UWaterloo School of Public Health Sciences

Jessica Russell is a PhD candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences' Health, Aging, and Wellbeing program, working under the supervision of Dr. Carrie McAiney.

Her dissertation explores how adaptive and participatory research approaches can support the meaningful inclusion of people living with advanced dementia. Building on findings from her MSc research, Jessica aims to address barriers related to communication, consent, and accessibility that often prevent people living with advanced dementia from participating in research that directly affects their lives. Through co-designing flexible and accessible research methods with individuals who have lived experience, her work seeks to promote more inclusive and equitable dementia research.

Jessica credits the School of Public Health Sciences for providing a supportive environment that has helped her grow as a researcher. She particularly values the school's strong sense of community, student involvement, and opportunities to connect through initiatives such as the Research and Practice in Health Sciences Conference and the Symposium on Aging Research.

Read more about Jessica’s research: https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/jessica-russell

Meet Jessica Russell, a PhD candidate in Public Health Sciences (Health, Aging, and Wellbeing) supervised by Dr. Carrie McAiney.

Jessica’s research focuses on improving the inclusion of people living with advanced dementia in research. Inspired by challenges she encountered during her MSc, she is exploring adaptive and participatory approaches that help ensure people living with advanced dementia can share their experiences, preferences, and perspectives in ways that are meaningful and accessible.

Jessica says one of the most rewarding parts of her time at SPHS has been the strong sense of community and opportunities to connect through student-led initiatives, conferences, and research events. She is continually inspired by the diverse and impactful work happening across the school.

Learn more about Jessica’s research: https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/jessica-russell

This Thesis Thursday we're featuring Tim Jo, an MSc student in Public Health Sciences supervised by Dr. Plinio Morita, whose research focuses on privacy and user experience in smart home technologies for older adults.

As smart home technologies become more common in supporting independent aging, understanding privacy remains essential. Tim's research examines how older adults' privacy preferences change across different situations, with the goal of designing smart home systems that are both useful and respectful of users' needs.

Few words from Tim:
“My master’s program gave me the opportunity to work with talented individuals on meaningful projects. I especially enjoyed conducting my thesis research with older adults, where I learned how important it is to understand people’s lived experiences when designing health technologies that reflect their needs.”

Learn more about Tim's research:
https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/tim-jo

This we're featuring Emily Gorgenyi, a PhD student in Aging, Health, and Well-being, who is studying social isolation and loneliness in older adults.

Using interRAI data from Ontario's Home Care population, Emily's research identifies loneliness and social isolation as significant concerns among older adults. She explores how these issues connect to health outcomes, including mortality, contributing to an area of literature that remains relatively limited. Her work also includes a community engagement effort to co-develop targeting strategies and an inventory of social resources, helping care providers and communities better respond to social isolation in practice.

For those of you navigating your own graduate research journey, Emily's reflection might resonate: "My time at SPHS was challenging yet very rewarding. Interacting with faculty and other students presented opportunities for learning and teaching that enabled personal growth in ways I did not see possible before beginning graduate school."

Read more about Emily's research: https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/emily-gorgenyi

Congratulations to our School of Public Health Sciences graduates! 🎓

All your effort, late nights, and determination have brought you to this moment and you deserve to celebrate every bit of it.

We’re so proud of everything you’ve achieved and so excited to see where your journey takes you next. You’re ready to make a real difference and help build healthier communities everywhere.

For this month’s Thesis Thursday, meet Ailin Jalili, a MSc Public Health Sciences student.

Ailin’s thesis explores the critical “golden hour” in emergency care—the first 60 minutes after a traumatic or life threatening health event—and how this period is experienced by racialized immigrant women. Her research examines how intersecting identities shape experiences with EMS and influence psychological responses during emergencies.

Through this work, Ailin aims to advance understanding of inequities in pre hospital emergency care and open doors for more inclusive research, training, and policy change.

Reflecting on her time in SPHS, Ailin shares how grateful she is for the experiences she has gained—learning how to engage meaningfully with research, develop strong interpersonal skills, and build incredibly memorable connections. Above all, she appreciates the friendships, mentorship, and supportive community that have shaped her graduate journey.

Click here to read more: https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/ailin-jalili

Yesterday, the School of Public Health Sciences was proud to host the Research and Practice in Health Sciences Conference (RPHS).

This student-led conference brought together undergraduate and graduate students,
postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff to explore diverse career paths in public health and
to celebrate the incredible work of our students. The program featured graduate oral presentations as well as a wide range of undergraduate and graduate poster presentations.

Thank you to everyone who attended, presented and helped make RPHS 2026 such a
meaningful day of learning and connection.

The Faculty of Health came together for the annual Grad Class Send‑Off — a night filled with celebration, memories, and so much pride for our 2026 grads!

From reconnecting with friends and faculty to reflecting on how far you’ve come, it was the perfect way to kick off the countdown to June convocation.

Huge congratulations to our future grads — your hard work, resilience, and accomplishments inspire us every day. We can’t wait to cheer you on as you cross the stage this June!

This Thesis Thursday, we’re highlighting Elizabeth Wang, an MSc Public Health Sciences student supervised by Dr. Peter Hall. Elizabeth’s thesis explores organismic resilience by examining how factors such as epigenetic aging and cognitive function may potentially help explain differences in health outcomes and aging trajectories. Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, her work provides important insight into how resilience can be understood and measured at the level of the whole organism across the lifespan.

Throughout her time at SPHS, she has also contributed significantly to the community through her communications roles with The Symposium of Aging Research (SoAR) and the Research and Practices in Health Sciences (RPHS) committees. Elizabeth also co-founded H.E.R (Health Equity Reimagined) Collective, which advances women’s health equity through research, education, and community engagement.

Learn more about her research here:
https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/elizabeth-wang