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Our Research

Going from strength to strength

The Faculty of Health is home to the largest number of health professions programs at a Canadian University. With 11 masters-level research programs and two doctoral-level research training programs (PhD in Health and PhD in Nursing), there is significant opportunity for senior students and faculty to engage in a broad range of research scholarship.

Ninety percent of our research falls within three main themes:

  • Health in vulnerable and marginalized populations
  • Physical function and mobility in health
  • Health services/policy and transformation

As part of our Faculty strategic plan, we are actively working to identify areas of overlap and to find opportunities for multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary or interprofessional collaboration.

Learn more about our research areas:

Health in vulnerable and marginalized populations

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 HÂþ»­, and at Universities across Canada and internationally.

Researchers working in this area include:

Physical function and mobility in health

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:

 

Health services and policy transformation

The World Health Organiziation defines health services and health policy as the " 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:

Pharmaceutical development

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:

Complementary subjects

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: