“I am passionate about client-centered, trauma-informed care”

Katie, from Miramichi, New Brunswick, is a born changemaker.

She wants health policy to be evaluated more effectively. “I want to learn more about how we can exchange knowledge and strategies to influence public health decision making at local, national and global levels,” says Katie, who’s now in her first year of the Doctorate of Public Health (DrPH) program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at U of T.

Katie earned a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership and a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of New Brunswick, then a Master of Public Health from the University of Victoria. U of T was the obvious choice for her next step because of its vast network and unique programming. “U of T is the only university in Canada that offers the Doctorate of Public Health,” she says. “The program resonated with me because of its commitment to nurturing real-world leaders in health.”

Her research interests include social justice and health care as a human right. “I am passionate about client-centered, trauma-informed care,” she says. “My ultimate goal is to utilize the skills, knowledge and networks acquired in this program to lead evidence-based interventions, influence health policies and contribute to addressing public health challenges.”

Taking on a doctorate is daunting enough, but Katie was faced with the additional challenge of balancing her studies with her work (she manages a service coordination and clinical team in First Nation communities). The Naylor Fellowship gave her the ability to focus. “This award meant my biggest stressor this year was work-school-life balance and not the financial worries of how to cover my costs,” she says. “There are also some constraints in accessing funding for this very new program, so being chosen for this scholarship was further validation that this was where I was meant to be and what I was meant to be doing.”

Read more about the 2024 Naylor Fellows working toward a more equitable future