2021 News

On February 16, 2021, six members of FHS gathered to talk about their experiences in sciences and academia as Black students, faculty, and alumni. This discussion explores the challenges and successes in sciences and academia, and why mentorship and representation matters.

The 2021 Year in Review is now available

We want to wish everyone in the FHS community a safe and happy holiday season!

During their final semesters at SFU, Bachelor of Sciences alumnus Xiran Jay Zhao authored Iron Widow, a now #1 New York Times bestselling sci-fi/fantasy, young adult novel.

A number of new undergraduate students who joined the Faculty of Health Sciences this Fall 2021 semester received scholarships to help them begin their university education.

BC researchers have discovered a method—using only visible light—to treat and safely sterilize the material used to fabricate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Faculty of Health Sciences researcher Amanda Butler's recent study found that people with co-occurring mental health needs and substance use disorders made up 32 per cent of the prison population in 2017, up from 15 per cent in 2009

FHS professors Angela Kaida and Allison Carter are sharing findings of their national study on women living with HIV through a short film, HIV Made Me Fabulous.

Childcare must be prioritized in future pandemic response plans to address gender inequality, quality of care and burnout, according to FHS faculty member Julia Smith who tracked the lived experiences of childcare educators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FHS faculty members - Kiffer Card, Lindsay Hedden, Dawn Hoogeveen, and Angela Kaida - all received awards from Michael Smith Health Research BC this fall

A new study from SFU and UBC found found that young adults feel highly responsible for protecting themselves and others against COVID-19, but are confused by inconsistent public health messaging and ineffective outreach strategies.

Faculty of Health Sciences Bachelor of Arts graduand Simran Lail volunteered with BC Children’s Hospital and later worked as a behavioural interventionist with the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development, working with children diagnosed with autism.

The Graduate Student and Tri-Agency awards support outstanding students pursuing a doctoral or master's degree in a health-related field.

A recent study by Zabrina Brumme and Mark Brockman found that older adults who received two doses of mRNA vaccine to protect against SARS-CoV-2 were found to have weaker immune responses than younger adults.

Leena Parhar, Faculty of Health Sciences student Meghan Dunn, Emily Haugen and SFU alumna Avneet Sandhu created the She Connects mentorship program to support the successful transition of high school girls into adulthood.

Faculty of Health Sciences professor and associate dean of research, Robert Hogg, is now a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

As of August 2021, construction of the FHS Student Commons has completed! Watch this video to see a preview of the new space.

Is it your first time on SFU Campus? We created a walkthrough video to help guide you around Blusson Hall. Find out where the Dean's office, the Undergraduate Advisors, and multiple study spaces are.

Katrina Salvante and Cecilia Kalaw, FHS Research Grant Coordinator and Facilitator respectively, are unsung heroes in assisting the FHS research community.

Meghan Winters’ work was also recognized in 2020 with the prestigious CIHR Trailblazer Award in Population and Public Health Research. Additionally, she is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar.

FHS professors William Hsiao, Mark Brockman, and Zabrina Brumme received grants provided from the Canada Foundation for Innovation's John R. Edwards Leadership Fund to enhance infrastructure and strengthen investigations in their respective labs.

Sharon Kular and Olivia Tomlinson, both SFU health sciences students, have been working as co-op students to support vaccination efforts in the Fraser Health Authority this summer.

FHS professors Ralph Pantophlet and BSc candidate Amrit Tiwana received awards this spring recognizing their contributions to health sciences

FHS professors Travis Salway and Jeremy Snyder are successful recipients of the CIHR SSHRC Insight Grant Competition.

Most children with a mental health disorder are not receiving services to address their needs—according to a new study from researchers at SFU's Children’s Health Policy Centre.

Faculty of Health Sciences assistant professor Lyana Patrick notes her processes for conducting research and creating films contain more parallels than they do differences.

Seven FHS undergraduate students are recipients of the 2021 FHS Undergraduate Awards.

Six FHS graduate students received Convocation Awards during the Spring 2021 celebrations

MSc graduand Marco Zenone has been awarded the 2021 Graduate Dean’s Convocation Medal.

On June 17, 2021, FHS assistant professor Travis Salway moderated a conversation with the 2SLGBTQ+ Roundtable, a community-based health research collaborative. This group of investigators and advocates shared stories of resilience in the 2SLGBTQ+ community during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discussed what cues and calls to action the cisgendered heterosexual majority might consider undertaking to be supportive.

From being a student mentor to the SFSS President, Osob Mohamed has been an essential figure in student-centered support.

Signe MacLennan, FHS Bachelor of Science graduand, has been awarded the 2021 Dean’s Convocation Medal

FHS professor Hasina Samji is co-leading a new pandemic-related study comparing vaccine effectiveness in people living with HIV and those who do not have the condition.

FHS graduands Hanah Damot and JV Flores are working on a project in the City of Surrey to engage newcomer youth with arts-based workshops and road safety.

Since November 2020, MPH alumnus Matt Gill worked as a COVID-19 contact tracer. We spoke to him to learn more about what the job is like, and how he integrates public health expertise.

SFU News sat down with Ralph Pantophlet, the inaugural scientific director for SFU’s CL3 Lab and health sciences professor, to discuss how the new lab is helping in the global fight against COVID-19 and the importance of getting fully vaccinated as soon as it is your turn.

FHS professor Kelley Lee, the Canada Research Chair in Global Health Governance, says the country needs better data and improved decision-making tools in order to apply a risk-based approach to border management and travel restrictions.

On May 18, 2021, six members of the SFU Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) gathered to talk about their experiences in sciences and academia as Asian-identified students, faculty, and alumni. This discussion explores the challenges and successes in sciences and academia, and the importance of one's voice and representation.

Multiple Faculty of Health Sciences researchers and faculty have successfully been awarded CIHR Spring 20201 grants for their projects.

Chloe Goodison is leading NaloxHome, her project consisting of a youth-run team focusing on providing overdose education and naloxone training to secondary students in the Tri-Cities area.

Two Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) staff – Geron Malbas, Communications Assistant, and Bratislav (“Brad”) Mladenovic, Manager, Undergraduate Programs – received accolades for their roles as part of the SFU Welcome Day Revisioning and Implementation Team.

Faculty of Health Science teaching fellow and lecturer Paola Ardiles has been named a Health Campus Community Champion for 2020.

We spoke to two FHS Co-op students about their remote working experience, and how, despite the challenges, they have expanded their skills.

This new study found correlations between increased expressions of autistic-like behaviours in pre-school aged children to gestational exposure to select environmental toxicants, including metals, pesticides, PCBs, phthalates, and BPA.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting the women’s health research of two FHS graduate students: MSc candidate Amanda Yonkman, and PhD candidate Afifa Shahrin.

Jean-Christophe Bélisle-Pipon is the Faculty of Health Sciences’ new Assistant Professor in Health Ethics. / Jean-Christophe Bélisle-Pipon est le nouveau professeur adjoint en éthique de la santé de la Faculté des sciences de la santé.

For their HSCI 855 class, Team Plant the Seed developed a centralized food security and sovereignty initiative at SFU aimed at effectively improving access for all students.

These annual awards recognize the commitment of SFU faculty and staff to sharing their expertise with the larger community through the media and social media, as well as leveraging strategic communications to benefit our community.

FHS professor Susan Erikson received a substantial grant to study the social, political and ethical implications of the rapid introduction of new smartphone technologies in Sierra Leone’s COVID-19 response.

FHS professors Mark Brockman and Zabrina Brumme are co-leading a study with Dr. Marc Romney, the Medical Lead for Microbiology and Virology at Providence Health Care to examine the strength and durability of immune responses in residents and staff of long-term care facilities following COVID-19 vaccination. Study partners include UBC and BC-CfE.

Current overdose prevention efforts aren’t enough to support those most at risk of fatal overdose, people who inject drugs alone, according to a new Simon Fraser University-led study published recently.

For FHS professor Scott Lear, mobilizing knowledge is an integral part of helping people adopt healthier lifestyles, particularly increasing physical activity.

A new study published in The British Medical Journal by researchers including FHS professor Scott Lear found consuming a high number of refined grains is associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular disease, stroke and death.

FHS PhD student Md Rashedul Hoque and professor Hui Xie’s study calls attention to the need for improved strategies to boost antimalarial adherence among patients to increase survival and prevent premature death.

The SHIFT Consulting team, consisting of an MPH student and four alumni, successfully defended their title as North American Champion, and won the bronze medal at the 2020 World Evaluation Case Competition.

FHS professor Maya Gislason has received a MSFHR 2020 Scholar Award to help her research the effects of climate change on children’s health.

Challis has illuminated the role of fetal development in onset of disease, advocated for enhanced collaboration and funding in health sciences research and mentored generations of researchers and contributors.

FHS professor Travis Salway and his collaborators surveyed and interviewed over 9,000 LGBTQ2+ individuals, finding 1 in 10 had experienced so-called “conversion therapy”. The team is using their data to advocate for legislation, education, and supports to address ongoing conversion therapy in Canada.