UWaterloo School of Public Health Sciences

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UWaterloo School of Public Health Sciences

Official page for UWaterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences formerly known as School of Public Health & Health Systems

04/06/2026

This term our HLTH 480 students tackled a real‑world health innovation challenge focused on integrating social prescribing into healthcare. Working in teams alongside community partners, mentors, and GreenHouse, students mapped systems, engaged with community knowledge holders and built skills in social entrepreneurship.

A huge thank you to our community collaborators and mentors for sharing their insights and helping turn learning into action.

04/02/2026

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.

03/31/2026

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!

03/26/2026

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

03/23/2026

Meet Sara, a 4th year Health Sciences student who is spending her Co-op working term as a Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory Assistant in the Notta Lab at the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Centre✨

Her main focus is working hands-on with patient-derived tumor samples to help develop 3D organoid models. These models mimic real pancreatic cancer, helping researchers study the disease and test personalized treatments.

From working in the BSC (Biological Safety Cabinet) to supporting daily lab operations, Sara is gaining valuable experience at the intersection of research and clinical care -- and she is excited to apply the experience to her own independent research project in the final 4 months of her work term!

Her favourite part of the job? Seeing how lab work can directly impact real patients 💙

03/20/2026

We are excited to host the Research and Practice in Health Sciences Conference on Wednesday April 1st, 2026 at Conrad Grebel from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM!

This conference is available to all students and postdoctoral scholars within our School. There’s no registration and no cost to attend, so drop in to support our student researchers and hear from our alumni.

For more details: https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/events/research-and-practice-health-sciences-conference

03/17/2026

For this month’s , get to know Prof. McAiney!⁣
From her favourite movie to her guilty pleasure -- we’re diving in.⁣
Who would you like to see next? 💬

03/13/2026

Yesterday, the Faculty of Health 2026 Recognition Reception brought together staff, students and alumni to celebrate the achievements, leadership, and dedication that continue to shape the future of health.
It was a wonderful evening of recognition, connection, and appreciation for the incredible work happening across our Faculty. Congratulations to our SPHS students recipients!

02/24/2026

For this month’s , get to know Dr. Neufeld!
From living in Indonesia to tending to her hobby farm -- we’re covering it all.
Who would you like to see next? 💬

02/19/2026

As Canada’s population continues to age, understanding how to support healthy aging has never been more important. MSc student Taronish Kotwall is contributing vital research to this growing area through her work on executive function, depressive symptoms, and the power of social connection among middle aged and older adults.

Using data from over 30,000 participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), Taronish’s thesis investigates how baseline executive function is associated with depressive symptoms over time—and how social connection (social isolation and functional social support) may modify this relationship. Her research will help build evidence around how strong social connections can promote healthy aging and cognitive resilience in Canadians.

Beyond her thesis, Taronish has been an active leader and contributor within the School of Public Health Sciences and the broader research community. She has served in multiple student executive roles, guest lectured in an undergraduate public health course, and gained valuable qualitative research experience through a CRE MSD funded project focused on personal support workers. She has also presented at several conferences, including the Symposium on Aging Research, Symposium on Neuroscience Research, and the Research and Practice in Health Sciences Conference.

We’re proud to celebrate Taronish’s impact, dedication, and leadership in advancing research on aging and mental health.

Learn more about Taronish’s research at time within the School of Public Health Sciences:

https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/taronish-kotwall

01/23/2026

From his favourite movie to how he spends time outside of work—and what career path he might have taken if he weren’t a professor—discover the person behind the research.
Learn more about Dr. Butt’s work in infectious disease epidemiology, pandemic preparedness, and global health, and explore his full research profile by visiting his website:

https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/profiles/zahid-butt

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https://uwaterloo.ca/public-health-sciences/

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