Christopher Buse

Assistant Professor

Health Sciences

Christopher Buse

Assistant Professor

Health Sciences

Areas of interest

Environmental Health; Planetary Health; Health Impacts of Climate Change; Ecosystem Approaches to Health (Ecohealth); Ecological Determinants of Health; Health Equity; Health Impact Assessment; Cumulative Impacts of Resource Extraction; Mixed-Methods Research; Public Health Policy; Knowledge Synthesis

Biography

Dr. Chris Buse joined the Faculty of Health Sciences in September 2022 as an Assistant Professor with a focus on Environmental Health Inequities. His background in public health, sociology and public policy position him as an effective interdisciplinary researcher on a range of planetary health issues. He led the implementation of some of Canada’s first comprehensive climate change and health vulnerability assessments in collaboration with applied public health practitioners, and has worked to influence environmental policy at the local, provincial and national level to promote human health and well-being. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Buse held numerous competitive awards and high-profile research positions, including as Senior Research Scientist and CIHR-funded Postdoctoral Fellow with the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Environmental Assessment Research, and MSFHR Postdoctoral Fellow and Inaugural Lead Researcher for the University of Northern British Columbia’s Cumulative Impacts Research Consortium.

Research interests

Dr. Buse’s research operates at the interface of the social and ecological determinants of health, aiming to redress the differential and often avoidable exposures to the ill-health effects of environmental changes which are worsened by systemic forms of socioeconomic marginalization and oppression. His research program is underpinned by a focus on environmental health justice, and is animated by two inter-related areas of interest: [1] the impact of climate change on health equity and the public health response; and [2] the health impacts of natural resource development. Each of these research areas include a strong focus on impact assessment methods that account for and integrate the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. As a mixed-methods researcher who develops cutting-edge integrative research techniques to enhance health impact assessment, Dr. Buse has keen interest in inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to research and community engagement. Dr. Buse works with applied knowledge users to ensure he is asking the right questions so that his research can bolster public health policy, promote planetary health, and equip decision-makers with novel evidence and tools to respond to the world’s most pressing sustainability and equity challenges.

Teaching interests

Interdisciplinarity and applied learning form the foundation of Dr. Buse’s pedagogical approach. His teaching seeks to: [1] transcend disciplinary understandings of public health research and practice by unifying diverse fields of inquiry, and [2] connect students to applied learning opportunities that are linked to on-the-ground capacity and knowledge needs. Dr. Buse brings focus to environmental health, health promotion, the social and ecological determinants of health, and public health policy in all of his teaching endeavours.

Publications

View Dr. Buse’s publication record here