In 2023, Canada experienced its most severe wildfire season ever, necessitating major increases in response efforts to safeguard health and well-being. As outlined in the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, these needs are expected to continue to grow in the future. In response, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is developing a national research agenda on wildfire impacts on human health and wellbeing. The aim of a national agenda is to align and catalyze Canadian investments in health-focused wildfires research, to grow and strengthen Canada’s research ecosystem in this space, and to ultimately improve the health and well-being of people across Canada.
CIHR aims to identify critical gaps in our understanding of how best to prevent, mitigate, and address the health and well-being impacts of wildfires. This interactive session invites conference participants to share, comment on and discuss relevant areas where health research is needed, based on their professional experience, research work, and/or lived experience. The facilitators will invite reflections across a wide range of topics, including priorities identified by Indigenous knowledge holders, experts, communities, and researchers, community health, environmental health, mental health and well-being, occupational health and safety, cancer risk, smoke exposure, and health impacts of evacuation processes. Feedback from the session will be compiled and contribute to the national research agenda.
Facilitators
Rhonda Boateng, MSc, PMP
Rhonda Boateng is the Communications and Strategic Initiatives Lead at CIHR’s Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR), where she co-leads national initiatives that strengthen research impact, training modernization, and knowledge mobilization in Canada’s health services and policy ecosystem. She also oversees communications for IHSPR’s major programs and co-leads the Health System Impact Program. Rhonda is pursuing her PhD in Health Systems Research at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. Her doctoral work focuses on developing a competency framework for youth mental health clinicians using participatory and arts-based methods. Her research explores how equity, culture, and creativity intersect in health workforce development and service design.
Jamie Lundine, PhD, MSc
Jamie Lundine is a former wildland fire dispatcher and currently a Senior Advisor with the Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies (CRPPHE), housed at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). In her role with the CRPPHE, she supports the development of funding policies and programs related to pandemics and health emergencies. Jamie holds a PhD from the University of Ottawa, an MSc from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a BA (Hons) from McGill University.