Contributing to Our Health

CONTRIBUTING TO OUR HEALTH -- A SERIES ABOUT STFX RESEARCH MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES

StFX is a leader in health innovation and entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia. In this ongoing series, we proudly shine a spotlight on our health research leaders, research and community health partnerships and their impact.

Featured Story

Ethan Draper is researching the role of the brain's white matter in schizophrenia

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Health-related Research Happening at StFX

Dr. Britney Benoit

Improving maternal and infant health care

Dr. Britney Benoit, faculty member in the StFX Rankin School of Nursing, is working on research that she hopes will play a part in supporting effective, parent-led pain management for infants during painful procedures.

Dr. Cathy MacDonald

Indigenous student success and health research

Dr. Cathy MacDonald is working to provide pathways for Indigenous student success. Dr. MacDonald is a full professor in the StFX Rankin School of Nursing and StFX Associate Dean, Academic Affairs Arts & Science. She has taught at StFX since 2001.

Dr. Derrick Lee

Why Atlantic Canada is disproportionaltely affected by colorectal cancer

Dr. Derrick Lee is researching why Atlantic Canada is disproportionately affected by colorectal cancer. Dr. Lee is an associate professor in the StFX Department of Mathematics & Statistics. He has taught at StFX since 2017.

Dr. Jacob Levman

Building new technologies to improve patient care

Dr. Jacob Levman is an associate professor in the StFX Department of Computer Science. He has taught at StFX since 2016. His research focuses on combining computer technologies and medical data to help improve the standard of patient care.

Dr. Todd Boyle

Enhancing patient safety in community pharmacies

Dr. Todd Boyle is a full professor in the StFX Gerald Schwartz School of Business and works with pharmacy regulators to develop and assess quality improvement programs for community pharmacies. He has served as Acting Dean of the Schwartz School and is currently Department Chair. Dr. Boyle was a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair from 2007-17.

Kealeigh Halliday

Doing research work that could benefit countless future individuals receiving acute or long-term nursing in their home environments is how Kealeigh Halliday, a fourth year BASc in Health student, spent her summer.

Laura Hughes McKay

Laura Hughes McKay a fourth year nursing student from Truro, NS, has launched a survey to explore the experiences of trans and queer young adults with primary care in northeastern rural Nova Scotia.

Akua Amankwah-Poku

Learning more about any differences in mental health and help-seeking in university students across two different cultures, in Canada and Ghana, was the subject of research for fourth year StFX psychology student Akua Amankwah-Poku of Accra, Ghana.

Samantha Fisher

Samantha Fisher, a fourth year honours human nutrition student from Gander, NL, has been working to close the gender gap and understand more about gastrointestinal symptoms during exercise specific to women.

Dr. Katie Aubrecht

Improving the quality of mental health and wellness of people living in rural communities

Dr. Katie Aubrecht is Canada Research Chair Health Equity & Social Justice Tier II; an associate professor in the Department of Sociology; and Director, Spatializing Care: Intersectional Disability Studies Lab. Dr. Aubrecht’s research is multi-faceted and focuses on mental health and wellbeing.

Anna Mack

Looking at the experiences of participants enrolled in controlled human infection model trials: StFX student involved in vaccinology research

Anna Mack, a fourth year honours Rankin School of Nursing student from Halifax, NS, supervised by Dr. Donna Halperin, worked with the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology and the IWK during summer 2022 in conducting a qualitative study on the experiences of participants enrolled in controlled human infection model trials.

Lauren Stienburg

Insight into how people access health care in Nova Scotia

Lauren Stienburg of Cole Harbour, NS, a fourth year honours Rankin School of Nursing student, conducted research in summer 2022 exploring the process of the privatization of healthcare in Nova Scotia.

Dr. Bobbi Morrison

Primary care and public perceptions of the health system

Dr. Morrison's research focuses on patient access to primary care and public perceptions of the health system. Recent research has been focused around pharmacy, exploring such areas of extended scope of practice and experiences of unattached patients.

Dr. Erin Mazerolle

Looking to better understand the healthy brain

Dr. Mazerolle’s research focuses on better understanding the healthy brain and differences in neurological diseases. She’s a co-principal applicant on a $2.4 million CIHR grant developing educational content related to vascular cognitive impairment.

Dr. Chris Gilham

Improving mental and physical health

Dr. Chris Gilham is researching mental health literacy of educators (SSHRC), and boys-specific groups for developing healthy relationships (supported by Nova Scotia Status of Women) and has done research to evaluate school-based programming that could help disrupt cycles of domestic violence.

Dr. Ryan Reid

Using movement to help combat impacts of chronic disease

Dr. Reid's research focuses on improving movement behaviours to help combat effects of chronic disease.

Connor Laskoski

Connor Laskoski is looking to understand—and to improve--food insecurity experienced by refugees in Nova Scotia.

Julia Shields

Helping increase food security for Nova Scotia refugees

Determining what experiences refugees in Nova Scotia have had accessing food and using food support services is the goal of research Julia Shields has undertaken as part of her thesis.

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Dr. Mahasti Khakpour

Dr. Mahasti Khakpour conducts research on global health, immigrants and refugees' health, and food security.

Julianna Lavergne

StFX student Julianna Lavergne is helping to make life better for the youngest of patients.

Harmony Bright-Doucette

Harmony Bright-Doucet participated in an innovative pilot project in her home community of We’koqma’q First Nation, NS linking experiential learning in homecare to vascular cognitive impairment research.

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Dr. Angie Kolen

Promoting physical activity in children.

Dr. Kara Thompson

Supporting positive mental health and healthy choices related to substance use.

Ethan Draper

Researching the role of the brain's white matter in schizophrenia.

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Contributing to Our Health