The EMERGE Research Team

Principal Investigator

Roman Pabayo, PhD

Principal Investigator

Canada Research Chair (Tier II)

Dr. Pabayo is an Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Public Health at The University of Alberta's School of Public Health. He is also a Canada Research Chair, Tier II, in Social and Health Inequities Throughout the Lifespan. As the principal investigator of the EMERGE Lab, Dr. Pabayo’s research focuses on how contextual factors of our social and economic environments influence various aspects of our health.

Training:

PhD Public Health Epidemiology, University of Montreal, 2010
MSc Nutrition Epidemiology, McGill University, 2003
BASc Human Nutrition, Ryerson University, 2001
BSc Honours Biochemistry, McMaster University, 1997

Email: pabayo@ualberta.ca

Online: University of Alberta Page

Current Trainees

Stephen Hunter, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Stephen's research interests include the ecological correlates and determinants of health and health behaviour across the lifespan. Stephen's PhD research focused on identifying supportive neighbourhood features for physical activity in young families, school-aged children, and adolescents.

Training:

PhD Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, 2022
MSc Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, 2016
BA Sport, Health, and Physical Education, Vancouver Island University

Email: stephen1@ualberta.ca

Jason Were, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Jason is a postdoctoral follow whose area of research includes nutrition transition, social determinants of health, and global health. Jason's PhD focused on exploring the mechanisms through which sociodemographic factors influence the epidemiology of the double burden of malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Training:

PhD Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
Western University, Canada
MSc Geography (Global Health Systems in Africa), Western University, Canada
MMASc (Global Health Systems in Africa), Western University, Canada
BSc Biology, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

Email: were@ualberta.ca

Mohamed Mohamed, BA

MSc Student

Mohamed is pursuing his MSc in Epidemiology with the EMERGE Lab. His research interests concern the social determinants of health, particularly the impact of race and class in health disparities among communities.

Training:

BA Sociology,
MacEwan University, 2019

Email: mmohame3@ualberta.ca

Amy Crandall, BHSc (Hons.)

MSc Student

Amy is pursuing her MSc in Epidemiology with the EMERGE Lab. She is interested in researching the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care accessibility and quality for those living with chronic diseases.

Training:

BHSc (Hons.) in Biomedical Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 2023

Email: abcranda@ualberta.ca

Maria Wong, BA

MSc Student

Maria Wong is an MSc Epidemiology student with the EMERGE lab. Maria is interested in researching the social determinants of health as this interest comes from working in emergency shelters and advocating for basic income. Currently, Maria's research interests are on interventions that mitigate life-threatening harms of mental unwellness and substance-use.

Training:

BA Health and Community Services, University of Victoria

Email: maria9@ualberta.ca

Kaelan Findlay, BKin

MSc Student

Kaelan is a first year MSc in Epidemiology student with the EMERGE Lab. Kalean’s primary research interest is in social epidemiology and the social determinants of health, particularly in the impact of income inequality within communities.

Training:

Bachelors of Science Kinesiology, University of Alberta, 2022

Email: kaelan@ualberta.ca

Kesia Muthuthotatil, BA

MSc Student

Kesia Muthuthotatil is an MSc Epidemiology student with the EMERGE lab. She is interested in exploring the impact of social determinants of health on maternal and child well-being.

Training:

BA Criminology, University of Alberta, 2023

Email: muthutho@ualberta.ca

Zack Perala, BKin

MSc Student

Zack Perala is pursuing his MSc in Epidemiology with the EMERGE Lab. His research interests concern the social determinants of health. Specifically, he is interested in the relationship between income inequality and adolescent behavioural outcomes

Training:

Bachelor of Science Kinesiology, University of Alberta, 2022

Email: zperala@ualberta.ca

Xinyue "Ashley" Chen, MSPH

PhD Student

Xinyue is a PhD student in the EMERGE lab with a focus on social determinants of health, risk factors for non-communicable disease management, and program evaluation. Xinyue has previously worked on evaluating barriers to bed net use in low malaria transmission settings in southern Africa.

Training:

MSPH Global Disease Epidemiology and Control

Johns Hopkins University, 2024

BSc Global Health/Public Policy + BA Interdisciplinary Studies

Duke Kunshan University + Duke University (Dual-degree), 2022

Email: xc35@ualberta.ca

Jarod Benoit, BSc

MSc Student

Jarod is pursuing his MSc in Epidemiology with the EMERGE Lab. His research interests broadly encompass the social determinants of health outcomes through an epidemiological lens.

Training:

Bachelor of Science in Psychology,

MacEwan University, 2024

Email: jnbenoit@ualberta.ca

Research Staff

Derek Akateh, MD, MSc, MPH

Research Assistant

Derek is a research assistant with the EMERGE research lab. Derek's research interest includes social and surveillance epidemiology; addressing maternal and child health, adolescent reproductive health, infectious diseases, and health inequities. His MSc research examined the effect of income inequality on contraceptive non-use among Canadian youth using linked survey and census data under the supervision of Dr. Roman Pabayo. Currently, he supports the lab by assisting in various research projects including data collection, analysis, and scientific writing.

Training:

MD, University of Buea, Cameroon, 2012
MPH (Reproductive and Family Health), University of Addis Ababa, 2017
MSc Epidemiology, University of Alberta, 2024.

Email: akateh@ualberta.ca

Previous Trainees and Research Staff

Previous MSc and PhD Trainees

Derek Akateh - MSc, 2024

Income inequality and contraceptive non-use among youths in Canada, 2015-2016

Luc Sauze - MSc, 2024

The association between income inequality and body mass index among Canadian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal analysis

Brian Steele - MSc, 2024

Priya Patel - MSc, 2023

Exploring the association between income inequality and sleep in Canadian teens

Jo Lin Chew - MSc, 2023

Public health unit funding per capita and seasonal influenza vaccination among youth and adult in Ontario, Canada in 2013/14 and 2018/19

Urvi Rai - MSc, 2023

Association between public health unit engagement in secondary school and per capita public health spending and adolescent substance use

Claire Benny - PhD, 2023

Investigating the association between income inequality and mental health and deaths of despair in Canadian Youth

Gregory Farmer - MSc, 2021

Neighbourhood income inequality and internalizing and externalizing problems at
3-years of age

Sammy Lowe - MSc, 2021

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Relationship between Neighbourhood Income Inequality and Maternal Mental Health in Calgary, Alberta

Previous Research Staff

Jo Lin Chew - MSc, 2023

Urvi Rai - MSc, 2023

Project investigating public health unit engagement and substance use in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; provided support for the OPHID database.

Alex Loverock - PhD 2023

Project investigating the influence of mental health conditions on income inequality and deaths of despair

Sammy Lowe - MSc, 2021

Provided analytical, writing, and administrative support for various EMERGE projects and research activities

Edwina Veerasingram - MSc, 2021

Sujan Basnet - MPH, 2021

Project exploring the link between income inequality and alcohol consumption using data from the COMPASS study