated specialty care in the community upon release. I contributed to data collection, analysis, and research… Show more As part of a pilot project and research study carried out in collaboration with OnTrackNY, the New York City Health + Hospitals Correctional Health Services, and the New York City Department of Correction, our research team implemented and evaluated an intervention to better identify individuals with early psychosis in the New York City jail system and connect them with coordinated specialty care in the community upon release. I contributed to data collection, analysis, and research project management including interviewing individuals with early psychosis and facilitating surveys and focus groups with corrections, mental health, and social work staff and leadership. Show less

Our team of researchers from the Teacher Education Department at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) studied the recruitment, retention, and professional development of male early childhood educators in New York City.I conducted a literature review on gender-imbalanced workplaces and professions, compiled local, state, and national data on the early childhood education workforce, and coordinated survey design, participant recruitment, and data collection and analysis… Show more Our team of researchers from the Teacher Education Department at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) studied the recruitment, retention, and professional development of male early childhood educators in New York City.I conducted a literature review on gender-imbalanced workplaces and professions, compiled local, state, and national data on the early childhood education workforce, and coordinated survey design, participant recruitment, and data collection and analysis with early childhood educators and leaders throughout New York City. Show less

The Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training at Hunter College and the City University of New York was a hub for research on HIV treatment, prevention, and the structural, social, and psychological determinants of health disparities relating to gender and sexuality.I supported community outreach and participant recruitment and retention for longitudinal studies focused on HIV prevention, treatment, and support.

I represented Next Gen Men as a member of the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development's Working Group on Youth and Gender Equality (co-chaired by UN Women and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) and co-chaired a Task Force on Partnerships with Young Men in Gender Equality with gender equality activists and organizations from around the world. In March 2016, I contributed to the drafting of the declaration for the first-ever Youth Forum at the 60th Commission on… Show more I represented Next Gen Men as a member of the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development's Working Group on Youth and Gender Equality (co-chaired by UN Women and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) and co-chaired a Task Force on Partnerships with Young Men in Gender Equality with gender equality activists and organizations from around the world. In March 2016, I contributed to the drafting of the declaration for the first-ever Youth Forum at the 60th Commission on the Status of Women (the principal global gathering for gender equality and women's empowerment) and I supported the planning and evaluation of the 2nd Youth Forum at the 61st Commission on the Status of Women in March 2017. I have spoken on panels and facilitated sessions on engaging boys and men in gender equality with international audiences at the headquarters of the United Nations, as well as with Canadian youth leaders and the Executive Director of UN Women during UN Women's first official visit to Canada in June 2016. Show less

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. I developed toolkits, resources, and knowledge products, coordinated survey design and data collection, and contributed to advocacy initiatives and strategic partnerships to support youth leadership and action to advance gender equality.

The Centre for Research on Inner City Health (now known as the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions) at St. Michael's Hospital is dedicated to reducing health inequities through innovative research that supports social change.I coordinated research studies, program evaluations, and training programs focused on improving the delivery and design of mental health services in downtown Toronto.

Through its International Programs, the YMCA of Greater Toronto partners with local YMCAs to support community development projects, share resources, tools and technical expertise, and learn about the issues that affect us all.I worked with the YMCA in Kingston, Jamaica to develop and facilitate workshops on youth sexual and reproductive health, promote HIV/STI testing drives, and coordinate youth leadership development programs.

Our research group focused on the medical and psychosocial needs of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, and aimed to inform the development of health services and supports in Vancouver and BC. I conducted in-depth qualitative interviews and analyzed data from health professionals and cancer survivors using NVivo, and contributed to publications, presentations, and stakeholder meetings.

In partnership with UBC’s Human Early Learning Program and School of Population and Public Health, the Centre for Health Promotion Research focuses on efforts to reduce health and social inequities and enable people to gain greater control over the determinants of their health and quality of life. I synthesized academic and grey literature and co-authored a Public Health Agency of Canada-commissioned report on opportunities to improve health literacy.

In my 2nd year at the School of Population and Public Health, I served as a teaching assistant for a core course in Epidemiology required for all 1st-year Masters and PhD students and a methods course in Health Services Research Methods focused on study design and proposal development. I facilitated weekly tutorial sessions and developed practice problems and review materials for ~80 students in Epidemiology, and provided critical feedback on research proposals for ~10 students in… Show more In my 2nd year at the School of Population and Public Health, I served as a teaching assistant for a core course in Epidemiology required for all 1st-year Masters and PhD students and a methods course in Health Services Research Methods focused on study design and proposal development. I facilitated weekly tutorial sessions and developed practice problems and review materials for ~80 students in Epidemiology, and provided critical feedback on research proposals for ~10 students in Health Services Research Methods. Show less

YouthCO is an organization of young leaders working to reduce the impact of HIV and Hep C stigma on youth in British Columbia through peer education and support, harm reduction, community engagement, and shared leadership. YouthCO was founded in 1994 by a group of youth and continues to foster youth leadership and community building.As a member of YouthCO's peer facilitation team, I co-facilitated workshops on HIV, Hep C, and sexual health with youth in high schools and community groups… Show more YouthCO is an organization of young leaders working to reduce the impact of HIV and Hep C stigma on youth in British Columbia through peer education and support, harm reduction, community engagement, and shared leadership. YouthCO was founded in 1994 by a group of youth and continues to foster youth leadership and community building.As a member of YouthCO's peer facilitation team, I co-facilitated workshops on HIV, Hep C, and sexual health with youth in high schools and community groups and contributed to ongoing training and capacity building with our team of staff and volunteers. I also assisted with community engagement and outreach, strategic planning and grant writing, and communications and photography. Show less

The Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home/Chez Soi Project was a research demonstration project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Housing First for individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness. With participants, service providers, and researchers in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Moncton, it was the largest study of its kind in the world. During my graduate studies at UBC, I was a member of the Vancouver site's research team, and for my thesis… Show more The Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home/Chez Soi Project was a research demonstration project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Housing First for individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness. With participants, service providers, and researchers in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Moncton, it was the largest study of its kind in the world. During my graduate studies at UBC, I was a member of the Vancouver site's research team, and for my thesis work, I linked and analyzed administrative data on emergency department use and quantified the impact of Housing First on the rate of emergency department visits, the reason for visits, and the outcome of visits for participants in Vancouver. Show less

The Institute for Health and Social Policy supports world-class research on how social conditions impact population health and welfare.I researched programs and policies advancing equal rights and participation for people with disabilities around the world, in preparation for a series of international case studies and an annual conference focused on disability and equity across the life course.

TEDxMcGill is a conference that aims to disseminate "Ideas Worth Spreading" throughout the McGill community. I was part of the founding team for the first TEDxMcGill conference in 2009, and as coordinator of the Speakers Committee, I led a team of volunteers who selected and coached our 15 speakers (McGill students, faculty, and alumni) to give an effective and inspiring talk.

Within the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health of McGill University, the RECRU is a clinical epidemiology unit that conducts research on the local and global aspects of tuberculosis and other lung diseases. Focusing on homelessness and unstable housing as a risk factor for TB transmission, I conducted a retrospective cohort study integrating clinical, geographic, and molecular genotyping data to describe the epidemiology of TB among homeless persons in… Show more Within the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health of McGill University, the RECRU is a clinical epidemiology unit that conducts research on the local and global aspects of tuberculosis and other lung diseases. Focusing on homelessness and unstable housing as a risk factor for TB transmission, I conducted a retrospective cohort study integrating clinical, geographic, and molecular genotyping data to describe the epidemiology of TB among homeless persons in Montreal. Show less