McGill Global Health Scholars - Undergraduate Program

Location

Mental Health Authority, Accra, Ghana

Location

DY Patil University, Nerul Mumbai, India

Project Summary

AnkaSmart! is a patented Internet of Things (IoT) solution for young women and gender diverse populations globally. It democratizes access to personalized sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) care and linked clinical services, while providing evidence-based information. It aims to empower young people to make smart decisions and become advocates for their health and wellness.

Usability studies are underway in Indian young adult populations.

This project will aim to add a Chat Bot to the existing innovation that will be tested for technological readiness in a small sample of users currently enrolled in the ongoing study.

Project Objectives for student:

• Curate evidence-based content for the Chat Bot
• Assist in data gathering on an ongoing usability evaluation (that will include ChatBot) in a small sample.
• Iterate the Bot after evaluation with feedback from users.
• Work on an abstract on the project for conferences.

Technical Skills

• Research skills on SRHR - background and experience with searching for evidence.
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Ability to liaise with our technical & research team in Canada and India.
• Dry lab experience on innovation would be an asset.
• Software skills (coding, graphic design) would be an asset.

Transferable Skills:

• Team Player and works well collaboratively.
• Organized and completes assigned tasks.
• Self-aware and personable and innovative big picture thinker.
• Motivated and passionate about global health.
• Great communication skills.

Timeline:

Flexible

Onsite supervisor(s):

Dr Suma Nair, MD, Founding Dean, DY Patil School of Public Health.

Travel and Lodging Arrangements:

Dr. Pant Pai or a member of her research team will arrange travel and accommodation for the student

More information:

Dr Pant Pai is a tenured Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University and a Senior Scientist at MUHC Research Institute, Montreal, Canada. Her global implementation research program on diagnostics is based in Canada, South Africa, and India. Her expertise lies at the intersection of point-of-care diagnostics, digital health, and implementation science in HIV/STI and Sexual and reproductive health(SRHR). She has received many research and innovation excellence awards: the ASAP award from Google, Plos & Wellcome Trust, the Chanchalani McMaster Award, Maude Abbott, Haile Debas Prize, among others and has protected nine patents/copyrights for her digital innovations. She has served on technical groups for WHO, FIND, Geneva, Gates Foundation, CDC/PEPFAR, CIHR-CHASRAC, and PHAC, among others. She is a member of the College of New Scholars in Arts & Sciences of The Royal Society of Canada, a Canadian women leader in Global Health (2018, 2020), and a member of Women Lift Health Cohort A. She serves as the IUSTI Executive, Canadian Chapter. Her innovative work was presented at the National Academy of Sciences, USA, featured in the PNAS, and has been covered by various national/international media outlets: MacLeans, The Globe and Mail, BBC, Change Makers (The Economist), Al Jazeera, CTV, CBC, Radio Canada, The Times, and The Wall Street Journal. She is also a social entrepreneur.

Current research interests include generating evidence for digital innovations for HIV/STI/SRHR and methods work in diagnostics.

Location

University Gaston Berger Saint-Louis, Senegal

Project Summary

Trauma is a major public health challenge, particularly in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), where over 90% of trauma-related deaths occur. Studies show higher mortality rates in countries without organized trauma systems. Trauma registries play a crucial role in addressing this disparity by providing data to guide interventions and improve outcomes.

In Senegal, the lack of a comprehensive trauma registry hampers effective care. Establishing one would help identify gaps, allocate resources, and implement evidence-based solutions, following successful models from other LMICs that have improved trauma care and patient survival.

The purpose of this project is to implement the CGS developed Amber electronic data collection (EDC) system in Senegal to establish sustainable trauma registries aimed at improving trauma care systems and health outcomes. The objective is to deploy a standardized and adaptable EDC system that facilitates comprehensive data collection on trauma patients in the Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis Senegal. This research employs a mixed-methods approach that includes participation from healthcare providers and administrators. It involves training participants in the use of Amber and collecting feedback throughout the process. Procedures include customization of Amber for local setting, training of personnel, and systematic data collection on patient demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes. Measurement tools include the trauma registry for data standardization and Amber for digital data collection and management. The significance of this study lies in its potential to enhance trauma care through improved data-driven decision-making, resource allocation, and quality improvement initiatives tailored to local context.

Project Objectives for student:

• Train local staff on the Amber system and support data collection post-training.
• Collect feedback to identify challenges and monitor data quality regularly.
• Generate progress reports and perform preliminary data analysis.
• Gather additional feedback six months after implementation to assess effectiveness.

Technical Skills

• Basic research and statistics.
• Knowledge of structured query language and spreadsheets.
• Excellent skills to convey information in English and French (oral and in written).
• Technical writing.
• Critical Thinking.
• Problem-solving.
• Attention to detail
• Data management.
• Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.

Transferable Skills:

• Complete tasks well and on time.
• Team player and well organized.
• Adaptable, self-motivated, self-starter.
• Communicate clearly and confirm understanding.

Timeline:

May through August 2025

Onsite supervisor(s):

Dr. Moustapha Diedhiou and/or Prof. Ibrahima Konate

Travel and Lodging Arrangements:

The student will arrange their travel with the faculty supervisor’s advice and the faculty supervisor, or a member of their research team, will arrange the student’s accommodation.

More information:

Dr. Jeremy Grushka is a trauma surgeon working at Montreal General Hospital in Montreal, Canada, and an attending trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist in the Division of Trauma and General Surgery at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). He is Assistant Professor of Surgery at McGill University. He completed his medical degree and general surgery residency training at McGill University and then obtained his subspecialty training in trauma surgery and critical care at the Ryder Trauma Center, Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. During his fellowship training he also completed a Master of Public Health at the University of Miami. He also holds a Master of Science in Experimental Surgery from McGill University.

In addition to his passion for clinical practice, Dr. Grushka has developed an avid interest in surgical education and is the current Trauma Fellowship Program Director at McGill University. He is also a Co-director of the MUHC Centre for Global Surgery and is currently working on various education and surgical capacity building projects with local partners in Haiti, Nepal and Ukraine. His clinical research interests focus on error producing conditions in trauma, non-opioid pain management in the injured patient, host inflammatory response to injury and surgical education.
Centre for Global Surgery Website

Location

Dhulikhel Hospital, Dhulikhel, Nepal

Project Summary

Trauma is a major public health challenge, particularly in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), where over 90% of trauma-related deaths occur. Studies show higher mortality rates in countries without organized trauma systems. Trauma registries play a crucial role in addressing this disparity by providing data to guide interventions and improve outcomes.

In Nepal, the lack of a comprehensive trauma registry hampers effective care. Establishing one would help identify gaps, allocate resources, and implement evidence-based solutions, following successful models from other LMICs that have improved trauma care and patient survival.

The purpose of this project is to implement the McGill Centre for Global Surgery developed Amber electronic data collection (EDC) system in Nepal to establish sustainable trauma registries aimed at improving trauma care systems and health outcomes. The objective is to deploy a standardized and adaptable EDC system that facilitates comprehensive data collection on trauma patients in Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences in Nepal. This research employs a mixed-methods approach that includes participation from healthcare providers and administrators. It involves training participants in the use of Amber and collecting feedback throughout the process. Procedures include customization of Amber for local setting, training of personnel, and systematic data collection on patient demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes. Measurement tools include the trauma registry for data standardization and Amber for digital data collection and management. The significance of this study lies in its potential to enhance trauma care through improved data-driven decision-making, resource allocation, and quality improvement initiatives tailored to local context.

Project Objectives for student:

• Train local staff on the Amber system and support data collection post-training.
• Collect feedback to identify challenges and monitor data quality regularly.
• Generate progress reports and perform preliminary data analysis.
• Gather additional feedback six months after implementation to assess effectiveness

Technical Skills

• Basic research and statistics.
• Knowledge of structured query language and spreadsheets.
• Excellent skills to convey information in English and French (oral and in written).
• Technical writing.
• Critical Thinking.
• Problem-solving.
• Attention to detail.
• Data management.
• Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.

Transferable Skills:

• Complete tasks well and on time.
• Team player and well organized.
• Adaptable, self-motivated, self-starter.
• Communicate clearly and confirm understanding.

Timeline:

May through August 2025

Onsite supervisor(s):

Samjhana Basnet, Emergency Physician, and/or Sanu Krishna Shrestha, Emergency Physician at Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University

Travel and Lodging Arrangements:

The student will arrange their travel with the faculty supervisor’s advice and the faculty supervisor, or a member of their research team, will arrange the student’s accommodation.

More information:

Dr. Dan Deckelbaum is assistant professor at the Divisions of Trauma and General Surgery at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), associate member of the Department of Epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health at McGill University, and honorary associate professor at the National University of Rwanda. He obtained his subspecialty training in trauma surgery and critical care at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. During his fellowship, he also completed a Master of Public Health at the University of Miami.

In addition to his passion for clinical practice, he has developed an avid interest in global surgical education and development, as well as disaster preparedness and response, establishing and co-directing the MUHC Centre for Global Surgery. His interest in global health is founded upon on-site clinical experience in government hospitals in East Africa as well as disaster response activities in Somalia, Kenya, Turks and Caicos, and Haiti. This clinical experience is the basis for ongoing capacity building programs in resource-limited settings across the globe. This includes education programs in resource-limited settings. Centre for Global Surgery Website

Location

Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya

Project Summary

The REACTS-IN project is an integrated nutrition, agriculture, and sexual and reproductive health rights intervention to improve gender equality and health and nutritional indicators of women, adolescents, and children in rural Bangladesh, Kenya, and Tanzania. Among its aims is the promotion of school-based nutrition, health education and gender-equitable and responsive sexual and reproductive health and rights services accessible to young people. We are seeking two Global Health Scholars to undertake youth-engaged research that expands on youth expectations and experiences in relation to REACTS-IN interventions in rural Kenya. Co-supervised by Alayne Adams, Grace Marquis and partner researchers/implementors, each Global Health Scholar will explore one of two areas 1) Adolescent views on healthy diet, as well as dietary practices and suggestions for feasible strategies to support optimal nutrition; and 2) Adolescent beliefs and practices regarding reproductive health needs and rights, including issues of gender-sensitive and equitable access to services.

Before travel, students will review/ analyze survey and focus group data collected by the project to become better acquainted with the dietary and sexual/reproductive health concerns of younger and older adolescents. The two Scholars will travel to Kenya together and spend 3 to 4 weeks learning context, gaining trust, and facilitating participatory research with school-going adolescents. Methodological training in photo voice and fuzzy cognitive mapping will occur prior to travel, with support for analysis provided on return to Montreal.

Project Objectives for student:

• Gain proficiency with photovoice and fuzzy cognitive mapping approaches
• Perform a rapid literature review to identify what is know about adolescent diet and reproductive health practices in Kenya
• Review existing focus group discussion, and contribute to the design of photo voice and fuzzy cognitive mapping guides
• Supported by World Vision staff, conduct participatory data collection with young people
• Prepare a preliminary report based on observational notes and data collected
• Participate in rigorous team-based analysis along with supervisors

Technical Skills

• Strong writing and communication skills
• Organizational skills and experience
• Some familiarity with qualitative and survey research methods and analysis

Transferable Skills:

• Strong time management skills and self-directed
• Motivated yet self-aware
• Some experience in cross-cultural communication
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances/needs
• Adept at listening and getting people engaged
• Experience working/living in remote LMIC settings

Timeline:

May through end of June

Onsite supervisor(s):

Ms Sylivia Atayi, manager for Elgeyo Marakwet Cluster of World Vision Kenya

Travel and Lodging Arrangements:

The student will arrange their travel with a member of the research team

More information:

Location

Faces of Cancer Saint Lucia, Castries, Saint Lucia, and Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), Basse-terre, Saint Kitts

Location

INPHOG Research Foundation, New Delhi, India

Location

Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil

Location

Center for Family Health Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Location

Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Pune, India

Location

RI-MUHC (Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre) - 5252 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3S9

Project Summary

By the end of preschool kindergarten, at least 1 in 4 Canadian children fall behind in essential skills for starting Grade 1 elementary school. School readiness (“SR”) is a measure of skills across five different domains spanning physical and cognitive development, social competence, and emotional maturity. SR is an important predictor of future academic success, social well-being, and health. Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) comprises life-threatening maternal events in later pregnancy and around birth, and includes severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage and cardiac conditions, for example. SMM is associated with preterm birth & low birth weight, both of which are risk factors for low SR in children. SMM is also linked to severe neonatal morbidity, maternal and neonatal separation at birth, and prolonged hospital length of stay, which may have further developmental consequences for the child. Yet, the association between SMM (and subtypes) and child SR is understudied.

The aim of this retrospective longitudinal cohort study is to characterize the association between SMM and child SR using a subset of the Enfants du Québec cohort, which contains records on children in Quebec from 2006-2023. We will examine the associations between SMM (and SMM subtypes) with child SR, and how socioeconomic factors modify these associations.
This study will provide novel & essential information about SR in children whose mothers had SMM. Identifying early risk factors for low SR could alter the trajectory of that child, including prioritization of SMM reduction and guiding educational interventions for the child born to a woman with SMM.

Project Objectives for the student:

• To systematically review and summarize key literature on inadequate school readiness in children born from pregnancies affected by severe maternal morbidity.
• To describe key characteristics and socioeconomic disparities in children with inadequate school readiness.
• To examine the association between severe maternal morbidity and low school readiness using regression models.

Technical Skills

• Strong writing & communication skills.
• Organizational skills & experience.
• Some familiarity with qualitative and survey research methods.
• French language skills are an asset.

Transferable Skills:

Student should have keen interest in perinatal epidemiology/maternal and child health, be familiar with SAS or R statistical software, have experience or knowledge of conducting a systematic review, and have strong writing skills

Timeline:

Mid-June to August, flexible

More information:

My research focuses on the short- and long-term outcomes of pregnancy complications, and development, and validation of prediction models in maternal and perinatal health and examining racial disparities in perinatal outcomes. See weblink for profile 

Location

3647 Peel Street, Montreal. (SSoM Dept.)

Project Summary

Research has been a key aspect of global health work since the creation of the World Health Organization in 1948-49 and its role has become increasingly central as the field has developed and more and more academic institutions become active in the field. The goals have been to use research to improve health worldwide but also to increase capacity for research in low- and middle-income countries. In this project, we examine how overall goals were set at the international level and how they were implemented regionally and nationally. We are especially interested in efforts to utilize competing social sciences to help develop priorities, manage programs and evaluate them. Finally, we look at how research results have influenced global health training.

Project Objectives for student:

• Examining the way health systems research is carried out in specific regions;
• Examining the development of medical training in specific regions;
• Examining the role of social science research in Global Health competition;
• Examining relations among various disciplines in such research;
• Examining relationship between global norms and local preferences;
• Students will be required to produce 3 essays over the course of the summer on different aspects of their research.

Technical Skills

• Experience with social science research methods;
• Strong writing skills;
• If possible, some experience with computer mapping programs.

Transferable Skills:

• Completes tasks well and on time;
• Motivated;
• Can adapt to new research opportunities that emerge.

Timeline:

Flexible

More information:

George Weisz is the Cotton-Hannah Chair of the History of Medicine at McGill University. He received a PhD in History from Stony Brook University and in Sociology from the University of Paris 5 (Descartes). His two most recent books are Chronic Disease in the Twentieth Century: A History (2014) and Divide and Conquer: A Comparative History of Medical Specialization, 1830-1950 (2006).He has also written books about the creation of French universities during the Third Republic and the history of the Paris Academy of Medicine in the 19th century. He has edited five collective volume including The History and Sociology of Quantification in Medicine (2006) and Greater than the Parts: Holism in Biomedicine 1920-1950 (1998). He has written articles on mineral waters, national differences in gynecological practices, and efforts at international standardization notably through practice guidelines. He is currently working on institutions of global health, and international trends in medical education. Among his articles on GlobalHealth are: (With Alberto Cambrosio and Jean-Philippe Cointet), “Mapping Global Health: A network analysis of a heterogeneous publication domain,” BioSocieties12(4), 2017: 520-542; (With Noemi Tousignant), “International Health Research and the Emergence of Global Health in the late 20th Century,” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 93(3), 2019: 365-400; “What Happened to the Global Forum for Health Research,” Global Public Health, 15(8), 2020, 1212-1224; (With Beate Nannestad), “The World Health Organization and the Global Standardization of Medical Training, a History,” Globalization and Health (2021)17:96;; “Creating an applied, multi-disciplinary research field: The World Health Organization and Health Systems Research 1960-2000,” Social History of Medicine, 2022.

Location

Montreal

Project Summary

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that over 70% of deaths globally are directly attributable to NCDs. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for most NCDs. Notably, The benefits of physical activity (PA) have been established for at least 30 NCDs. Engaging in recommended levels of PA can prevent or delay the onset of NCDs including cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. Primary care providers (PCPs) are ideally situated to identify patients in the early stages of, or at risk of NCDs, and are seen as trustworthy sources of information and advice, and can be powerful catalysts for motivating patients to adopt PA. The goal of this proposal is to implement an effective behaviour change intervention in Ghana and Canada designed to increase PA in individuals in the early stages of, or at high risk of developing NCDs. Thus, we will adapt, implement and evaluate a primary care-based PA intervention called PEP (i.e., Prescribing Exercise in Primary care)

The study is a multiple-phase mixed methods study, conducted in four phases. Phase 1 involves a co-adaptation of the PEP intervention to the Canadian and Ghanaian contexts. In phase 2, we will implement the adapted PEP intervention in participating clinics in both Ghana and Canada. Phase 3 will involve an evaluation of the intervention and the last phase will involve a scale-up strategy for the PEP intervention.

Project Objectives for student:

• Become familiar with implementation science concepts
• Contribute to data collection activities, including recruitment, interviews, and transcriptions
• Contribute to the development of project tools, (e.g., mapping of the local context, including physical activity resources and community organisations, website)
• Contribute to the interest-holders engagement process (e.g., preparation of team meetings, workshops)
• Contribute to systematic reviews (e.g., implementation strategies in low-resource settings)

Technical Skills

• Students are expected to be able to communicate in both French and English
• Students are expected to have knowledge in qualitative research

Transferable Skills:

• Be a strong team player
• Be able to complete tasks on time
• Be able to work under pressure
• Must be highly motivated and ready to learn
• Demonstrate good communication skills

Timeline:

Flexible

More information:

Tracie Barnett is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University and a researcher at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center for Mother and Child. Trained in epidemiology and health promotion, she is part of several highly interdisciplinary teams. Much of her program of research to date has been on capturing features of built and social environments and understanding their role in the development and evolution of cardiometabolic health and related behaviours.
A spatial-environmental analysis and diagnostic lab, funded by the CFI, supports projects that integrate environmental and clinical data. She has developed methods and tools for assessing built environment features, both on-site and virtually. In collaboration with other researchers, she developed a platform to assess the personal social networks of youth and young adults.
More recently, her projects have focused on approaches to leverage built and social environments in order to increase health-promoting physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviours, and enhance social interactions. She is partnering with clinicians, patient partners, and other stakeholders to co-design physical activity promotion strategies. The current project, funded by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), consolidates much of these research interests, extending these to international settings and providing opportunities for cross-cultural exchange.

Location

Suite 930, 9^th Floor, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal

Project Summary

TRANSFORM is a 5-6 year transnational project funded through SSHRC Partnership Grant program focusing on participatory visual approaches (cellphilming, photovoice, drawing, textiles, performance) to disrupting gender norms with young people in six countries: India, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and Argentina. The project takes a 'youth at the centre' approach, organized around annual Youth Summit cycles (local community summits and a transnational summit each year).

Project Objectives for student:

The focus of this internship between May and July, 2025 will be on working to create a mini literature review on youth summits and other structures in support of youth leadership (eg youth advisory committees) and developing a youth-friendly document representing key findings from the youth data. This data will include the rich visual data coming out of the first Youth Summit cycle based on the data generated in the local sites and the Transnational Summit taking place in Durban, South Africa The research team will be working to synthesize the data. The main deliverables will be the mini literature review and a youth friendly document representing key findings (as developed by the whole team).

Technical Skills

Required skills: Knowledge of and expertise in working with platforms such as Canva for creating material such a youth friendly knowledge mobilization documents.
Critical Reading and Writing skills: Because the project will involve a mini literature review, these skills will be key.

An asset will be ability to work in French and Spanish. An asset would be to have skills in working with video data to create short media texts.

Transferable Skills:

Required: Good communication skills are so critical to working as part of a research team.

Timeline:

Early May to late July, with some flexibility

More information:

Claudia Mitchell is a James McGill Professor at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada in the Department of Integrated Studies inEducation within the Faculty of Education.
Claudia is also an honorary professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban South Africa.

Claudia received her Ph.D. in Education from The University of Alberta; received her MA (Education) from Mount Saint Vincent University, and BA (Sociology) from Brandon University. Her research and publications cross a variety of areas including visual and other arts-based participatory approaches to working with teachers, community health care workers and youth in the global fight against HIV and AIDS; promoting gender equality and combating gender-based violence in and around schools; poverty reduction(particularly in relation to girls and women), new literacies and researching children’s popular culture; and, girlhood studies more broadly. She has worked (or is currently working) in Canada, South Africa, Rwanda, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Russia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Claudia has been an adviser/consultant for CIDA, UNICEF, UNGEI, the Ministry of Gender and Family Protection in Rwanda ,UNESCO, HEAIDS (Higher Education in South Africa) and the Gorbachev Foundation. She was the lead consultant for looking at violence in schools for The UN Secretary-General’s study on Violence against Children. Claudia has published numerous reports about sexual health, and the impact that rurality and violence has on HIV and AIDS on girls and women. In 2008, Claudia was given an award by the Canadian Bureau of Education for her innovative work in development contexts.

More information about TRANSFORM can be found here.

Location

3735 Plamondon Ave, Montreal, Quebec H3S 1L8 and 7867 Av. Querbes, Montréal, QC H3N 2B9

Project Summary

The Maison Bleue is an organization in Montreal whose mission is to reduce social inequalities by helping pregnant women living in situations of vulnerability while also promoting and fostering the optimal development of their children. Using a prevention-based approach termed “social perinatal care,” primary care services offered through the Maison Bleue emphasize early intervention, the integration of complementary services, and the active participation of mothers and families. Maison Bleue clients benefit from an integrated team-based approach that includes family physicians, midwives, nurses, social workers, and specialized educators. Most Maison Bleue clients are members of racial and ethnic minority groups who have arrived in Canada relatively recently – often as refugees. Beyond potential issues of discrimination that they may face within the mainstream Quebec healthcare system and within Quebec society at large, clients’ vulnerabilities are compounded by issues such as past trauma, precarious migration and immigration status, limited familiarity with Quebec society and bureaucracy, and limited local support networks. Our study uses ethnographic methods to address these lacunae (ethnographic research uses a range of qualitative research methods, including formal and informal interviews, textual analysis, and participant observation in situ to understand behaviours, perceptions, and experiences in social context), with the ultimate goals of 1) Providing better care to the Maison Bleue’s vulnerable clients and 2) Identifying best practices for team-based primary care for vulnerable pregnant women and their children, which could potentially be implemented elsewhere.

Project Objectives for student:

• Assist with a critical review of McGill's medical education curriculum around cultural competency and cultural safety
• Support the facilitation of workshops with Maison Bleue clients to report findings from the first two years of the study
• Solicit feedback from clients on the content of the informational workshops
• Support the facilitation of workshops with Maison Bleue personnel to report findings from the first two years of the study
• Solicit feedback from personnel on the content of the informational workshops

Technical Skills

• French an asset but not essential
• Fluency in any South Asian language (e.g., Hindi, Punjabi) or Spanish a huge assets but not essential
• Familiarity with qualitative research methods an asset, but not essential
• Familiarity with cultural competency and/or safety an asset, but not essential

Transferable Skills:

• Commitment to health equity, non-racism, and social justice
• Strong interpersonal skills

Timeline:

Flexible

More information:

Kathleen Rice is a PhD medical anthropologist and tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University, where she holds the Tier-II Canada Research Chair in the Medical Anthropology of Primary Care. She also holds Associate status in the Departments of Anthropology, Social Studies of Medicine, and Global Health, and is a recent recipient of a prestigious Gairdner Foundation Early Career Investigator Award. She has published widely in biomedical and social science journals and has active research programs in South Africa and Canada. Her current area of research focus include rural and remote health, gender, gender-based violence, chronic pain, and pregnancy and child birth.

Location

5858 Cote des Neiges, Montreal

Project Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic and social challenges such as inflation and housing insecurity, have emphasized the importance of social determinants of health (SDOH) in driving inequities in health and health care. These impacts have been particularly stark in older, racialized and immigrant populations, provoking a need to reimagine systems of primary health that recognize and address SDOH. One response has been the popularization of social prescribing - an approach that supports and empowers individuals with non-medical needs through connection with services in their community. In collaboration with primary care and community-based partners in Montreal, our research team is supporting the co-design, implementation, and evaluation of feasible models of social prescription. A critical yet challenging first step in social prescription is identifying social needs. In primary care settings, providers recognize its importance yet struggle with its implementation due to issues of privacy, time and human resource constraints, and incompatibility with existing reporting systems.

This project examines (1) how social needs are currently being assessed and integrated into clinical pathways and training and (2)patients/citizens’ perceptions of the appropriateness of social needs assessments and their integration in clinical settings. As members of our social prescription team, students would support these aims by participating in focus groups with key interest holders (health professionals, patients/citizens), reviewing published and grey literature, and analyzing primary and secondary data and reporting activities.

Project Objectives for student:

• Consolidate a theoretical and applied understanding of social determinants of health and social prescription approaches.
• Develop skills in outreach and working with primary care professionals.
• Conduct focus groups with primary care professionals and patients/citizens.
• Support our community partner in adapting their current social prescription platform and implementation initiatives.
• Learn the fundamentals of qualitative analysis.

Technical Skills

• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Organizational skills and experience.
• Some familiarity with qualitative and survey research methods.
• French language skills are an asset.

Transferable Skills:

• Strong problem-solving skills
• Effective team player
• Self-directed learner
• Time-management skills
• Attention to detail
• Cross-cultural competency

Timeline:

May-August 2025 (some flexibility)

More information:

Alayne M. Adams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Director of its Population and Global Health Program. As an applied social scientist, her research spans a range of demand and supply-side challenges that impede equitable access to primary healthcare in both local and global settings. Of particular interest are innovations in service delivery that engage community and the informal sector, and holistic primary care approaches that connect health and social services. In this project, Adams is joined by Catherine Paquet of Laval University. Paquet is a socio-spatial chronic disease epidemiologist with an interest in the health benefits of integrating health and social services for socially vulnerable populations including older adults.

Location

School of Population & Global Health, 2001 McGill College Ave., McGill University, Montreal

Project Summary

The overarching goal of the EnGen study is to develop and pilot an intervention model in workshop format for incubating social innovation on climate change adaptation and mitigation, cultivating intergenerational connection, and promoting mental health and well-being. The intervention model will bring together intergenerational teams of youth and adults to work together to identify the impacts of climate change in their communities and to co-develop a local climate change adaptation and/or mitigation innovation with mentoring and support. The EnGen intervention model will be focused around three pillars of: 1) innovation on climate solutions; 2) intergenerational connection, and 3) mental health and well-being promotion. Our model draws on literature suggesting that intergenerational programs can be mutually beneficial across age groups, particularly when they focus on political or social issues relevant to all generations. In this project we will develop and pilot test the EnGen intervention model in Montréal and Yellowknife in partnership with local organizations and universities in each site. The workshop models in each site will be developed and implemented drawing on contextualized data from the two sites, local and international knowledge and expertise on the project focus areas, and in accordance with inter-disciplinary best practices for research.

Project Objectives for student:

• Develop materials for co-creation workshops using Human Centered Design methods
• Incorporate knowledge established from previous EnGen activities into workshop planning and implementation
• Conduct and/or support co-development workshops
• Support with planning for the intervention pilot
• Participate in research team meetings and meetings with community-based partners

Technical Skills

• Some familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Strong oral communication skills in English
• Strong written communication skills in English

Transferable Skills:

• Strong organizational skills and experience
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent attention to detail

Timeline:

June through August or flexible if timing aligns with project activities outside of this window

More information​​​​​

Location

2001 McGill College Avenue

Project Summary

Climate change is often framed around its devastating impacts, but shifting the focus to meaningful actions allows for a more hopeful and mobilizing narrative. This project will evaluate climate resilience and adaptation strategies that can contribute to better health and wellbeing to motivate broader public support and engagement.

Project Objectives for student:

• There is flexibility on the outputs that will be discussed between the student and supervisors at the start of the scholar program. Potential outputs include:
• Generate policy briefs (in English and French) that highlight the potential benefits of climate resilience and adaptation strategies(i.e., indoor air filters, heat pumps, air conditioning in schools)
• Help McGill researchers effectively translate their work on climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience strategies to key audiences through infographics, social media, blogs, etc
• Develop an online social media presence for the Centre for Climate Change and Health

Technical Skills

• Bilingual Proficiency: Strong writing and communication skills in both English and French to produce accessible, polished policy briefs.
• Interest in Policy Analysis: Understanding of climate resilience and adaptation policies to distill complex information into actionable insights.
• Experience in Audience-Centric Writing: Ability to adjust tone and content for different stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, community leaders, educators).
• Skills in Graphic Design: Proficiency in tools like Adobe Illustrator, Canva, or Inkscape for creating infographics and visual content.
• Experience with Social Media Content Creation: Familiarity with social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) for crafting posts that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Interest and/or Experience in Blog Writing and Storytelling: Skills in engaging, concise writing for blogs that translate complex climate science concepts into relatable messages.
• Basic Understanding of Climate Science: Knowledge of climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation strategies, particularly in the context of health impacts.
• Experience in Conducting Research on climate and health topics to ensure that outputs (policy briefs and media content) are evidence-based.

Transferable Skills:

• Able to work independently, strong communicator, and motivated

Timeline:

Mid-June through August

More information

Location

The Center for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Research Institute, Jewish General Hospital 3755 Cote St Catherine Road,

Project Summary

Canada is a multicultural and linguistically diverse country. In 2021, 23% of the Canadian population (8.3 million persons) was foreign born with the majority (>60%) born in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. A large proportion (22.7%) speak a language other than English or French regularly at home. Language barriers are associated with increased medical errors, lower adherence to medication, poorer patient and practitioner satisfaction, increased emergency room (ER) visits and longer length of hospital stay. All outcomes can be improved through providing professional interpreters. There is limited data on the impact of language barriers on in hospital health outcomes in Canada and none in Quebec. We will conduct a retrospective cohort study of all hospital admissions at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) between 2018-2024 and determine the impact of language barriers on hospital outcomes. The JGH is a 624-bed tertiary bed hospital with ~15,000 admissions/year. It serves a culturally diverse population and is located in an area where 40% of the population is foreign born. We will collect age, sex, language ability (English, French or other), discharge diagnosis, medical co-morbidities and hospital outcomes including length of stay, hospital readmissions within 30 and 90 days, and in-hospital mortality. We will estimate mean length of stay, the rate of hospital readmissions and in-hospital mortality over the study period, overall and stratified by language ability. Adjusted multivariate analyses will be performed to determine the impact of language barriers on hospital outcomes. Study results will inform the need for interpreters in this setting.

Project Objectives for student:

• Conduct a literature review on the impact of language barriers on hospital outcomes and write the background for the planned manuscript (s)
• Assist with cleaning the language variable in the project database
• Summarize the descriptive results with numbers, proportions and trends of language abilities and hospital outcomes overall and by language ability.
• Participate in developing and conducting the univariate and adjusted multivariate models for each hospital outcome

Technical Skills

• Strong writing skills
• Basic understanding of epidemiologic study design and analysis
• Programing skills in SAS or R (ideal but not mandatory)

Transferable Skills:

• Motivated
• Passionate about health equity
• Willingness to learn
• Team player with good communication skills

Timeline:

The student will work on the project from June-August 2025 with Dr. Greenaway and her research team. The student will have the opportunity to continue to be involved with the project if the data analysis and manuscript writing continue after August 2025.

More information:

Dr. Christina Greenaway is a Professor of Medicine at McGill University, a Member of the Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Laboratory Medicine at the Jewish General Hospital, Principal Investigator at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and staff physician at the JD Maclean Tropical Medicine Center at McGill. She is an infectious disease physician and clinician researcher. She practices clinical infectious diseases at the Jewish General Hospital, which serves a diverse multicultural population many of whom are newly arrived refugees or asylum seekers. Her primary clinical interests are tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, parasitic diseases and travel and tropical associated infections. She has advocated for access to professional interpreters at the JGH for many years. These efforts resulted in the introduction of an on-demand video and phone interpreter service in the ID Division in the past year. Her research program has focused on identifying and addressing the infectious disease health disparities among migrants. The overall objective of her research program is to promote the health of the migrant population and decrease their health disparities. To achieve this, she has conducted observational studies, retrospective cohort studies with large linked administrative datasets, systematic reviews, economic analyses and has developed screening and clinical guidelines for migrants in Canada and in Europe for the European Centers for Disease Control (ECDC). Her studies have shown that immigrants have an increased burden due several infectious diseases and these studies have informed screening guidelines in Canada and Europe.

Relevant publications

1. *Dagher O, Passos-Castilho AM, Sareen V, Labbé AC, Barkati S, Luong ML, Rousseau C, Benedetti A, Azoulay L, Greenaway C. Impact of language barriers on outcomes and experience of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Quebec, Canada, during the first wave of the pandemic. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 2024 Feb; 26(1):3-14.
2. Greenaway C, Castelli F. Infectious diseases at different stages of migration: an expert review. J Travel Med. 2019 Feb 1;26(2).
3. Pottie K, Greenaway C, Feightner J, Welch V, Swinkels H, Rashid M, Narasiah L, Kirmayer L, Ueffing E, MacDonald N, Hassan G, McNally C, Kahn K, Burhmann R, Dunn S, Dominic A, McCarthy AE, Gagnon A, Rousseau C, Tugwell P and the Canadian

Location

5252 Blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal

Project Summary

Decisions to fund health interventions are multifaceted, with costs of the health intervention and the illness it intends to address representing a key component. Traditionally, these costs have comprised only those incurred by the health system. Yet, both illnesses and health interventions may result in significant costs to patients and their families/caregivers, such as those related to medications, devices, health aids, travel to appointments, childcare, and lost wages. Despite this, these financial impacts remain largely neglected.

In this study, we have collected pilot data on the costs to patients and their families/caregivers of four respiratory conditions and their treatment/management: latent tuberculosis infection, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The student working on this project will analyze one of these conditions (if multiple students work on this project, they will each work on their own condition). They will clean collected data from 24 participants and will calculate the total patient and family/caregiver costs incurred over the timeframe covered by the questionnaire. Costs will be stratified by those due to illness and those due to its treatment/management and further subdivided into (i) direct medical costs; (ii) direct non-medical costs; and (iii) indirect costs. The student will summarize costs by age strata, sex, gender identity, Indigenous identity, employment, pre- treatment vs. on-treatment, and relevant clinical factors. As costs are cross-sectional, they will extrapolate estimates over a relevant timeframe (e.g., over the treatment period; 1 year). The data will be collected by this timepoint and ready for analysis.

Project Objectives for student:

• Contribute to cleaning of research data. This includes verification of data for completeness, plausibility, and validity.
• Contribute to the analysis of research data. This includes attributing costs to “missed work” based on reported salaries, estimating direct medical costs to participants taking into account reimbursement, and estimating direct non-medical costs associated with chronic respiratory conditions.
• Contribute to the synthesis and dissemination of research data. This includes summarizing overall patient costs for specified time periods, evaluating costs by demographic or clinical characteristics, and developing dissemination materials such as abstracts and conference posters.

Technical Skills

• Experience with R software and data analysis, including data cleaning.
• Ability to problem solve and think critically.

Transferable Skills:

• Have good communication skills, i.e., ability to clearly communicate concepts and problems
• Be reliable and organized
• Know when to seek help and how to work in a team.

Timeline:

Flexible

More information:

My research focuses on generating evidence to inform the design and implementation of new TB prevention and treatment strategies that maximize public health impact, while minimizing costs to the health system and patients. Please see my profile here

Location

Douglas Hospital Research Centre (affiliated with McGill University), Montreal

Project Summary

Indigenous youth face limited access to good quality mental health care. Intergenerational trauma, culturally inappropriate care, limited services, and geographical barriers further compound these challenges. Increased investments in youth mental health services have led to the development of provincial initiatives for integrated youth services and networks. The ACCESS Open Minds (AOM) Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness network supports health service delivery and system transformation for Indigenous youth with Indigenous youth, family members and carers, Elders, Knowledge Holders, national Indigenous organizations, communities and Indigenous and allied clinicians and researchers. Since 2024, the network has developed a repository of resources such as service delivery offerings and common measurement tools as well as a place to facilitate connections between youth, communities, and researchers to co-create meaningful research based on community needs and priorities. As part of our network, we work with communities to identify research and evaluation priorities as it relates to Indigenous youth mental health and wellness. The present proposal aims to conduct a community-led scoping review project to build evidence to address Indigenous youth mental health and wellness services and supports based on communities needs. We will work with two Indigenous community partners, including Indigenous youths, to identify a scoping review and work with partners to execute the project by having their involvement in developing the research questions, methods (e.g., inclusion and exclusion criteria), and in synthesis of the extracted data. Findings will support community service delivery innovations and be shared on the network’s website and scientific journals/meetings.

Project Objectives for student:

• Learn about partnering with Indigenous community youth and partners to develop a community-led scoping review to address their service delivery needs.
• Become familiar with literature focused on Indigenous youth mental health and wellness.
• Learn to communicate and engage with different types of stakeholders in mental health services in Indigenous communities.
• Learn about the Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP) principles and other precepts of the guidelines for Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada from the Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.

Outputs/deliverables:

• Develop a scoping review output (e.g., press brief, pamphlet, informative articles, social media outreach).
• Oral presentation of scoping review (including analysis and interpretation of findings). Student to present to members of theresearch lab and co-investigators on the project.
• Abstract submission of a research project to a relevant conference (if available).

Technical Skills

• Good writing skills
• Experience working with youth, Indigenous people, minoritized groups, or marginalized groups
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Transferable Skills:

• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Collaborative
• Organized and multi-tasker
• Good time management skills

Timeline:

Flexible

More information:

Srividya N. Iyer, Ph.D., is the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Youth, Mental Health, and Learning Health Systems. She is a full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and an Associate Member of the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She is a licensed psychologist and a Researcher at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and the Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychosis (PEPP) in Montreal. She is a member of McGill’s Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, its Global Mental Health Program, and its Indigenous Special Interest Group. Srividya is part of the steering committee for the Multicultural Mental Health Resource Centre. She co-leads the ACCESS Open Minds Indigenous Youth Mental Health and Wellness Network with Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D. She is also a research leader in Aire ouverte, Quebec's integrated youth services initiative.
Srividya has been contributing to several other youth- and early intervention- focused services, research, and capacity-building efforts in Canada and globally. She is committed to helping ensure equitable mental healthcare access and outcomes to underserved populations such as Indigenous youths, visible and linguistic minority youths, homeless youths, youths in low- and middle-income countries and looked-after youths. As a psychologist, Srividya gained assessment and treatment experience in India, the United States, and Canada. Her interests are in the design and delivery of mental health services and learning health systems; cognitive-behavioral therapy; mindfulness-based approaches; clinical supervision; and program leadership.

Location

McGill School of Population and Global Health, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal

Project Summary

This pivotal shift in research practice involves active participation from members of racialized communities in all aspects of the research process to empower them to work with academics to implement solutions that improve health outcomes. Such a collaborative approach is particularly important for diverse South Asian communities who experience large and complex inequities in health determinants, health status and outcomes. South Asian community organizations have credible, legitimate, and intimate understanding of the health inequities as a consequence of social, economic, and political conditions. An academic can acquire knowledge and trust, but may not fully learn all that is important about a given health issue or research objective, just as community members who have not been trained in research may not fully grasp the nuances of methods, theory, and study design. Fortunately, these diverse perspectives can be complementary, and often do find considerable common ground. In recent years, there have been successful partnerships between South Asian community agencies, organizations and academics that combine knowledge with action to strengthen relationships, improve research, and create better health outcomes. Sharing positive community engagement efforts in health research is needed to demonstrate best practices and provide resources to support academics in expanding their knowledge of community engagement. Thus, the proposed knowledge translation (KT) initiative is a virtual seminar series hosted by the South Asian Health Research Hub (SAHRH) at McGill University, an alliance of community organizations, academics and trainees designed to provide a forum for presentation of the latest community-engaged research advances to address South Asian health inequities located within, and affiliated with SAHRH. Ultimately, the outcomes are to provide opportunities for elevating the results of impactful research and sharing best practices in community engagement to a global audience.

Project Objectives for student:

• Co-design the seminar series with diverse stakeholders.
• Coordinate and host the virtual seminar series hosted by SAHRH at McGill University, an alliance of community organizations, academics and trainees designed to provide a forum for presentation of the latest community-engaged research advances to address South Asian health inequities located within, and affiliated with SAHRH.
• Conduct a critical analysis of the content presented across all seminars with respect to best practices in conducting South Asian health research between academics and community partners.
• Co-write a publication with all the presenters on sharing the best practices of conducting research with South Asian communities.

Technical Skills

• Up to date skills in novel communication strategies including social media, science writing for the public and communication with academic and non-academic stakeholders
• Knowledge in social justice and health equity.
• Experience in knowledge synthesis as a way to identify research gaps and inform community and policy needs in the health research ecosystem.
• Experience working in community-engaged research will ethno-racial communities based on mutual trust and partnership
• Strong research writing skills
• Event planning experience
• Evaluation skills/experience

Transferable Skills:

• Team player
• Dependable and accountable
• Strong communicator
• Exhibits cultural humility

Timeline:

May 2025 to August 2025

More information:

Dr. Ananya Banerjee is Assistant Professor and the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism at the School of Population & Global Health, McGill University. Her interdisciplinary epidemiologic and qualitative research embeds a strong emphasis on community-based participatory pedagogy and research, which is grounded in collaboration and partnership with racialized communities funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, Social Science & Humanities Research Council and Public Health Agency of Canada. She has extensively published her work in high- impact journals like the Lancet, CMAJ, and BMJ. She developed and offered the first course on race and health in a school of public health in Canada. She is well known for her anti-racism and anti-oppression practice in the learning environment and providing critical mentorship for racialized students in public health programs. She won the 2022 McGill Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine Teaching Innovation Award recognizing her unique pedagogy for inclusive public health education and serves on The Lancet’s International Advisory Board for Racial Inequalities.

South Asian Health Research Hub

A call to stop extractive health research on South Asian diaspora communities in Canada