Training & Mentorship

The work of the Spatializing Care Lab is enabled by an interdisciplinary team of researchers, students, service providers, policy makers, community members, and lived experience experts. Individuals, groups and organizations interested in collaborating or learning about research and training opportunities are encouraged to contact @email.

Current Lab Team

Graduate Research Assistant: 

Tatianna Beresford, MSc Aging and Health, Queen's University. Projects: CIHR funded "Aging Canadians Mental Health Conversations Co-Design"; SSHRC funded "Learning and Leading with Lived Experiences".

Undergraduate Lab Assistants: 

Janet Kennedy, BASc Honours Health Student, StFX University. Research related to health equity and patient engaged evidence syntheses.

Reese Mann, BASc Honours Health Student, StFX University. Project: "StFX Rural Age Friendly University Initiative".

Digital Media Editor: 

Q (Norah Quirk), BA Development Studies Student, StFX University.

Training

Postdoctoral Fellows

2021-2022

Dr. Tammy Bernasky. Innovating for Inclusive and Equitable Post-Secondary Education: A Pathway to Realizing the Social Development Goals. Co-Supervised with Dr. Susan Hardie, Eviance: Canadian Centre on Disability Studies. Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada. Now an Assistant Professor in Political Science at Cape Breton University.

Dr. Janna Klostermann. Art of Good Care: Arts Informed Approaches to Nursing Home Dementia and Mental Health Literacy. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Council Canada. Now an Assistant Professor in Sociology at University of Calgary.

Dr. Stephanie Mason. Dementia Care Under COVID-19. Funded by Research Nova Scotia via the Nova Scotia Health Research COVID-19 Coalition. Now an Assistant Professor in Education at University of Brock.

2020-2021

Dr. Ashley McAskill, PhD. Postdoctoral Research Associate (Accessible Knowledge Mobilization). SURGE: Disability, Vitality and Death Under COVID-19.

Graduate Research Assistants, Associates & Trainees

2022-2023

Dr. Emily Reid-Musson. Research Associate (Postdoctoral). Evaluating for Equity in Dementia Care. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Health Services and Policy Research.

Shala Knocton, MSc, Medical Student, Dalhousie University. Research Coordinator. Evaluating for Equity in Dementia Care. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Health Services and Policy Research.

2021-2022

Prince Owusu, PhD Candidate, Carleton University. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Science Team Trainee, Maritime Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Support Unit.

Kelly O'Neil, PhD Candidate, StFX. Lead Research Associate. Independent Review of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act. Department of Justice, Government of Nova Scotia.

Julianne Acker-Verney, PhD Candidate, Mount Saint Vincent University. Research Associate. Independent Review of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act. Department of Justice, Government of Nova Scotia.

Lisa Snider, PhD Candidate, Mount Saint Vincent University. Research Associate. Independent Review of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act. Department of Justice, Government of Nova Scotia.

Miriam Schroeder, MA. Research Assistant. Independent Review of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act. Department of Justice, Government of Nova Scotia.

Margaret Lyons-Macfarlane, MA. Research Assistant. Learning and Leading with Lived Experiences Project.

Shirley Hodder, MHA Student, Dalhousie University. Research Assistant. Independent Review of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act. Department of Justice, Government of Nova Scotia.

Tara Martin, MPH Student, University of Toronto. Research Assistant. Accessibility as Collaborative Practice Project.

2020-2021

Rosanne Burke. MA Student, Mount Saint Vincent University. Dementia Care Under COVID-19. COVID-19 Health Research Coalition.

Mentorship

Graduate Thesis Supervision

2018-2021

Marco Redden. MA Family Studies and Gerontology, Mount Saint Vincent University. Co-Supervised with Dr. Janice Keefe, Mount Saint Vincent University. Funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Masters Award.

2017-2019

Kelly O'Neil. MA Family Studies and Gerontology, Mount Saint Vincent University. Co-Supervised with Dr. Janice Keefe, Mount Saint Vincent University. Recipient of Mount Saint Vincent University's Graduate Thesis Award, and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Award to pursue a PhD in Educational Studies.

Undergraduate Honours Thesis Supervision

2025-2026

Abby Hopkins. Honours Sociology.

Reese Mann. Honours Health. 

2024-2025

Janet Kennedy. Honours Health. "Examining Opioid Prescription Practices Following Caesarean Delivery: Current Evidence on Patient Profiling and Consideration of Addiction Risk Factors." Funded by a Research Nova Scotia Undergraduate Scotia Scholars Award. (Medventions Atlantic Fellow, 2024)

2022-2023

Emily MacEachern. Honours Sociology. "From Harm to Care: How Disciplinary Power Operates in Workplace Mental Health."

Mia Landi. Honours Sociology. "More than a Seat at the Table: Student Advocates Pull the Curtain on University Student Mental Health." Funded by a Mitacs Accelerate Internship. Recipient of a McKenna Leadership Grant, StFX Service Learning Prize for Excellence as a Community-Engaged Scholar, and StFX AUT Book Prize Award.

2021-2022

Jami Horne. Honours Health. "Rural Dementia Caregiving: A Community Life Story." Funded by a RBC Foundation Research Award. Recipient of a Pathy Foundation Fellowship and StFX Service Learning Prize for Excellence as a Community-Engaged Scholar. Now a student in the Law program at University of New Brunswick. Recipient of UNB Law's Tore Grude Scholarship.

Kate Graham. Honours Health. "Curriculum of Care: Investigating the Representation of Persons with Disabilities in Eastern Canadian Medical School Curriculum." Funded by a Research Nova Scotia Undergraduate Student Scholar Award. Recipient of a McKenna Leadership Grant.

Jenny Li. Honours Sociology. "Integrated Youth Mental Health Services: An Examination of Best Practices." Funded by a Research Nova Scotia Undergraduate Student Scholar Award. Recipient of Canadian Association on Sociology Undergraduate Thesis Award. Now a student in the Master of Arts in Sociology program at Dalhousie University. Recipient of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Canada Graduate Scholarship - Masters.

Mary Jane Kelly. Honours Sociology. "Emergency Sheltering for People Living with Disabilities in Nova Scotia: A Governmentality Analysis." Funded Research Assistantship from Accessibility Standards Canada. Now a student in the Master of Public Administration program at University of Victoria.

2020-2021

Andreina Marquez de la Plata Gregor. Honours Sociology. "An extra five or ten minutes... It's all they want, it's all they need: Relational Understanding of Time in Long-Term Care." Funded by a Research Nova Scotia Undergraduate Student Scholar Award. Recipient of Canadian Association on Sociology Undergraduate Thesis Award.

Anola Campbell. Honours Sociology. "Understanding the Experiences of University Students with Learning Disabilities in Navigating Educational Success." Funded by a RBC Foundation Research Award.

Maya Lowe. Honours Health. "Mapping the Relations between Monoracial ideals and Multiracial Student Mental Health in Higher Education." Now a student in the Master of Arts in Health Promotion at Dalhousie University. Recipient of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Canada Graduate Scholarship - Masters.

Samantha Smith. Honours Sociology. "Social Enterprise Development for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: The Centrality of Community Support." Funded by a Change Lab Action Research Initiative SEARCH Award. Now a student in the Social Work program at Dalhousie University.

Sara Luck. Honours Health. "Quality of Care in Long-term Care and COVID-19: Understanding Contributors from Staff Perspectives at Kings Way Care Centre." Funded by Canada Research Chairs Program Research Stipend. Recent graduate of the Masters in Gerontology program at Brock University.