The School of Rural and Northern Health, Laurentian University
Director, Dr. Nancy Lightfoot
… helping to build a strong and healthy future for rural and northern communities through interdisciplinary research and education.
The School of Rural and Northern Health is housed in the Faculty of Professional Schools at Laurentian University.
Faculty in the School include: Nancy Lightfoot, PhD, Raymond Pong, PhD, Elizabeth Wenghofer, PhD, and Nancy Young, PhD. They have backgrounds in the disciplines of: clinical and population-based epidemiology; health administration; health policy; health services; and sociology. These faculty members conduct well established and highly regarded applied health and academic research of direct benefit for rural and northern communities. Some of the areas in which they conduct research include: health services and policy; Aboriginal health; cancer epidemiology; children’s health; chronic and infectious disease; population health; Francophone health; mental health; the health workforce and other aspects of occupational and environmental health; and program evaluation.
The School houses the innovative Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Rural and Northern Health. This PhD program has many unique features, and there is ample opportunity for frequent and regular interaction with faculty for both applied health research and academic pursuits. The PhD program engages university faculty from the Schools of Human Kinetics, Medicine, Midwifery, Nursing, and Social Work, and also draws upon experience from Social Sciences and Humanities, School of Native Human Services and Science and Engineering. Community partners play an essential role in providing opportunities and expertise for members of this program.
The School is designed: to enhance both the quality and quantity of research focused on rural and northern health; to train students to become high quality professionals in health research; to promote the development of a critical mass of health research expertise in the north; and to facilitate linkage between the university and community health organizations.
Please consider joining us in this excellent academic environment to contribute to northern and rural health, its determinants and outcomes. The quality of academic life will be memorable!