Graduate students within the School of Health Policy and Management (SHPM) who are tackling issues from racial inequities in mental health care to workforce shortages in hospitals were recognized for research excellence with Health Graduate Research Awards.
The awards highlight work from across the graduate unit within SHPM that specializes in health policy and equity, as well as health system management and data analytics. This year’s recipients presented their work as part of Health Graduate Research Day, an annual event that brings together students and faculty to share and discuss new research.
“What stands out is how these students are taking on complex, real-world health challenges with both rigour and care,” says Farah Ahmad, program director of the graduate unit in SHPM. “Their work reflects a growing commitment to equity and meaningful impact through research that not only advances knowledge, but also has the potential to shape practice and policy.”
Best Oral Presentation Award
Cecilia Amoakohene, a PhD student, was recognized for her research on race-based data collection in Ontario and its implications for mental health outcomes among Black women and communities.
Examining how policies describe the use of race-based data compared to how it is actually used in practice, her findings showed a persistent gap between how data is collected and framed at the provincial level – as a tool to advance equity – and how it is implemented in practice. Her work highlights how efforts remain uneven and are often limited to planning stages, with little reporting on access to care or outcomes for Black women. The findings point to the need for stronger implementation and accountability to ensure race-based data meaningfully informs more equitable mental health care.
Best Poster Presentation Award
Omar Hassan, a PhD student, received the award for his research on first responders’ perceptions of mental health and whether they feel able to seek support.
Examining the role of workplace culture, institutional policies and broader governance structures, his research explores how these factors shape whether individuals recognized mental health challenges and felt able to seek help. His findings suggest that barriers to care are not only cultural, but structurally embedded within organizational environments, underscoring the need for reform alongside efforts to reduce stigma.
Audience Choice Award
Tarek Abdullah Al-Munim, a master’s student, was honoured for his research on how private hospitals in Bangladesh are responding to ongoing nursing shortages.
To understand how hospitals are navigating these challenges, he conducted semi-structured interviews with directors of medical services and heads of nursing across five large, multi-specialty hospitals in Dhaka. He then analyzed the interviews to identify common patterns in how institutions are managing staffing gaps.
The findings suggest many hospitals are relying on short-term fixes rather than long-term workforce planning, pointing to broader challenges in how resources are managed across the system. The research highlights the need for stronger policies and oversight, from staffing and compensation to training, to help ensure care quality and support more sustainable solutions.
Together, the projects highlight the range of research taking place across the Faculty of Health, with a shared focus on addressing challenges in mental health, health systems and policy. The work underscores how emerging scholars are contributing to more responsive, equitable and sustainable approaches to care.
With files from Mbalu Lumor