Grant: CIHR-IPPH Trailblazer Award - Early Career Population/Public Health Researcher

I am an Independent Scientist at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and an Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. For over a decade, I have made substantial contributions to address the public health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and 2-spirit (LGBTQ2S) youth experiencing homelessness. I am an internationally recognized leader and only one of a few Canadian researchers studying LGBTQ2S youth homelessness. My program of research focuses on preventing, reducing, and ending LGBTQ2S youth homelessness in Canada and internationally. I am an Early Career Investigator, having achieved a full time, independent position in 2016; yet, my research has led to significant practice and policy reform, and has changed the response to youth homelessness, both nationally and internationally. I have consulted with all levels of government to ensure the delivery of affirming and safe healthcare and social services to the LGBTQ2S population. My research and advocacy led to Canada's first transitional housing program for LGBTQ2S youth, as well as Canada's first provincial strategy addressing LGBTQ2S youth homelessness. Leadership, mentorship, and capacity building are key tenets of my scholarship. I support students in a range of disciplines, including public health, psychiatry, medicine, and social work, demonstrating the interdisciplinary impact of my research. My commitment to evidence-based research and advocacy has led to exceptional contributions in the areas of coherent intersectoral action for population health improvements, scalable population health solutions, and equitable population health impacts. Over the years, my program of research has resulted in solutions to complex population and public health issues, leading to real world change and life-saving programs and policies for some of the most marginalized young people.