We learn, teach, work, and live on traditional Indigenous territories that in Canada include treaty lands, unceded lands, and Métis homelands. We pay our respects to First Nation, Métis, and Inuit ancestors.  The University of Saskatchewan is on the Homeland of the Métis and Treaty 6 territory.  In our commitment to this place we value respectful relationships with the people around us -past, present, and future – and the animals, lands, waters, and skies that nurture us all. We strive to live these values in our programs, activities, and interactions: relationships grounded in safety and humility, respect for all peoples and their world views, reciprocity in all relationships, relevance to wholistic wellness, and responsibility for informed pedagogy and practice.

The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology is a dynamic, cohesive academic department comprising 17 faculty, 26 medical faculty and 34 associate and adjuncts, located in the Academic Health Sciences Building. We have active graduate programs at the Masters and Doctoral levels, and make a vital contribution to the undergraduate education of medical and health sciences students and postgraduate education with the Public Health and Preventative Medicine Residency Program. Our teaching, research and community engagement focus on population health with a lens on social justice and equity for all.

Our department (CH&E) is concerned with understanding the individual and collective factors that determine health and applying this knowledge to maintain and improve the health status of population’s and reduce inequities in health status between groups.  The term ‘community’ reflects the historic emphasis of our field on the creation, protection, and promotion of health within the context of communities, which may be geographic or based on shared identity and social ties.

Welcome to the Department of Community Health & Epidemiology! It is a great place to learn, work and live. The Faculty’s diverse backgrounds and training combined with a wealth of experiences create excellent opportunities for academic development as well as ground-breaking and meaningful research.

 It is a place where each faculty, each staff, each student is also encouraged to show leadership and contribute to the collective.  Our teaching, research and social engagement focus on population health with a lens on social justice and equity for all.

Students, expect to be inspired by your studies, encouraged to think out of the box and to push yourself. You will be called to engage at the community level to make a difference and be nurtured by great change leaders.

It is also a place to have fun and to grow a deeper appreciation of diversity in a creative and safe environment. One of the best measures of success is the testimony of many of our graduates who currently occupy leadership positions in the health care system, in public health, in academia, in community and government.

- Dr. Anne Leis, Department Head

Our Vision
We envision a society in which all people have equitable opportunity to experience optimal health.

Our Mission
We create, synthesize and translate knowledge for evidence-informed policies and practices which support population health equity locally and globally.

Values
1. Respect is defined as mutual acceptance and encouragement of people’s critical thinking and the diversity of persons, communities and cultures.
Behaviours which demonstrate respect

• • We address the needs and concerns of student, faculty and staff.
  • We use participative decision making.
  • We consult with and value the views of others
  • We encourage respectful collegial discussion and critical examination of diverse opinions.
  • We value other people’s perspectives, time and space.

2. Fairness involves exercising impartiality and equity in interpersonal relationships as well as balancing conflicting interests.
Behaviours which illustrate fairness

• • We consider the interests of all parties.
  • We treat others equitably with dignity.
  • We provide timely and constructive feed-back.
  • We support equitable relationships with partners.
  • We practice collaboration through regular communications and equitable distribution of powers among stakeholders.
  • We work within and follow ethical principles and guidelines.
  • As a department we provide fair access to learning and funding opportunities for all students.
  • As a department we provide fair access to departmental support and professional development opportunities for all faculty and staff.

 3. Excellence refers to the achievement of exceptionally high quality in academic standards, service to the community and innovation.
Behaviours which demonstrate excellence

• • We support perseverance in the pursuit of challenging goals
  • We are committed to be active participants in the excitement and enrichment of a learning community.
  • We support high achievement in students work habits and personal career’s goals.
  • We promote curiosity and critical thinking in teaching and research.
  • We vigorously pursue research for the benefit of persons and communities.
  • We model and mentor commitment to quality.
  • We foster new ideas and innovation in all we do.
  • We are open to constructive criticism through peer reviews and students evaluations

4. Professionalism refers to a commitment to abide by high ethical standards of behaviour and relevant group standards.  It requires an on-going personal commitment to integrity.
Behaviours which demonstrate Professionalism

• • We demonstrate inclusiveness in our day to day work.
  • We practice open communications and responsibility.
  • We know and apply ethical and professional standards of conduct.
  • We take responsibility for our actions.
  • We are actively engaged in research and activities which move knowledge to action.
  • We are prepared to take risks and learn from our mistakes.

Goals of the Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

Department as a Healthy Community

1. 1. To be a healthy and vibrant community providing a supportive working environment based on good communication and collaboration.
   2. To support faculty and staff professional development towards personal career goals.
   3. To integrate the goals of individual faculty and staff with Department priorities, responsibilities and funding.

Community Engagement and Social Accountability

1. 1. To develop relationships with community members, groups and agencies, with attention to issues of social justice.
   2. To share and mobilize the knowledge and skills of the department with diverse partners. This includes the provision of direct service to develop and maintain professional skills, and for remuneration.
   3. To continuously improve our outreach through on-going monitoring and feed-back.

Teaching and Learning

1. 1. To foster high-quality, scholarly teaching, based on an interdisciplinary evidence-informed Population Health approach.
   2. To prepare students to effectively perform the roles of practitioner, researcher, and/or educator. 
   3. To foster self-directed, life long and collaborative learning.
   4. To use evidence based methods to effectively self-evaluate and to assess courses and programs on a regular basis.

Research

1. 1. To conduct excellent, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research in population health with a focus on inequities locally and globally.
   2. To recruit and retain students and trainees who have succeeded in their preparatory fields, and mentor these students/trainees to become excellent researchers and research users.
   3. To develop diverse partnerships to co-create knowledge and find applications in society.
   4. To support one another, via formal and informal means, thereby creating and sustaining a vibrant research milieu that is one of the most successful in Canada for its size and resources.

2019-21	2017-19	2016-17	2015-16

60th Anniversary and Reunion

The Department of Community Health & Epidemiology hosted its 60th Anniversary and Reunion from October 24–26, 2019 in Saskatoon. 

More than 100 people attended the celebration, which included alumni from the community and population health sciences graduate programs and the Public Health and Preventive Medicine residency training. The event activities included a seminar, reception, conference and banquet, campus tours and lunch at the Remai Modern.

Faculty and graduates of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology talk about their memories of the people and programs that shaped their career paths and lives. View their videos on YouTube. 

• 50th/60th CH&E Anniversary Legacy Fund Donation Page

• The health education system at the University of Saskatchewan is committed to the recruitment, retention, and success of Indigenous students, staff, and faculty (TRC-Calls to Action #23). 
• CH&E is committed to supporting Indigenous people to achieve a more equitable position in our community and society.
• CH&E is committed to taking up and linking others to opportunities for anti-racist education
• CH&E is committed to providing cultural safety/humility training to all members of our community (C2A #23) to increase understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing
• CH&E is committed to be lifelong learners. We always learn, from the web of relationships between humans, animals, plants, natural forces, spirits, and the forms of land in particular places, as opposed to the discovery of universal laws (Battiste &Henderson 2000, p. 448).[i]
• CH&E is committed to blending Indigenous health and wellness content into our curriculum. This includes exposing the historical and ongoing traumas that affect Indigenous health (C2A #18), learning about the means to address these ill-health effects and promoting wellness (C2A #19), and education specific to the health professional training that we deliver (C2A #24).

[i] Battiste Marie, Henderson James Youngblood (Sa'ke'j). Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage. A Global Challenge. SERIES: Purich's Aboriginal Issues Series. UBC Press, 01 Apr 2000, Purich Publishing. ISBN:9781895830156

• CH&E research is committed to strengthening our continuing relationships with Indigenous communities as active and respected partners in research. 
• CH&E is committed to ethical principles for Indigenous health research as set out by the Tri-Council.  These include sharing in resources, giving back to the community, support for community capacity development, respect for Indigenous community governance and full self-determination, respect for indigenous ways of knowing and healing (C2A #21/22), and respect for the role of Elders and Knowledge Holders in research. 

• CH&E is committed to including Indigenous communities and their people as actors at all levels of the university life, advising on Indigenous teaching, learning, research, and protocols. This is part of decentering and decolonizing the role of the academic system and collaborating in a more equitable engagement with the communities. [i]
• CH&E is committed to reaching out sincerely and fully with external communities as partners in our development.
• CH&E seeks to be a University presence in the community through volunteerism and engagement in community events – bridging the gap between university and community (I.e., November 25, 2020 marked the 30^th anniversary of Neil Stonechild’s passing; the White Buffalo Youth Lodge hosted a vigil – how can the university community engage in community events such as this?)

[i] Gaudry & Lorenz. Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: navigating the different visions for indigenizing the Canadian Academy. AlterNative 2018. Vol 14(3): 281-227)

• Gordon Oakes Red Bear Centre
• Aboriginal Students’ Centre – University of Saskatchewan
• Morning Star Lodge
• Office of Treaty Commissioner (History of SK Indigenous People)
• Agreement between U of S and the Office of the Treaty commissioner (OTC) to evaluate reconciliation
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Canada: Calls to Action
• Indigenous Mentorship Network
• Wanuskewin Heritage Park: Cultural Centre
• Indigenous Studies Portal — University of Saskatchewan
• National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health
• Whose Land: A web-based app that uses GIS technology to assist users in identifying Indigenous Nations, territories, and Indigenous communities across Canada.
• NAC Indigenous Theatre | National Arts Centre 
• Learning an Indigenous Language

Learning a language is a wonderful and effective way to appreciate the different nuances of another culture and to communicate with its people. 

Why not learn a language of one of the Indigenous peoples on whose lands we live?!

• The University of Saskatchewan offers three Cree courses in the fall, Cree 101 , Cree 110  and Cree 212 (regular tuition rates apply).
• Office of the Treaty Commissioner – Indigenous Language Resources
• The National Collaborating Center for Indigenous Education (NCCIE) - Bringing nēhiyawēwin Home
• File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council – Online Language Learning

 

Our Position Statements are issued from time to time in response to events and circumstances in our community, country, and the world that are of immediate public interest and that fit within our vision, mission, and values (see About Us). We see these as living statements on the themes of health equity and justice that are updated as events warrant. Statements are listed from most recent to oldest.

The Position Statements have been issued by the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and the Reconciliation Committee.

The MSc program in Community and Population Health Sciences prepares students for academic careers, including pursuit of doctoral studies, or to work in a variety of research-intensive environments. Students will learn about community and population health concepts, epidemiology, theory, and research; develop basic skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods and project management; and gain hands-on experience in research through the completion of a thesis.

The MSc in Community and Population Health Sciences is a thesis-based program that can be completed in two years of full-time study.

Program Overview
Curriculum
Five core courses (15 credit units), one elective course (3 credit units), and non-credit courses: CHEP 994 Thesis, CHEP 990 Department Seminar and on-line courses, GPS 960 Introduction to Ethics and Integrity and GPS 961 Ethics in Human Research.

Courses
Required  Credit Courses (course descriptions search)
CHEP 800.3 – Epidemiology 1
CHEP 802.3 - Community and Population Health Research Methods
CHEP 811.3 - Professional Research Skills in Community and Population Health
CHEP 813.3 - Embodied Inequities Social and Structural Determinants of Population Health
plus one research methods class:
CHEP 805.3  – Biostatistics 1 
or
A qualitative research methods course
(PSY 809.3, JSGS 851.3, ERES 845, NURS 893 or equivalent).

Required Non-Credit Courses

CHEP 994 – Research Thesis
CHEP 990 – Departmental Seminar: All students are required to register in and attend the departmental seminar series. One core requirement of this seminar is presentation of thesis work at the annual “CH&E Student Research Day”. Completion of the seminar requirement occurs when the student’s thesis is successfully defended.
GPS 960 – Introduction to Ethics and Integrity (on-line): This course discusses ethical issues that graduate students may face during their time at the U of S.
GPS 961 Ethics in Human Research (on-line): This course is required of those students who are conducting research that will involve human subjects.

Additional Courses
In addition to required classes, a minimum of one elective is required. Electives are chosen by students in consultation with their supervisor and thesis advisory committee. There are several courses offered by CH&E faculty which may meet this requirement:

CHEP 801.3 - Epidemiology 2
CHEP 806.3 - Applied Statistical Methods for Follow-up Data
CHEP 808.3 - Complex Survey Data Analysis
CHEP 810.3  – Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials
CHEP 814.3  – Closing the Gap: Global Health and Social Inequities
CHEP 815.3 – Food Systems and Community Health
CHEP 816.3 - Population Health Intervention Research (PHIR)
CHEP 818.3 - Advanced Qualitative Health Research Methods in Population and Public Health
CHEP 819.3 - Colonization and its Implact on Indigenous Health and Healing
CHEP 898's - Special Topics

• CHEP 898.3 - Understanding the COVID-19 pandemic, to better prepare for the next pandemic, offered Sept 2020, next offering TBD
• CHEP 898.3 - Introduction to Realism: Philosophy, Methodology and Practice: Offered Spring 2020, Expected Spring 2022

Application procedure
All complete applications are reviewed by the CH&E Graduate Program Committee. Meeting minimum entry requirements DOES NOT guarantee acceptance. Recommendations by CH&E are based on the evaluation of academic ability, alignment of research interests with CH&E faculty, and availability of an appropriate thesis supervisor.

Application deadline
Applications for Fall admission for the following academic year open on September 15th and close December 15th.

Apply online to the Community and Population Health Sciences program

Additional Application documents to be uploaded on your online application

1.  A letter addressed to the Graduate Program Chair which includes:

• • A detailed statement of how your educational and/or work experience (including community involvement) have led you to become interested in pursuing a degree in Community and Population Health Sciences.  Also describe your educational and career goals and why you believe our program will help you meet these goals. (1-2 pages).
  • The following statement: If accepted into the MSc program, I will adhere to the residency policy requiring me to be on campus until core program requirements have been met, including thesis committee approval of pre-proposal and completion of required courses.

 2.  A writing sample (3-5 pages), appropriately referenced, presenting your view on a community health issue.  The health issue chosen should reflect the general area of research you hope to pursue in CH&E. The purpose of this is to help us assess your ability to organize your thoughts and express them coherently in writing, rather than knowledge of any particular subject matter. The essay should not simply reproduce factual information from another source.

3.  An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae.

The Doctorate (PhD) program in Community and Population Health Sciences is designed with considerable flexibility, recognizing that students come to the population health field with diverse backgrounds. This allows students, with their Advisory Committee, to create individualized programs that take into consideration their particular research interests and the areas in which they need additional development.

Through coursework and seminars, students will gain a more sophisticated understanding of community/population health theory and the research-policy-practice context. Designing and carrying out an independent research project provides an opportunity to further develop knowledge and skills around a specific problem.

Program Overview
Curriculum
Two core courses (6 credit units) and two elective courses (6 credit units) and non‐credit courses: CHEP 996 Thesis, CHEP 990 Department Seminar and on‐line courses, GPS 960 Introduction to Ethics and Integrity and
GPS 961 Ethics in Human Research.
Required Credit courses (course descriptions search)
CHEP 817.3 – Advanced Research Seminar in Population Health
An advanced methods course is required for your program and must be approved by the Graduate Program Chair. The Class may be either quantitative or Applied (i.e.CHEP 801: Epidemiology 2, or CHEP 806.3).

Statistical Methods for Follow Up Data, CHEP 808.3: Complex Survey Data Analysis) or Qualitative (i.e. CHEP 818.3: Advanced Qualitative Health Research Methods in Population and Public Health).

Students who have not taken courses that represent an adequate introduction to Community and Population Health Sciences at the Master’s level will be required to take additional core classes.

Two Electives: Graduate level courses related to the area of the thesis research and with the approval of the supervisor and thesis advisory committee. There are several courses offered by CH&E faculty which may meet this requirement:
CHEP 810.3  – Advanced Topics in Clinical Trials
CHEP 814.3  – Closing the Gap: Global Health and Social Inequities
CHEP 815.3 – Food Systems and Community Health
CHEP 816.3: Population Health Intervention Research (PHIR)
CHEP 819.3: Colonization and its Impacts on Indigenous Peoples Health and Healing
CHEP 898's - Special Topics:

• Chep 899.3: Understanding the COVID-19 pandemic, to better prepare for the next pandemic, offered Sept 2020, next offering TBD
• CHEP 898.3: Introduction to Realism, Philosophy, Methodology and Practice: Offered Spring 2020, expected spring 2022.

In addition to coursework, all Ph.D. students are required to successfully complete a comprehensive exam. Students take this exam once their required coursework is complete and before they begin their doctoral research, usually in their second year of program. A student passing the comprehensive exam is deemed a Ph.D. candidate

Application procedure
Application deadline
Applications for Fall admission for the following academic year open on September 15th and close December 15th.

To apply to the PhD program, students MUST have a CH&E faculty supervisor confirmed.

Apply online to the Community and Population Health Sciences program

Additional Application documents must be uploaded into your online application.

1. A letter addressed to the Graduate Program Chairperson which includes:

-   A detailed statement of how your educational and/or work experience (including community involvement) have led you to become interested in pursuing a degree in Community and Population Health Sciences.  Also describe your educational and career goals and why you believe our program will help you meet these goals. (2-3 pages)

- The following statement:
If accepted into the PhD program, I will adhere to the residency policy requiring me to be on campus until core program requirements have been met, including thesis committee approval of pre-proposal, completion of required courses and successful completion of the comprehensive exam.

2.  A description of proposed thesis research (3-5 pages), appropriately referenced.

3.  A letter from the proposed PhD supervisor indicating agreement to supervise.

In addition to our MSc and PhD graduate programs, CH&E is involved in the delivery of MSc and PhD programs in Biostatistics in collaboration with Dept. of Math/Statistics and the School of Public Health.

Graduate Handbook Student Supervisor Agreement

The Department offers MSc and PhD programs in Community and Population Health Sciences. The College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) sets the minimum entrance requirements for graduate programs and for English proficiency. 

Students will be admitted to the CGPS only upon the recommendation of CH&E.  Meeting minimum entry requirements DOES NOT guarantee acceptance. Recommendations by CH&E are based on the evaluation of academic ability, alignment of research interests with CH&E faculty, and availability of an appropriate thesis supervisor.

CH&E graduate students are required to be in residence until core program requirements have been met, including thesis committee approval of pre-proposal, completion of required courses, and completion of the comprehensive exam (PhD students).

Funding
A conservative estimate of the cost of one year of graduate studies at the University of Saskatchewan (including tuition, accommodation, other living/study expenses) is $22,000 CDN. The department DOES NOT guarantee student funding. A limited amount of money is available to support students and is allocated on a competitive basis according to students’ academic record. 

To be eligible for CH&E scholarship funding, students must have obtained at least 80% in the last two years of undergraduate or graduate study. Other funding may be available through faculty members’ research grants. All students are encouraged to apply for scholarships from local and national sources.

The department offers three undergraduate courses, all of which can be taken as electives:

CHEP 350.3 Introduction to Epidemiology - predominately taken by undergraduate students with Biomedical Sciences majors
CHEP 402.3 – Global Health and Local Communities Issues and Approaches -  taken as part of the Certificate in Global Health and an elective in the Global Studies Certificate
CHEP 403.3 – Global Health II - taken as part of the Certificate in Global Health.

The Department offers the Certificate in Global Health, a two-year comprehensive accredited program open to undergraduate students in the College of Medicine and to graduate students in the School of Rehabilitation Science. This program offers a holistic education for participants grounded in anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectionality, interprofessional & interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement. As well as offering the classes above and the Certificate in Global Health, the department supports the undergraduate medical curriculum.

2022

Student Name	Program	Supervisor	Thesis Title
Dixon, James	PhD	Dr. Lori Hanson	The Political Economy of the Overdose Crisis in Western Canada: An Exploratory Case Study
Kaur, Amanjot	MSc	Dr. Anne Leis	Integrative Medical Care vs Standard Medical Care in Adult Patients With Depression
Kossick-Kouri, Lise	MSc	Dr. Sylvia Abonyi	"They Feed Me Good" - Relational Food Systems in Saskatoon
Marouzi, Anousheh	MSc	Dr. Cordell Neudorf	Premature and Avoidable Mortality by Neighbourhood Income in Urban Canada
Odugbemi, Oluatomisin (Tomi)	MSc	Dr. Maureen Anderson	Age-related Differences in Patient Outcomes and Factors Associated with Psychiatric Stays at the Dube Centre, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon
Ramamoorthy, Sahana	MSc	Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine	Acceptability of Built Environment Interventions Aimed at Promoting a Healthy Diet and Physical Activity in Urban Neighbourhoods of Saskatchewan, Canada
Sigurdson, Jacinda	MSc	Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer	The Good Food Junction Intervention: A Longitudinal Study of Food Insecurity and Vegetable and Fruit Consumption

 2021

Student Name	Program	Supervisor	Thesis Title
Acharibasam, Jeremiah	MSc	Dr. Kalyani Premkumar	Using the Curriculum Densitometer to Measure the Impact of Curricular Workload on Students' Mental Health: A Pilot Study
Alhassan, Jacob	PhD	Dr. Lori Hanson	“It Feels Like Somebody Cut My Legs Off”: Public Transportation and the Politics of Health in Saskatchewan
Asamoah, Gideon	MSc	Dr. Gary Groot	Exploring Indigenous Traditional Healing support policies and programs in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to inform the support for Indigenous Traditional Healing policies in Saskatchewan: a scoping review
Fonseca, Adriana Angarita	PhD	Drs. Brenna Bath and Catherine Trask	Physical activity and chronic back disorders in Canadian adults
Hernandez-Ronquillo, Lizbeth	PhD	Dr. Lilian Thorpe	Diagnostic Performance of the Ambulatory EEG versus Routine EEG and Risk Factors for Seizure Recurrence Among Individuals with First Single Unprovoked Seizures
Macaringue, Cynthia Whitney Milagre	MSc	Drs. Nazeem Muhajarine and Celso Fernando Belo	A Multi-Method Study on the Impact of Transport Systems in Maternal and Newborn Health in Nampula Province-Mozambique
Marques Santos, Jose Diego	MSc	Dr. Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez	Health Care Utilization Differences Between First Nations and the General Population with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Saskatchewan
Owusu, Paul Kofi	MSc	Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine	The Impact of the National Health Insurance Scheme on Maternal Health Care in Ghana
Reboe-Benjamin, Monique	MSc	Dr. Anne Leis	Care Perceptions of Refugees Accessing Services at the REACH Clinic and Their Experiences Transitioning to Mainstream Healthcare After One Year
Safaripour, Razieh	MSc	Dr. Hyun Lim	Machine Learning in Population Health: Frequent Emergency Department Utilization Pattern Identification and Prediction

 2020

Student Name	Program	Supervisor	Thesis Title
Adegoke, David	MSc	Dr. Hyun Lim	Factors Associated with Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Adeyinka, Daniel	PhD	Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine	Social determinants and child survival in Nigeria in the era of Sustainable Development Goals: Progress, challenges, and opportunities
Alam, Md Saiful	MSc	Dr. Punam Pahwa	Incidence and Longitudinal Changes in the Prevalence of Diabetes among Rural Residents of Saskatchewan, Canada
del Canto, Sugandhi	PhD	Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer	Personal food environments: Perceptions of retail affordability and accessibility among mothers in Saskatoon, Canada
Epp, Lynette	MSc	Dr. Sylvia Abonyi	Truth and Reconciliation Through Indigenous Health Research: An Instrumental Case Study in the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Everitt, Tracy	PhD	Drs. Rachel Engler-Stringer & Wanda Martin	Improving Nutritional Intake Through Environmentally Sustainable School Food Programs
Gu, Jeffrey	PhD	Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer & Gary Groot	An Examination of Why Saskatchewan Women Choose Mastectomy Versus Breast Conservation Therapy in Early Stage Breast Cancer
Harlton, Saydi	MSc	Dr. Sylvia Abonyi	Association of Housing Conditions and Social Determinants of Health with Chronic Bronchitis among Seniors in Two Saskatchewan First Nation Communities
Khan, Amal Saleem	MSc	Dr. Punam Pahwa	Prevalence and Incidence of Hormonal-Related Cancers (HRCs) in Rural Saskatchewan: The Saskatchewan Rural Health Study
Missiuna, Sharalynn	MSc	Dr. Cordell Neudorf	Inequalities in Mental Health Across Urban Canada
Osei, Jessica	MSc	Dr. Juan-Nicolás Peña-Sánchez	Epidemiology and Direct Health Care Cost of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Saskatchewan: A Population-Based Study
Owais, Muhammad	MSc	Drs. Bonnie Janzen & Anne Leis	Hip Fractures in Long Term Care Facilities in British Columbia: Incidence and Risk Factors
Salawu, Akeem	MSc	Dr. Hyun Lim	Patient Wait Time at the Emergency Department of a Rural Hospital in Saskatchewan
Stringer, Lorena	MSc	Dr. Gary Groot	Surveying Indigenous Cancer Support Needs: Survey Design and Development
Wagner, Lindsey	MSc	Dr. Lori Hanson	Towards a More Ethical Global Health Research: A Case Study of Knowledge Translation Within the Alert Community to Prepared Hospital Care Continuum Implementation Research Project
Zhao, Rebecca	MSc	Dr. Ulrich Teucher	Art voice: Graphic health narratives of care providers

2019

Student Name	Program	Supervisor	Thesis Title
Afsana, Jinnat	MSc	Dr. Joshua Lawson	Risk Factors Associated with Current Asthma and Wheeze in School Children Along an Urban-Rural Gradient in Saskatchewan
Bandara, Thilina	PhD	Dr. Cordell Neudorf	Equity-Based Childhood Immunization Policy-Making in Urban Public Health Unit Across the Canadian Prairies: A Comparative Study
Ferron, Rochelle	MSc	Dr. Bonnie Janzen	Factors associated with job satisfaction among Canadian Correctional Officers
Goon, Shatabdi	MSc	Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine	Perceived and Objective Neighbourhood Built Environment Measures and Association with Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in 9-14-Year-Old Children in Saskatoon, Canada
Holt, Tanya	MSc	Dr. Sylvia Abonyi	‘She is in there’: Connecting acutely ill Indigenous children with pediatric critical care specialists using Remote Presence Technology
Ilesanmi, Marcus	PhD	Dr. Cordell Neudorf	Measles Immunization in Saskatchewan - Coverage Disparities and Challenges to Achieving Herd Immunity Threshold
Keir, Michelle	MSc	Dr. Cordell Neudorf	Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Assessing Barriers to Care in Saskatchewan
Khan, Asma	MSc	Dr. Hyun Lim	Impact of waiting time for first clinic assessment and seizure outcomes of pediatric epilepsy
Lotoski, Larisa	PhD	Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine	A 4-Season Longitudinal Study Examining the Association Between Seasonality, the Built Environment and Sedentary Time in 9-14 Year Old Children Living in a Mid-Western Canadian City
Malena-Chan, Rachel	MSc	Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer	Making climate change meaningful: Narrative dissonance and the gap between knowledge and action
Melville, Jonathan	MSc	Dr. Gary Groot	Understanding the Mechanisms of Protocol Implementation for the Early Recognition and Treatment of Probable Sepsis
Reist, Robin	MSc	Dr. Catherine Trask	Risk Factors for Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Bovine Veterinarians
Umaefulam, Valerie Onyinyechi	PhD	Dr. Kalyani Premkumar	Impact of Mobile Health (mHealth) in Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) Awareness and Eye Care Behavior Among Indigenous Women

2018

Student Name	Program	Supervisor	Thesis Title
Awoyera, Olasoji	MSc	Drs. George Katselis & Shelley Kirychuk	Endotoxin Levels and Their Association with Respiratory Outcome in Two Saskatchewan Communities
Khan, Muhammad	MSc	Drs. Brenna Bath and Catherine Trask	Trunk posture exposure as a risk factor for low back disorders in farmers
Khanam, Ulfat	MSc	Dr. Joshua Lawson	Are Dietary Factors Associated with Lung Function in Canadian Adults?
Li, Thuy	PhD	Dr. Hyun Lim	Dynamics of the HIV Epidemics Among Injecting Drug Users and Female Sex Workers in Vietnam
McKinstry, Nina	MSc	Drs. Lilian Thorpe & Ulrich Teucher	A Qualitative Study of Deliberate Self-Harm and Control Among Sexual and Gender Minority Persons: Negotiating the Healthcare System
Oluwole, Oluwafemi	PhD	Dr. Joshua Lawson	Asthma Diagnosis, Phenotypes and Severity, and Indoor Microbial Exposure among Urban and Rural Children in Saskatchewan, Canada
Shahid, Rabia	MSc	Dr. Punam Pahwa	Examination of the Cross-Sectional Association between Insulin Resistance (HOMAIR) and an Inflammatory Marker (CRP) in a Representative Canadian Non-Diabetic Population.
Waldron, Tamara	MSc	Dr. Gary Groot	Development of a Shared Decision-Making Program Theory: A Realist Synthesis Examining Contexts and Mechanisms to Engagement

Social Accountability is a division within the College of Medicine housed in the Department of Community Health & Epidemiology. It supports a number of programs and initiatives that address community health needs including Aboriginal health, primary health care, urban and rural under-served areas, gender and equity, eco-health, immigrant and refugee health and global health.

About Us

Division of Public Health and Preventive Medicine members are committed to the practice of public and population health, research and undergraduate and postgraduate training and education. The division has a high-quality training program, which offers trainees or elective students a breadth of exposure to public health and preventive medicine.

The division is comprised of 25+ medical faculty members with specialist training in public health and preventive medicine. Division members are contracted or employed by the SHA, Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada’s Department of Indigenous Services Canada, or NITHA.

The division takes the lead for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education teaching, medical education administration, and research activities related to the PHPM specialty.

Residency Training Program

Public Health and Preventive Medicine (PHPM) is a 5-year post-graduate medical specialty training program.

University of Saskatchewan offers a variety of public health experiences in rural, northern and urban settings as well as the provincial level to provide a well-balanced learning environment. The small size of the program will ensure a greater ability to exercise responsibility through the program, and to adapt training to their career goals.

Looking for more details about applying for a Public Health and Preventive Medicine residency position at University of Saskatchewan? Check out the University of Saskatchewan information on the CaRMS website. And for a behind-the-scenes look at the program, watch the Residency Program Video on YouTube.

Details about the specialty

Research

Members of the Division contribute to research in the area of public and population health, with a focus on applied research and health systems and services research. Members take a range of roles from principal investigator or co-investigator roles, through to collaborators and knowledge users. The Division is also home to the Urban Public Health Network, a network of Lead Medical Health Officers from 23 of Canada’s largest cities and most of UPHN’s research projects. 

Contacts

Division Head
Dr. Cory Neudorf
Phone: 306-966-2276

Administrative Coordinator
Lana McDonald
306-966-6571
 
PHPM Residency Program Administrative Assistant
Amanda Willms
Phone: 306-966-8752

The CRSU provides multi-faceted research assistance to all faculty members, residents, students, and researchers within the College of Medicine. Investigators across the basic medical, clinical, and population health sciences can access support for study design, sample size/power calculation, data management, analysis, and manuscript revision. Requests to review funding applications are also welcome.  Support is provided by doctoral-level biostatisticians and biostatistical graduate students—all at zero cost.

The CRSU assists with 80 to 100 research projects annually at varying stages of development, although engagement early in the research process is encouraged. Support requests can be initiated by completing the CRSU Intake Form. 

Please note: given the frequent overlap of multiple requests during peak periods, 2-3 weeks may be required before an initial appointment can be made. 

The CRSU aims to contribute towards maximizing the research productivity of the College of Medicine research community. To that end, support is often ongoing in nature, frequently culminating in conference presentation and publication of project findings. CRSU acknowledgment and possibly shared authorship, at the dissemination of results is requested if a significant contribution has been made by CRSU staff.         

Departments within the College of Medicine aiming to encourage the development of quantitative research knowledge/skills among their faculty and residents can request academic presentations on related topics of interest by CRSU staff. Basic instruction in the use of SAS (a statistical program frequently used in statistical analysis) is also offered to individuals within the College of Medicine on an annual basis, usually in September/October, for a minimal cost.    

Please  Contact the CRSU office with inquiries.

Healthcare Research and Quality Improvement (HRQI) supports vital research to improve clinical decision-making, advance patient safety, decrease medical errors and enhance health care quality and access. Also, HRQI is uniquely positioned to support best practice research and to help promote its dissemination to improve primary care in Saskatchewan.

HRQI recognizes the importance of research into the science of primary care and patient-centred outcomes. We enthusiastically support these efforts believe that it must continue to have adequate resources to pursue its goals.

The HRQI key areas of focus include:

Safety and Quality: Reduce the risk of harm by promoting the delivery of the best possible care.
Effectiveness: Improve health care outcomes by encouraging the use of evidence to make informed health care decisions.
Efficiency: Transform research into practice to facilitate more extensive access to effective health care service and reduce unnecessary costs.
Evidence-based clinical practice requires HRQI-supported healthcare research in areas such as Practice-Based Research, practice transformation, patient quality and safety in hospital and non-hospital settings. Saskatchewan healthcare system relies on research developed to answer key clinical questions based on the Saskatchewan’s effective health care program to help clinicians make better treatment choices. HRQI provides the critical evidence reviews needed to answer questions on the common acute, chronic, and comorbid conditions that family physicians see daily. HRQI research also examines health information technology to provide the evidence to inform meaningful use policy and practice so that health IT can be used more effectively to improve the quality of Saskatchewan health care.

Please Contact the HRQI office with inquiries.

The Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) is a partnership of organizations that support and advance patient-oriented research in Saskatchewan. The partner organizations provide financial and in-kind support, with representatives from each partner organization participating on the Oversight Committee (OC) and in a variety of other programs. Together with SCPOR, they work to provide the services and supports needed to further patient-oriented research in Saskatchewan.

The mission of the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) is to be a centre of excellence in research that will create new knowledge and understandings of population health, contribute to health policy and planning, inform public policy at all levels of governance, incorporate a population health perspective into the education of health professionals, and be a resource for public debate on population health.

The Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit is a bi-university health research unit based at the Universities of Regina and Saskatchewan. At the University of Saskatchewan, SPHERU offices are located within the Department of Community Health & Epidemiology.

The Urban Public Health Network (UPHN) is a national organization established in 2004 which today includes the Medical Officers of Health in 24 of Canada’s large urban centres. Working collaboratively and with a collective voice, the network addresses public health issues that are common to urban populations.