Contributing to our Health -- A Series About StFX Research Making A Difference In Our Communities
StFX is a leader in health innovation and entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia. In this ongoing series, we proudly shine a spotlight on our health research leaders, research and community health partnerships and their impact. For more on the Contributing to our Health series, click the link below.
Contributing to our Health series
“The thought of helping others and addressing inequities in Nova Scotia were both of great interest to me. I immediately knew that this was the thesis for me. I have always enjoyed helping others and the thought of making a tangible difference in people’s lives is exciting.” ~ StFX student Julia Shields
Helping increase food security for Nova Scotia refugees: Meet StFX student Julia Shields
Determining what experiences refugees in Nova Scotia have had accessing food and using food support services is the goal of research Julia Shields, a fourth year honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health student from Antigonish, NS, has undertaken as part of her thesis. The thesis will use these lived experiences to provide recommendations for policy changes focused on strategies to increase food security.
Ms. Shields, a recipient of the Scotia Scholar Undergraduate Research Award from Research Nova Scotia, says the results of her work will hopefully be able to make changes for the better in how food insecurity is conceptualized and addressed within Nova Scotia.
She is supervised by StFX professor Dr. Mahasti Khakpour.
“By focusing on personal experiences, this thesis aims to determine how food access plays out in practice and what barriers to food security exist,” says Ms. Shields, whose project consists of a scoping review and about 10 interviews with refugees living in Nova Scotia.
She says she got involved in the research work after her supervisor, Dr. Khakpour, approached her during the first semester of her third year when she was a student in one of her classes. They met to discuss her plans for projects.
“The thought of helping others and addressing inequities in Nova Scotia were both of great interest to me. I immediately knew that this was the thesis for me.
“I have always enjoyed helping others and the thought of making a tangible difference in people’s lives is exciting. Qualitative research, in particular, is interesting to me because I enjoy talking to others and learning about their lived experiences.”
Ms. Shields says she has always been passionate about health equity and helping others. “Having this chance to make a tangible difference in people’s lives means the world to me. The research experience I have gained during this process is also invaluable.
“After completing my degree at StFX I would like to attend medical school. Another possibility would be to complete a master’s degree in health and be involved in research and policy. Wherever I end up, I would like to be helping to decrease inequity and improve health individually and on a societal level.”
