Current Students

Dedicated to sexuality and interdisciplinary research, I am interested in local and global LGBTQ+ issues, particularly sexual minorities’ health and rights. I believe in the power of research to transform the world into one that is less oppressive and more inclusive. One way to achieve this is through formal education. With a democratic pedagogy, my classroom has always focused on critical dialogues facilitating the exchange and synthesis of different perspectives.

Current position and/or anything you’d like to share about yourself: I hold a Master’s Degree in Women’s Studies from the University of Ottawa, where I met professor Spitzer. My current research focuses on sexual health, reproductive justice, gender, and technology. My work engages with critical analysis of the relation between biopower and intersectionality. I’m proudly from Trujillo city, Peru; and I have a dog named Nala, who barks for social justice.

Current position and anything you’d like to share about yourself: My current research focuses on the mental health of LGBTQIA+ Ugandan refugees in Edmonton- particularly, the ways in which the neo-colonial system of American evangelical missionary work is implicated in making them refugees, and the ways in which Canadian mental health systems can both help and harm them. This research is co-advised between Denise Spitzer, PhD (Public Health), and Domale Keys, PhD (Gender and Social Justice). My broader interests include queer theory and 2SLGBTQ+ studies, the sociology of mental health/madness, Foucault, and socio-historical sociology. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Reinhardt University, as well as a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Alberta, all of which have influenced my interest in these topics and my work with the Edmonton Centre for Newcomers as an intern for the Rainbow Refuge program.

Current Position/Anything else about yourself: Eric is a third-year PhD student in the SPH at the University of Alberta specializing in Health Promotion and Sociobehavioural Sciences. His academic background began with an interest in genetics and microbiology and transitioned to high-risk obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute after completing his B.Sc. in 2019. He also spent a brief period in Oncology after receiving a Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee scholarship to study chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms at the University of Leeds in 2016. More recently, he completed a Master of Arts in Gender & Social Justice at the University of Alberta, with a primary research interest in exploring the intersections of sexual health and food insecurity in remote and northern Indigenous communities, particularly 2SLGBTQI+ Indigenous youth. Professionally he works as the Lead of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at Norquest College, mobilizing the college’s strategic plan and serving as an EDI subject matter expert. His current thesis research is interested in exploring how community food centers and food banks cultivate belonging by strengthening food security. He enjoys cooking, cycling, and running when he isn’t working or reading! 

Current position and/or anything you’d like to share about yourself:  I just finished my first year of my master’s, and my thesis aims to look at how different parental coping strategies impact the overall quality of life (QoL) of families with children diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in Alberta. I am half South African and Nigerian, and I grew up in South Africa for nine years before moving to Canada. Also, I love trying out new cuisines, doing pilates and going on walks.

Current position and/or anything you’d like to share about yourself:  I am going into my 6th year of frontline harm reduction work, presently as a Relational Care Worker at an Indigenous health cooperative in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and a Mental Health Professional at a non-police and non-health authority related mobile crisis response team in the Northshore. I am an online student based on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations, at U of A in my second year of my master’s degree, where I hold a position on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee in the Graduate Student’s Association. I am also a part of the East Van Workers Assembly where I participate in labour rights advocacy and direct action against the state. My passions are hair dye, sex, drugs, and community organizing – while trying to have a deep belly laugh everyday.

Current position and/or anything you’d like to share about yourself: Rehma Khan is a Master of Science in Public Health student at the University of Alberta, specializing in Health Promotion and Socio-Behavioural Sciences. She recently received her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Alberta. Her work focuses on promoting initiatives surrounding sexual and reproductive health advocacy and improving health outcomes for immigrant women and girls. She is passionate about creating culturally sensitive learning materials and developing programs for students with diverse learning needs.