Natalie Doan
PHD STUDENT, PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES
Uncovering dimensions of health inequity
HEALTH
Natalie Doan
PHD STUDENT, PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES
Uncovering dimensions of health inequity
For doctoral student Natalie Doan, the most fascinating research topic is the kind she can see playing out in her life and the world around her.
That deep curiosity and drive to make real-world connections has guided her on a unique path of graduate studies at Waterloo, first through a Master of Science in Public Health Sciences and now on her journey to a PhD.
From conducting public health research for the federal government to volunteering with organizations on eating disorder awareness to advocating for other students, Natalie has taken her learning far beyond the traditional graduate thesis. In the process, she has expanded her understanding of public health issues and society at large.
From lived experience to data-driven research
Now in her fourth year of doctoral studies in Public Health Sciences, Natalie is working on a thesis project that examines systemic and structural barriers that prevent adults in Canada from eating well.
Using an intersectional approach, her study analyzes large datasets to identify how multiple aspects of a person’s socioeconomic position, including income, education, race/ethnicity and other social locations, combine to shape how they eat.
A major inspiration for the research is Natalie’s parents — specifically, their journeys as Vietnamese refugees who fled separately by boat during the war. She says they lived vastly different experiences due to socioeconomic factors, such as their age, gender and education, that impacted their opportunities to learn English, pursue higher education and find employment.
In the context of Natalie’s research, her parents’ experiences highlighted to her the importance of using an intersectional lens to understand the combination of factors at play in determining a person’s health.
“Everyone is privileged and disadvantaged in so many different ways. And it doesn’t really make sense to view people as singly disadvantaged or advantaged,” she says. “So I wanted to do research that would build on that nuance.”
Fundamentally interdisciplinary, her research is co-supervised by Dr. Martin Cooke, an associate professor jointly appointed to the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies and the School of Public Health Sciences, and Dr. Dana Lee Olstad, an associate professor and dietitian in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary.
Ideally, the findings of her work will help researchers better understand how individuals’ social identities and positions impact their nutrition. That knowledge could contribute to more equitable health promotion and disease prevention strategies.
Learning on the job
Natalie credits an experiential learning opportunity during her undergrad with introducing her to the field of public health in the first place — and launching her down the path she’s on now.
That chance encounter during an undergraduate research fellowship inspired her to pursue public health at the graduate level, and to seek out more opportunities for work integrated learning (WIL) at Waterloo, which included completing the Professional Skills Foundations program.
“In terms of work integrated learning, it’s something I really prioritize. I didn’t want to graduate and have only worked on my thesis. I also wanted to experience what it’s like working in a field that interests me,” she says.
During her master’s, Natalie did a four-month practicum with Public Health Ontario where she worked on a project related to the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide. The study had her “slicing dietary data in novel ways” to model the proportions of what Canadians eat in relation to the recommended plate.
Now, during her PhD, she works for the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Federal Student Work Experience Program, or FSWEP. The role channels her interests in health promotion and chronic disease prevention to look at the connections between green space, physical activity and mental health.
Just like during her master’s, the WIL experience is an opportunity to network with other professionals in her field and dive into learning opportunities that complement her doctoral research.
Finding purpose and belonging, on and off campus
Rounding out Natalie’s professional and research experiences, community outreach has been a critical component of graduate studies — and a valuable way to build social connection.
She says volunteer roles with community organizations, including the National Eating Disorders Information Centre (NEDIC) and Waterloo-Wellington Eating Disorders Coalition (WWEDC), “added a lot of meaning to my work, especially during COVID when I wanted to continue to feel integrated and connected with the world at large.”
Getting involved as Vice-President Advocacy for the Graduate Student Association (GSA) also brought a sense of belonging and purpose during the transition to in-person studies.
In pushing for greater equity around student housing, labour and policy initiatives, her GSA role is yet another way in which Natalie has used her time, energy and talents — and applied her learning — to both understand and improve the world around her.
From lived experience to data-driven research
Now in her fourth year of doctoral studies in Public Health Sciences, Natalie is working on a thesis project that examines systemic and structural barriers that prevent adults in Canada from eating well.
Using an intersectional approach, her study analyzes large datasets to identify how multiple aspects of a person’s socioeconomic position, including income, education, race/ethnicity and other social locations, combine to shape how they eat.
A major inspiration for the research is Natalie’s parents — specifically, their journeys as Vietnamese refugees who fled separately by boat during the war. She says they lived vastly different experiences due to socioeconomic factors, such as their age, gender and education, that impacted their opportunities to learn English, pursue higher education and find employment.
In the context of Natalie’s research, her parents’ experiences highlighted to her the importance of using an intersectional lens to understand the combination of factors at play in determining a person’s health.
“Everyone is privileged and disadvantaged in so many different ways. And it doesn’t really make sense to view people as singly disadvantaged or advantaged,” she says. “So I wanted to do research that would build on that nuance.”
Fundamentally interdisciplinary, her research is co-supervised by Dr. Martin Cooke, an associate professor jointly appointed to the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies and the School of Public Health Sciences, and Dr. Dana Lee Olstad, an associate professor and dietitian in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary.
Ideally, the findings of her work will help researchers better understand how individuals’ social identities and positions impact their nutrition. That knowledge could contribute to more equitable health promotion and disease prevention strategies.
Learning on the job
Natalie credits an experiential learning opportunity during her undergrad with introducing her to the field of public health in the first place — and launching her down the path she’s on now.
That chance encounter during an undergraduate research fellowship inspired her to pursue public health at the graduate level, and to seek out more opportunities for work integrated learning (WIL) at Waterloo, which included completing the Professional Skills Foundations program.
“In terms of work integrated learning, it’s something I really prioritize. I didn’t want to graduate and have only worked on my thesis. I also wanted to experience what it’s like working in a field that interests me,” she says.
During her master’s, Natalie did a four-month practicum with Public Health Ontario where she worked on a project related to the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide. The study had her “slicing dietary data in novel ways” to model the proportions of what Canadians eat in relation to the recommended plate.
Now, during her PhD, she works for the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Federal Student Work Experience Program, or FSWEP. The role channels her interests in health promotion and chronic disease prevention to look at the connections between green space, physical activity and mental health.
Just like during her master’s, the WIL experience is an opportunity to network with other professionals in her field and dive into learning opportunities that complement her doctoral research.
Finding purpose and belonging, on and off campus
Rounding out Natalie’s professional and research experiences, community outreach has been a critical component of graduate studies — and a valuable way to build social connection.
She says volunteer roles with community organizations, including the National Eating Disorders Information Centre (NEDIC) and Waterloo-Wellington Eating Disorders Coalition (WWEDC), “added a lot of meaning to my work, especially during COVID when I wanted to continue to feel integrated and connected with the world at large.”
Getting involved as Vice-President Advocacy for the Graduate Student Association (GSA) also brought a sense of belonging and purpose during the transition to in-person studies.
In pushing for greater equity around student housing, labour and policy initiatives, her GSA role is yet another way in which Natalie has used her time, energy and talents — and applied her learning — to both understand and improve the world around her.