Our Research

Due to a number of social, political and economic factors, vulnerable and marginalized populations have inequitable access to the resources needed to address health risks, resulting in poorer health outcomes as compared to the general population. Approximately one-third of researchers in the Faculty of Health work with vulnerable and marginalized populations, focusing areas such as, but not limited to:

• Resilience;
• Indigenous and Aboriginal populations,
• Neonates through to the aging population, from the homeless, to those with disabilities.

Researchers in this area collaborate with:

•  NGOs,
• Government
• Health Authorities - including the NSHA and IWK
  
• Researchers in other Faculties at Dalhousie, and at Universities across Canada and internationally.

Researchers working in this area include:

• Aboriginal Children's Hurt and Healing Initiative
• Centre for Transformative Nursing and Health Research
• Resilience Research Centre
• Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Program
• Healthy Populations Institute
  
• Gender and Health Promotion Studies Unit
• Homeless Hub

Researchers in this area study how the human body functions and moves. Focus areas include, but are not limited to:

• Hearing;
• Vision;
• Neurological function; and
• Musculoskeletal function.

We have over 20 researchers in the Faculty of Health working in these areas, with numerous labs devoted to mobility and/or function. Our researchers in this area are collaborating not only across Dal Health units, but with other Dal Faculties, and with Universities across Canada and internationally.

Researchers working in this area include:

• Behavioural Medicine Laboratory
• Chronic Condition Management Research Group
• Network for End of Life Studies
• School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Clinical Vision Science Research
• Dynamics of Human Motion Lab
• Joint Action Research Lab
  
• Neuromuscular Control in Orthopedics
• Action Lab
• Laboratory for Brain Recovery and Function
• Cognitive and Motor Performance Lab

The World Health Organiziation defines health services as "dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of disease, or the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health" and health policy as the "decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society." One-third of researchers in the Faculty of Health are working closely with the community, government and health decision makers to transform health systems and policy.

Researchers working in this area include:

• WHO Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Planning and Research
• Centre for Transformative Nursing and Health Research
• The Bloom Program - Nova Scotia's Mental Health and Addictions Community Partnership
  

Dal Health researchers in this area work to ensure that  pharmaceutical products are safe, healthy, and prescribed responsibly with a minimum of error; and also look at innovative drug delivery systems and alternative treatment options. While we have a small group of researchers working in this area, they have been highly successful, both in receiving funding and impacting specific conditions such as obesity, cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Researchers working in this area include:

• IMPART - Initiative for Medication Management, Policy Analysis, Research and Training
• Jakeman Research Group

Several Dal Health researchers work in areas that are complementary to the main themes outlines above, such as pedagogy and curriculum research andi nterprofessional evaluation studies.  A growing number of researchers are dedicated to implementation science - the study of methods and strategies to promote health interventions that have proven effective into routine practice.

Researchers working in this area include:

• Healthy Populations Institute
• Centre for Transformative Nursing and Health Research