Hosted by Tamarack Institute
This webinar will establish the critical connection between belonging and public health. We will explore the concept of belonging as a social determinant of health, examining how social cohesion, connection, and a sense of community impact physical and mental well-being. We will delve into current research and data showcasing the effects of loneliness, social isolation, and exclusion on various health outcomes within diverse populations.
The speakers will discuss the physiological and psychological pathways through which belonging influences health and highlight the importance of addressing social cohesion and belonging in public health initiatives.
Speakers
Pemma Muzumdar, MPH (she/her). Knowledge Translation Specialist, National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (NCCDH)
Pemma Muzumdar lives in Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal) on the unceded lands and waters of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation. Pemma completed her Master of Public Health at the University of Waterloo. Currently, she is a Knowledge Translation Specialist with the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. In her everyday work, Pemma supports the public health community to build a culture of equity and address interrelated structural, social, and ecological determinants of health. She has led and contributed to work on anti-racism, intersectionality, environmental and climate justice, migrant health and more. Pemma co-produces Mind the Disruption, a podcast about building a healthier world for everyone.
Nadha Hassen, PhD MPH (she/her). Mitacs Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Nadha Hassen is a Mitacs Postdoctoral Fellow at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She is a public health and environmental studies scholar focused on healthy and just places and spaces. Dr. Hassen’s research explores health and social equity in different environments and takes an interdisciplinary approach with a focus on intersectional anti-racism. Her research and evaluation work is community-engaged and participatory where she collaborates with marginalized communities to address the social and structural determinants of health.
Dr. Hassen has a PhD from the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University and a Master of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences. As a health researcher, she has worked at both policy and community levels. She works at the intersections of social, racial, and environmental justice. She is also on the Board of Directors for 8 80 Cities, a non-profit organization focused on creating healthier, more equitable and sustainable cities for all people.