Master's of Public Health Program Stream

Scientific Lead: Dr. Kate Mulligan 

Project Description:  

Malton is a diverse community with significant strengths, including faith-based and cultural organizations, community centres, and a culture of participation. The community also faces significant health disparities, including high diabetes rates. Social Prescribing, which connects individuals to community-based resources and supports, is a promising approach to address these disparities  

This project aims to improve diabetes-related health outcomes and experiences in the Malton community through social prescribing (SP). We will bring together local organizations in governance, health and social services sectors, along with people with lived and living experience and expertise, to build relationships and identify local resources and gaps in services for people impacted by diabetes (living with diabetes, at risk of diabetes, or caring for someone with diabetes). The project will inform the future (Fall 2025) co-design of an SP implementation, evaluation and sustainability plan for people impacted by diabetes in Malton.   

The student will support the research team to:   

May-June 2025   

1. Collect Initial Data: Beginning with existing data sources, such as administrative data and community surveys, gather information on the impacts of diabetes, health outcomes, existing supports and services, and social determinants of health in the Malton community.   

2. Submit Research Ethics Board (REB) Application: Ensure timely and comprehensive REB application submission for asset mapping, needs assessment, and future research stages.   

3. Prepare Workshops: Work with local partners to identify relevant stakeholder participants, prepare background materials and agenda, and plan logistics and outreach for asset mapping and needs assessment workshops.   

July/August 2025   

4. Map Community Assets and Needs: Hold one or two 3-hour in-person partner and stakeholder workshops to create an asset map of community-based resources, including social services, recreational facilities, cultural organizations, and health care providers, that can be leveraged to support individuals with diabetes, and to identify any areas of significant need.   

5. Mobilize knowledge: Prepare and deliver communications materials and activities for community, professional, and scientific audiences.   

6. Plan next stages: Support planning for social prescribing intervention and evaluation codesign phases (Fall 2025).   

Other tasks and responsibilities: 

• Meet regularly with postdoctoral fellow and PI   
• Attend special meetings and events with PI, as arising 

Open to MPH Health Promotion, MPH Epidemiology, and MPH Black Health students.

Scientific Lead: Dr. Lisa McCarthy 

Project Description:  

Overview: Over 30% of older adults living in Ontario’s long-term care homes have diabetes; >50% of these residents are treated to intensive glycemic targets, counter to current guideline recommendations. Through this opportunity, you will join the DIAL study team to help close this evidence to care gap.   

DIAL aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a diabetes management intervention in partnership with residents, caregivers, LTC team members and healthcare providers. We seek to improve care for residents with diabetes while respecting their dignity and choices, and to optimize the use of health system resources.   

Objectives: To (i) implement and evaluate the feasibility of a tailored, practical intervention to reduce overtreatment of diabetes in LTC in partnership with one LTC home; and (ii) scale-up the refined intervention and evaluate its efficacy.   

Design: Phase 1: conduct a series of rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to refine and evaluate the feasibility of the intervention with the LTC within one unit. Phase 2: Scale up the refined intervention across the entire LTC home and conduct a preliminary evaluation of its efficacy in addressing diabetes overtreatment.   

Analysis: Both quantitative and qualitative analyses will be applied to the study data. For quantitative, descriptive statistics will be used to summarize survey responses (assessing acceptability, practicality and integration of the intervention) and diabetes treatment outcome data. For qualitative, both inductive and deductive analytic approaches will be applied to the interview data conducted with LTC staff to understand their experiences with the intervention. The deductive approach will apply constructs from implementation science frameworks as pre-defined codes.  

Student tasks and responsibilities will include:   

• Contribute to data collection (liaise with research participants, conduct interviews), data cleaning, and analysis   
• Draft research reports, posters, manuscripts as assigned with opportunities to contribute to other knowledge mobilization activities (e.g., social media, deprescribing.org blog, presentations)   
• Present their work as part of regular investigator team meetings and meetings with key interest groups 

Open to MPH Health Promotion and MPH Epidemiology students.

Primary Supervisor: Sylvie Atwill 

Project Description:  

This project explores how children and youth in Peel Region experience feelings of belonging through physical activity.   

Project activities take place in the Mississauga Valleys neighbourhood of Peel Region. Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, the project has three phases: (1) Developing a Community Advisory Board; (2) Using photovoice methodology to understand students’ experiences of belonging related to physical activity; and, (3) Engaging the community in a knowledge mobilization event to generate actionable ideas to promote belonging through physical activity. Photovoice is a qualitative arts-based participatory method, combining photo images with narratives to contextualize individual experiences. Quantitative survey data will be collected throughout and inform the co-design process that will be central throughout all activities.   

The student will be involved in tasks during phase 3 and the development of the knowledge products (i.e., photovoice exhibit, data analysis, community reports). Previous experience in the Photovoice method is not required; we are looking for a student who is eager to come alongside us and learn. Photovoice data and the quantitative evaluation survey results will inform future community physical activity interventions that can be co-designed, implemented and evaluated during subsequent phases of the work. 

Students will be involved in: 

• Data analysis and interpretation (qualitative and quantitative)   
• Manuscript Preparation   
• Assisting with grant application writing   
• Assisting with Literature Reviews including academic and grey literature   
• Assisting with preparation of community reports and knowledge products   
• Assisting with results dissemination/knowledge translation/mobilization (community KTE event) 

Open to MPH Health Promotion, MPH Epidemiology, and MPH Black Health students.

Scientific Lead: Dr. Laura Rosella 

Project Description:  

Individuals with diabetes are at higher risk of mortality compared to the general population. Multimorbidity in those with Type 2 diabetes, in addition to age at diagnosis, poor lipid control, history of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are well known risk factors that increase mortality risk. Understanding how equity factors and upstream health determinants, such as socioeconomic and immigrant status, impacts mortality risks among the diabetes population is important for identifying inequities and informing diabetes management and health services needs.   

The Premature Mortality Population Risk Tool (PreMPoRT) is a validated model that estimates the 5-year incidence of premature mortality (death prior to age 75) at the population-level using routinely collected population-based survey data. This quantitative study will estimate future premature mortality incidence among persons with Type 2 diabetes by health equity factors in Peel Region using the PreMPoRT model and population level survey data (i.e., Canadian Community Health Survey). The study will also model premature mortality intervention scenarios to examine the impact of population and targeted interventions on premature mortality risk for persons with Type 2 diabetes. 

Student tasks and responsibilities: 

• Conduct relevant literature reviews  
• Conduct quantitative statistical analyses according to the analysis plan  
• Synthesize and position results   
• Lead a draft manuscript/report   
• Present to the project team and stakeholders 

Open to MPH Epidemiology students.

Scientific Lead: Dr. Ghazal Fazli 

Project Description:  

The prevalence of diabetes (T2D) in Peel Region is notably higher than the provincial average, with some communities reaching up to 20% compared to 10% for Ontario. Identifying high-risk populations early is critical to delay onset and progression of diabetes, and future cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature mortality. A substantial body of evidence shows that prediabetes is a major risk factor for CVD and all-cause mortality. In particular, these associations are amplified in the presence of socioeconomic disadvantages for equity-seeking populations living in Peel Region. Hence, the combined effects of cardiometabolic and socioeconomic disadvantages on CVD and all-cause mortality remains unknown. This study will use population-based administrative data for Peel Region to examine the impact of individual and combined cardiometabolic risk factors such as prediabetes, socioeconomic disadvantages and the environment on CVD risk and all-cause mortality; and investigate whether these relationships vary by population characteristics (age group, gender, socioeconomic status, immigration status, and racial/ethnic origin). This research will set the stage for identifying and co-developing equity-informed and tailored policy solutions for CVD prevention for equity-seeking populations. 

Student tasks and responsibilities: 

• Conduct literature reviews on current evidence for the topic  

• Assist in developing research questions, hypotheses, and objectives  

• Support the analyses and interpretation of the findings  

• Prepare presentations for team and internal/external partners  

• Prepare manuscript for peer-reviewed publication  

Open to MPH Epidemiology students.