Complications due to early birth (preterm) are one of the main causes of death among children under 5 years of age and can have long-lasting impacts on the infant, the mother, and their families. A First Nations community in BC has identified a preterm birth rate in their community that is 3 times higher than the rate for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Using community-based research methods, I am partnering with the community as a doctoral student to determine important risk factors for preterm birth.
Research Description
Complications due to early birth (preterm) are one of the main causes of death among children under 5 years of age and can have long-lasting impacts on the infant, the mother, and their families. A First Nations community in BC has identified a preterm birth rate in their community that is 3 times higher than the rate for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Using community-based research methods, I am partnering with the community as a doctoral student to determine important risk factors for preterm birth. We will collect qualitative and quantitative data. Using these data sources, we will examine the contribution of key factors that predict preterm birth and assess their potential to inform a community-based intervention. A Research Advisory Committee including Elders, mothers, and health care workers will advise all aspects of the research and knowledge exchange. This research will be community-led from start to finish so that Indigenous women’s perspectives are positioned at the centre of the research. All research will adhere to the First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP). This research will generate knowledge to reduce preterm birth in this First Nations community and potentially other Indigenous communities in Canada and globally.
What does being a Public Scholar mean to you?
I am thrilled to be a public scholar! I am writing this in October 2020, a time when the world has changed in unimaginable ways since I started my PhD in September 2019. Scientists, and especially public health experts, have been brought into the public discourse more than ever before to quickly translate science for immediate policy action. As a public health researcher in training, conducting doctoral research that generates public good feels imperative to me, now more than ever before. Public scholarship is a skill that I wish to hone over the course of my PhD work and throughout my career. Being a public scholar means that I am prioritizing my public scholarship skills as much as my other research skills.
In what ways do you think the PhD experience can be re-imagined with the Public Scholars Initiative?
The Public Scholars Initiative reimagines the role of a PhD student as one who is actively engaged in advancing public good as a part of their PhD, not just after their degree. I am convinced that the ability to work with many other disciplines is critical for effective public scholarship and advancing public good. However, the nature of the PhD experience is that we are immediately siloed into disciplines and sub-disciplines. Apart from social activities, PhD students rarely have a chance to meaningfully engage with other students who may be investigating similar topics, just from different angles. The Public Scholars Initiative instantly breaks those silos open and ensures that PhD students across disciplines are equipped to learn from, and engage with, other students who may have interconnected public scholarship objectives.
How do you envision connecting your PhD work with broader career possibilities?
I hope to continue work in community-based research following my PhD, so my PhD work is directly preparing me for this type of work.
How does your research engage with the larger community and social partners?
The nature of my research is that I am directly partnering with a First Nations community and other social partners to conduct the research. The core principle of my research is that it is community-led and driven.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
A First Nations community asked myself and my colleagues a question about preterm birth during my work prior to the PhD. I felt compelled to answer this question with a more advanced skillset, including more training in epidemiology, biostatistics, qualitative methods, and community-based research. I also felt that having a graduate degree would allow me to contribute more to the public good. I hope that my doctoral training will teach me how to make research more accessible and beneficial to communities, and especially to Indigenous communities, who have questions about how to strengthen their own health.
Why did you choose to come to British Columbia and study at UBC?
The Public Scholars Initiative is one of the reasons I wanted to do a PhD at UBC. I am pursuing a PhD to offer a meaningful and long-lasting contribution to public health in British Columbia and Canada. Given that my research is tied to British Columbia and Vancouver is my current home, UBC’s School of Population and Public Health was exactly where I wanted to study. I also love to explore BC’s beautiful mountains.
As a public health researcher in training, conducting doctoral research that generates public good feels imperative to me, now more than ever before. Public scholarship is a skill that I wish to hone over the course of my PhD work and throughout my career. Being a public scholar means that I am prioritizing my public scholarship skills as much as my other research skills.
