Congratulations to Dr. Liv Yoon (PI) in the School of Kinesiology for her successful CIHR Catalyst Grant: Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) Report application.
Dr. Yoon and team were awarded $125,000 for their 1-year project titled An Intersectoral and Community-based Participatory Research Approach to Transforming Protection for Priority Populations from Extreme Temperatures. The team includes various community partners across the metro Vancouver area; co-applicants, Drs. Chris Buse (SFU), Eun-Young Lee (Queen’s), Jeff Masuda (UVic); and knowledge users, Drs. Michael Schwandt (Vancouver Coastal Health), Emily Newhouse (Fraser Health Authority), Sarah Henderson (BC Centre for Disease Control) and Jonathan Carroll (BC Ministry of Health).
The aim of this trans-sectoral community-based participatory research is to explore priority populations’ experiences in accessing public extreme temperature shelters and services, which are currently underutilized in metro Vancouver – specifically in order to 1) improve access to and uptake of existing services and resources, and; 2) seek creative and transformative alternatives that can protect people facing highest risk from extreme temperatures. Recognizing that focusing on public shelters is necessary but insufficient in mitigating the uneven impacts, the project navigates the tension between ‘troubleshooting a status quo’ and ‘expanding the scope of what’s possible’ – particularly considering the nexus of the housing crisis and the climate crisis. This project will be carried out together with community partner organizations, which will help amplify existing community knowledge and allow for more effective implementation of community-driven solutions.