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Health Equity Systems Interventions

The Health Equity Systems Interventions (HESI) Research Group focuses on health equity. A fair distribution of well-being across society (health equity) is an important indicator of places that are socially just.

Structural Determinants of Health Equity

Systems of health equity are maintained and influenced by a wide array of structural determinants, such as government and institutional policies, approaches to governance, and dominant cultural and societal values.

Examples of structural determinant variables include:

  • strong versus weak unemployment insurance schemes
  • strong versus weak rights for workers
  • intersectoral versus siloed models

The World Health Organization’s 2010 Conceptual Framework for Action on the Social Determinants of Health is an example of a values statement related to health inequities.

Research Projects

Current Research Team

  • Ketan Shankardass, MHsc PhD, research group director
  • Aksaya Ghetheeswaran, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences
  • Anna Do, Master's student, Health Sciences
  • Clare Nakhla, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences
  • Emily Rank, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences
  • Haley Sheppard, Master's student, Community Psychology
  • Jillian O'Donnell, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences
  • Kimberly Jewers-Dailley, PhD student, Community Psychology
  • Madison Stevens, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences
  • Mariam Elsobsky, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences
  • Penny Liu, Research Assistant
  • Ryan Gross, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences
  • Vaishnovi Rajan, Undergraduate student, Health Sciences

Recent/Current Collaborators and Funders

  • Canadian Institute of Health Research
  • City of Hamilton
  • Chatham-Kent Public Health
  • Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
  • Loughborough University
  • Municipalité régionale de comté des Maskoutains
  • National Collaborating Centre for Health Public Policy
  • New Frontiers in Research Fund
  • Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility
  • Peterborough Public Health
  • Region of Waterloo, Upstream Fund
  • Sherbrooke Ville en santé
  • Southwestern Public Health
  • Université de Sherbooke
  • University of Ottawa
  • Yellowknives Dene First Nation

Contact Us:

Ketan Shankardass, Research Group Director

E: kshankardass@wlu.ca
T: 519.884.0710 x4316