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About us
We are a multi-disciplinary research team located at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. Our research focuses on developing equity-centred, low-barrier, and non-judgemental health and wellness interventions by and for the communities we serve.
We embrace a public health approach that champions health equity, social justice and evidence-informed decision-making, including health promotion, prevention and harm reduction strategies.
Our key areas of focus are occupational health and wellness, mental health and substance use, and the social determinants of health.
Our Team
Program Lead
Cecilia Benoit, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS
Dr. Cecilia Benoit (she/her) is a Scientist at the Canadian Institute of Substance Use Research and Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of Victoria. She currently is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and recipient of the Killam Prize (2020), CIHR Senior Trailblazer Award in Population and Public Health Research (2020), Molson Prize (2022) and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s R.D. Defries Award (2023). Her research focuses on social equity in health, health care and work for those who are disadvantaged and treated unfairly in Canadian society, including midwives; birthing persons and their families desiring a healthy experience of pregnancy and childbirth; street-involved youth in transition to adulthood; pregnant persons dealing with substance use, poverty and other life challenges; and adults who sell sexual services.
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Post-doctoral fellow
Andrea Mellor, PhD
Dr. Andrea Mellor (she/her) is a cis woman of Chinese and British ancestry, born and raised a Treaty 7 person in Southern Alberta, Canada. She is a Banting Post-Doctoral Fellow, Health Research BC Research Trainee, Research Associate with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria. Her research focuses on co-designed health interventions that increase access to care services and enrich social belonging and cultural continuity for under resourced populations.
Doctoral Student
Ali Barnett, MA
Ali Barnett (she/her) is a comic maker, poet, and current PhD student in the Social Dimensions of Health at the University of Victoria. Her doctoral research will explore the healthcare experiences of sex workers living with disabilities. She currently works at Peers Victoria Resources Society as a drop-in worker and member of the Peers Education, Advocacy, and Media team. Her experiences of sex work and disability inform her drive to develop skills that will enable her to be a strong advocate for sex worker rights and disability justice. She is a strong believer in the power of community-led arts-based research.
Masters Student
Patricha Ottsen, BA
Patricha Jeppe Ottsen (she/her) is an international development practitioner and graduate student pursuing an M.A. in Social Dimensions of Health at the University of Victoria. Originally from Denmark, she has over a decade of experience advancing women’s rights and has co-led the development of grassroots initiatives in India, Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Greenland. Patricha currently serves as the lead consultant on projects addressing peri-natal care in India and gender-based violence in Bangladesh.
As a recipient of the Guiding Interdisciplinary Research on Women’s and Girls’ Health and Wellbeing award and co-recipient of a CIHR Planning and Dissemination grant Patricha’s research focuses on sexual and reproductive health in India, with a particular emphasis on addressing menstrual stigma and improving maternal healthcare. Learn more here.
Our Partners
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