Research

The Department of Health Studies and Gerontology is at the forefront of challenging the incidence of disease in our society by contributing to the development of effective intervention and prevention strategies that ultimately will lead to an improved quality of life for individuals and communities.

Professors with backgrounds in biology, biostatistics, health, epidemiology, gerontology, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, physiology, psychology and sociology focus their research development, teaching and community outreach initiatives on health promotion, disease prevention and the optimal delivery of health services. These activities involve studying the causation, prevention and management of major health problems and the development and evaluation of health programs. A special emphasis is placed on the study of modifiable biological, behavioural and sociocultural factors which influence health status and aging and on the development of interdisciplinary research methodology involving statistics, research design, epidemiology, health risk assessment and program evaluation.

The incorporation of the biological perspective and the emphasis on methodology are features that distinguish the department from other health promotion/education programs in Canada.