Jasmin Bhawra

I am a population health researcher and evaluator leading interdisciplinary digital health research. As Director of the CHANGE Research Lab, I use mixed methods and a citizen science approach to conduct research which prioritizes disadvantaged populations in Canada, including BIPOC communities. A key component of my research is the partnership with community partners to co-conceptualize program and policy solutions to complex health problems.

From a global health perspective, I partner with research leaders across low, middle, and high-income countries to advance child and youth by taking a health equity lens to active living, nutrition, and chronic disease prevention. As a country leader with the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, I design and develop the India Report Cards on Physical Activity for Children and Youth to translate knowledge across 57 countries. Apart from my research, I am the Co- Founder of a research and advocacy organization – Active Healthy Kids India – which promotes active living and nutrition among children and youth in India. My work with global health partners, public health units, governmental, and non-profit organizations focuses on advancing health and social equity.

I hold a BSc Honours degree from the University of Toronto, and completed my MSc and PhD in Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. In 2019, I was awarded the CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health to develop a province-wide evaluation to improve efficiency within the healthcare system. In 2021, I was the recipient of a CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Saskatchewan, where I led research on climate change impacts on the health of communities in northern Canada.