Interdisciplinary approaches for understanding the social determinants of health

TitleInterdisciplinary approaches for understanding the social determinants of health
Faculty/College/UnitMedicine
StatusActive
Duration1 Year
Initiation04/01/2020
Project Summary

*Special Call: Interdisciplinary Team-Teaching Grant*

The social determinants of health (SDH) are the social and economic factors (e.g. income, education, housing, social safety net) that influence people’s health. Currently, there is an undergraduate course in the School of Population and Public Health that introduces the SDH and the health outcomes they influence as well as policies that address them. Through a collaboration involving the Faculties of Medicine, Science, and Land and Food Systems, we will develop an interdisciplinary module for this course focusing on the biological effects of the SDH, that will increase knowledge of:

  1. the molecular and physiological consequences of the SDH;
  2. the technological advances that are used to assess the biological effects; and
  3. the implications of this knowledge to health care and policy development.

This module will equip students with a comprehensive understanding of how SDH may lead to lasting biological changes that influence the health of individuals and populations.

Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2020/2021
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorMartin Guhn
Year 1: Funded Amount19,546
Year 1: Team Members

Martin Guhn, Assistant Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine
Yvonne Lamers, Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems