Research

Health Equity & Policy

My research takes a critical political economy approach to policy, investigating how broader social, political and economic structures contribute to the unequal distribution of the social determinants of health, and have approached my two primary areas of research–farmer mental health and food security–through this lens. I combine my extensive knowledge of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, drawing on my research background in epidemiology and human nutrition, with critical sociological and political science approaches.

Farmer mental health

A key research interested is identifying policy levers for improving the health and well-being of farmers and for achieving food security and sovereignty in Canada.

My doctoral research, Farming in the free market: the impact of the dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board on the mental health and well-being of farmers, is a critical examination of trade liberalization in the agri-food sector and its attendant impacts on grain and oil-seed famers in Saskatchewan. This research documents the destabilizing impact that trade liberalization has had on this sector, as well as the stresses associated with increased corporate concentration within the grain transportation and handling industries.

I am currently leading a research project, in partnership with the National Farmers Union (NFU), exploring the social determinants of farmer mental health. This research will culminate in a policy report that will provide a survey of systemic issues that are currently absent from discussions on farmer mental health in Canada as well as provide policy alternatives for improving farmer mental health. Findings from this research will form the basis for future post-doctoral research.

Food Security

My research on household food security is concerned with broader societal processes that shape public policy that directly impacts food insecurity. This includes the role of power and influence on public policymaking, and government welfare retrenchment which has created the conditions for food insecurity to thrive.

Research I have co-authored on the topic of food security has been highlighted in Walrus Magazine and CANADALAND podcast, and I have been interviewed as an expert for CBC news. I am currently writing on a book chapter on food security for the Handbook of Social Determinants of Health, edited by Toba Bryant (Edward Elgar Publishing). 

Cellular Agriculture

At the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley, I worked alongside an expert team examining the social and policy implications of cellular agriculture in British Columbia. Our research examined the likely reception of cellular dairy among vegans and the food-interested public, as well with dairy farmers across the province. Later research focused on the potential for business accelerator and incubator programs in advancing food technologies that could support efforts for global food security and environmental sustainability.