In this solo story-telling play, Nancy Edwards – a Canadian community health nurse – takes us to the rural villages of Sierra Leone in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Her heart-felt stories of village life convey the ravages of tuberculosis; threats of witchcraft; and tragedies of deaths related to pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn tetanus. She celebrates mothers and local advocates for health improvements. While acknowledging her role as a cultural outsider, Nancy takes us behind-the-scenes and shares how her West African experiences shaped her life and research career.
The performance will be followed by a panel of discussants at York University, including Omosalewa Olawoye (director, Tubman Institute), Agnès Berthelot-Raffard (associate professor, Faculty of Health), Oghenowede Eyawo (associate professor, Faculty of Health), James Orbinski (director, Dahdaleh Institute), and Mary Wiktorowicz (chair & associate director, Dahdaleh Institute).
Nancy Edwards is a nurse and epidemiologist who worked in the field of global health and development for forty years. She is a Distinguished Professor and Professor Emerita at the University of Ottawa and the recipient of numerous awards including three honorary doctoral degrees. Nancy is an avid photographer and enjoys the outdoors while biking and cross-country skiing. She lives in Ottawa.
Are Distinctions Between Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Still Useful? Why We Should Care, with Paul McDonald
Local Time
Timezone: America/New_York
Date: Wednesday, October 09, 2024
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location
Hybrid
Since its inception in the early 1960s there has been a rapid increase in use of the term non-communicable disease (NCD). The term generally refers to conditions which are not passed from person to person, caused by biological pathogens, are of long duration and slow in progression. It is a kind of grab bag of conditions left after distinguishing communicable/infectious diseases and injuries. Major NCDs include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, various autoimmune and neurodegenerative conditions, as well as many mental health conditions.
Prevention, treatment and research for NCDs have largely focused on hereditary and biological foundations, as well so called “lifestyle choices” (many of which are common across major NCDs). More recently, research has shown that the origins, manifestations, prevention and treatment success for NCDs are related to an array of social, economic, political, commercial, geographic, environmental, developmental, and biological factors. Moreover, it is increasing difficult to differentiate between communicable and non-communicable conditions. Both can be chronic. Both can be related to biological pathogens. Both can have different rates of progression. Finally, some NCDs spread through social networks and exposures.
Paul McDonald will argue that, given this new knowledge, the term non-communicable disease may no longer be useful. Indeed, it may inhibit our ability to think about new directions for research, prevention, and treatment.
Paul McDonald is a Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the Faculty of Health, as well as a Senior Research Fellow in the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research at York University. Prior to joining York he served as the founding Pro Vice Chancellor of the College of Health at Massey University in New Zealand, Professor and founding Director of the School of Public Health and Health Systems, as well as Chair of the Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, and Director of the Population Health Research Group at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Paul has also served as a senior manager in public health and on various boards of hospitals, regional health authorities, non-profit health organizations, and international agencies. He has been a policy consultant to governments and non-profit organizations in North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia. He has organized multiple national and international conferences related to public and global health.
Paul holds a PhD in health studies with a specialization in population health (University of Waterloo), a master’s degree in clinical psychology (University of Western Ontario) and an Honours BA in psychology (Waterloo). His research focuses on using research and broad intervention methods to improve public, population, and global health primarily through the prevention and management of chronic diseases, the advancement of wellbeing, and the organization of health care systems. Professor McDonald has published >200 scientific papers and reports. His research has been used to develop an array of innovative public health interventions around the world including telephone helplines and self-help programs for smoking cessation, pictorial warnings on tobacco packages, evidence informed healthy public policy, and health promotion campaigns. Paul is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (U.K.) and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Migration Matters and York University is proud to announce the launch of its latest podcast series, Voices on the Move, an in-depth exploration of the complex and urgent relationship between climate change and migration. The podcast features expert insights and personal stories from communities directly affected by climate-induced displacement, offering a fresh perspective on the consequences of environmental shifts on mobility, habitability and global migration patterns.
Join us for our podcast launch event on October 29 at York University to learn more about the new series and to celebrate the amplification of the voices of researchers, climate migrants, and community leaders from around the world.
Organizers
Yvonne Su is the Director of the Centre for Refugee Studies. Her research is on forced migration, climate change-induced displacement and queer migration. She has worked extensively with vulnerable communities in Southeast Asia and Latin America and the Caribbeans including refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, indigenous peoples and LGBTQ+ communities. She takes an interdisciplinary, participatory and decolonial approach to scholarship that is focused on developing strong partnerships with local communities, NGOs, and policymakers.
Sabrina Sam is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Criminology at York University with a strong passion for social advocacy, human rights, and legal frameworks. She has collaborated with Dr. Yvonne Su on research exploring the impacts of the Venezuelan Migration on host countries in Latin America, deepening her commitment to addressing global migration challenges.
Systems Thinking and Evidence-Based Global Health Policy: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Health Research, with Tarra Penney
Local Time
Timezone: America/New_York
Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location
Hybrid
Food insecurity, the emergence of zoonoses, anti-microbial resistance, and the related consequences of climate change are all major global health challenges, many with common drivers.
Global health policy is an essential instrument for our collective efforts to reorient systems and address the underlying causes of these shared global health challenges.
As global health researchers we want to ensure policy is informed by robust empirical evidence, but also that our approach has relevance and legitimacy – motivating us to think differently about how we do global health research.
By drawing on experience conducting systems focused collaborative research, this seminar will reflect on how the use of systems methods and approaches may enable us ask and answer questions that inform system change.
Register below and join us on Wednesday, October 30, at 1 p.m. ET
Speaker Profile
Dr Penney is a population health scientist focused on the prevention of disease at the global level. She is an associate professor of Global Food Systems and Policy Research, an investigator with the Global Strategy Lab and a faculty member of the Dahdaleh institute for Global Health Research at York University. Dr Penney completed her PhD and Postdoctoral training in epidemiology and preventive medicine at the MRC Epidemiology Unit and School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK. By engaging in highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary, systems focused research, Dr. Penney seeks to support evidence-informed global health policy that is fit to tackle some of our greatest global challenges.
Empathy by Design: Tailoring Life-Centered Solutions for Seniors and Individuals with Dementia, with Shital Desai
Local Time
Timezone: America/New_York
Date: Wednesday, December 04, 2024
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location
Hybrid
As our global population ages, the need for innovative, thoughtful, and human-centred design solutions becomes increasingly urgent. This presentation, titled “Empathy by Design: Tailoring Life-Centered Solutions for Seniors and Individuals with Dementia,” focuses on the growing field of life-centred design and its transformative potential in creating products, services, and environments that enhance the quality of life for seniors and individuals living with dementia. The talk will explore how design, when grounded in empathy and a deep understanding of humans and the environments around them, can foster independence, dignity, and well-being for these vulnerable populations.
Speaker Profile
Dr. Desai is an Associate Professor in Interaction Design at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, a Research Chair in Accessible Interaction Design at York University and the co-lead of the Connected Minds Training Committee.
With nearly 30 years of experience in Robotics and Participatory Design, she leads the innovative Social and Technological Systems (SaTS) lab, supported by the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Her groundbreaking work focuses on developing accessible and inclusive technologies and services that champion the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in Health and Well-being. Dr. Desai’s research is dedicated to creating assistive technologies for vulnerable populations, including seniors, children, Neurodivergent populations, people with speech, physical and cognitive impairments, and individuals with dementia, utilizing participatory codesign and system thinking approaches.
As a committed member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dementia Knowledge Exchange, she actively contributes to global health policies and care systems. She was recently invited to be a panel member for the new WHO Grand Challenges in Social Connection program at the UN.
She is the recipient of several awards including the 2021-22 AMPD Dean’s Research Award and the Petro Canada Young Innovator Award. She was nominated for the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA). She was one of the 24 semi-finalists selected from applicants worldwide for the prestigious Longitude Dementia Award in the UK, where she is working with researchers in Canada, the UK and the Netherlands to develop technologies for cueing people with dementia in everyday activities.
Register below and join us on Wednesday, December 4, at 1 p.m. ET
Thank you for your interest in our event programming at the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research. Please visit, https://www.yorku.ca/dighr/events/ for more information.
