About Me
I am a current MPH'19 candidate at Queen's University. I am passionate about knowledge translation and communicating public health research through innovative channels including social media, experiential learning, and public education campaigns.
I want to integrate data visualization with health law to make information dynamic, innovative, and accessible to those who need it most.
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Let's change the future of research.
Past Experience
WHAT I'VE DONE
HEALTH PROMOTION INTERN
Student Wellness Services
September 2015 - May 2019
Established and lead 'Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility' committee within Peer Health Educator program and created visible equity goals for Health Promotion in line with University policy in light of the Truth and Reconciliation Act.
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Developed health promotion messaging strategy and created content including infographics, print posters, and social media posts for campus wide dissemination of health policies, harm reduction strategies, and resources.
Liaised with SWS partners (Counselling, Accessibility & Health Services) to develop materials supporting integrated communication and make recommendations based on evidence based practices.
DIRECTOR
TEDxQueensU Salons
September 2018 - May 2020
Developed and organized themed TED conference including recruitment and speaker training of curated presenters, creation and dissemination of marketing materials in collaboration with graphic designer.
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Collaborated with School of Graduate Studies, and TEDx Advisory board to create innovative and interactive events aimed at encouraging engaging discourse and active learning.
Academic Experience
WHAT I'VE LEARNT
September 2014 - April 2018
BScH Kinesiology, Queen's University
From the structure of the cell to the structure of society, Kinesiology encompasses the complex factors that influence health and wellness.
Through a combination of research and professional courses, I got to take theory out of the classroom to work with community partners on real-life projects and got hands-on expertise in measuring/assessing human performance and function.
September 2018 - December 2019
Master of Public Health, Queen's University
Through this professional degree, I learnt the fundamentals of epidemiological, biostatistical, and health policy research, all of which inform evidence-based practices.
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With the completion of a practicum, I will be able to apply that knowledge in a real-world setting to contribute towards positive changes in population health and wellness.
Relevant Courses
Program Planning & Evaluation
Public Health System in Canada
Legal Considerations in Aging & Health
Research Methods
Fundamentals of Health Policy
Essentials of Biostatistics
Core Competency Themes
WHAT I CAN DO
Artifact:
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Traditional Beliefs about Illness: Implications for HIV/AIDS in South Africa Poster Presentation
During my final year of my undergraduate studies, I was given the opportunity to conduct an independent research project in the field of global health promotion. Specifically, I researched the impact of investment in traditional illness beliefs on attitudes towards sexual health protection among South African males and the impact that relationship has on the efficacy of current AIDS/HIV health promotion strategies.
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I performed an intensive literature review to develop a fundamental understanding of the current scientific paradigm. I then collaborated with my supervisor to develop a formal research protocol to obtain the most scientifically sound evidence for my research question. I analyzed the data, generated results, and compiled, condensed and presented my year’s worth of findings into a poster to be presented to my peers, professors, and supervisor.
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The results of my research truly surprised me and challenged me to think of global health promotion in a novel way. As we enter an era of a more holistic approach to health care, I was delighted to find evidence that questioned the efficacy of traditional western approaches to medicine in non-western contexts.
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I was able to put forth recommendations to integrate both western and eastern ideologies to health promotion strategies to develop interventions that were both culturally and scientifically sound.
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Artifact:
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Webinar for Incoming First Year Students: Health on Campus
The Queen’s Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources (SOAR) program aims to ease the transition from high school to undergraduate studies by providing incoming students with the opportunity to learn about on campus resources to facilitate their academic and personal success during their first year. I was tasked with developing and presenting a webinar on behalf of Student Wellness Services on campus health resources.
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In an effort to convey important health messaging in a way that resonated with young students, I researched health issues that had the greatest impact on students using a variety of sources including data from the National College Health Assessment, peer consultation, and first year student feedback from previously run health outreach programs. Using this information, I developed a presentation that didn’t just tell students what resources were available, I presented evidence based solutions for the most salient and contemporary health issues faced by students in a manner that contextualized each problem making the outreach more tangible and accessible. Using social media, I created up to date imagery that translated health knowledge into a language that students could relate to and connect with.
Through this experience, I honed skills in knowledge translation and graphic design. I learned about inclusive language, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity to respect the needs and concerns of a diverse body of students. I was also able to challenge the norm in terms of how health information is disseminated to students to make it current, dynamic, and accessible.
Artifact:
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TEDxQueensU Salon Event: DISJOINTED
In my role as Director of TEDxQueensU Salon events, I am responsible for putting together an event in which graduate students can present their research to the community. For one such event, I came up with the idea of having a theme around the recent legalisation of cannabis and its potential health implications. I worked with the School of Graduate Studies to seek out applications after which I interviewed and recruited candidates. I worked with speakers to flesh out their ideas and how to translate their scientific research into information that was accessible and understandable to all. For example, using visual analogies to describe abstract concepts.
To ensure attendees were able to immerse themselves in the event, I developed an interactive component in which attendees were grouped together and had the opportunity to develop a public education campaign on cannabis for a randomly assigned demographic based on the information they had learned from the speaker and then deliver a quick elevator pitch of their campaign.
Based on the evaluations completed by attendees post event, attendees appreciated the ability to have a hands-on experience of knowledge application and based on the evaluations of the event, and learned information about cannabis that they had not known prior to the event.
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From this experience, I developed skills in communication and discovered my passion for health policy and community engagement.
Let's Connect
