Name: Basia Pakula
Graduate Program: PhD
Awards: CIHR Institute of Gender and Health Skills Development Award (2013), CIHR Doctoral Research Award (2012), Killam Doctoral Fellowship (2011), UBC 4-Year Doctoral Fellowship (2010)
For Basia Pakula, health inequality amongst gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals is her primary research concentration. While completing her PhD at the School of Population and Public Health, she had several opportunities to work with various organizations in attempt to examine disparities in the mental health of LGBT individuals. Her dissertation specifically focuses on relationship between mental health and substance use with sex, gender, and sexual orientation within the Canadian LGB community.
“The SPPH program offered a series of foundational courses in epidemiological methods, as well as numerous topic-specific courses in public health, which is why it was a great fit for me.”
During her studies at SPPH, Basia was offered an influential learning experience with the Summer Institute in LGBT Population Health at Fenway Health in Boston. During the month long training program led by expert researchers in LGBT population health, she worked on a research project examining socioeconomic and demographic gradients in depressive symptoms among men who have sex with men.
“I’d like to continue to pursue some of these research interests after graduation, with a focus on policies and interventions for addressing health disparities.”