Workplace Mental Health Through an Intersectional Lens

With a research interest in understanding the psychosocial factors that may impact our health, Kara is interested in furthering the scientific and public understanding how we can utilize the workplace to improve mental health outcomes. She has recently completed her masters in Health Sciences with a specialization in Epidemiology. As a current PhD student with The EPD @ Work Research Institute, Lakehead University Department of Health Sciences, Kara continues to explore the implications of working remotely from home as it relates to mental health outcomes.

Dr. Vicki Kristman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Lakehead University and the Inaugural Director for a new Research Institute at Lakehead University: EPID@Work – Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability@Work. She also holds appointments in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto. Dr. Kristman is currently the Lakehead University Delegate for CIHR and sits on the University Delegates Executive Committee. She holds a doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Toronto and completed the CIHR Work Disability Prevention strategic training program as a postdoctoral fellow at the University Health Network in Toronto. In 2014, Dr. Kristman was awarded a prestigious CIHR New Investigator Award for her program of research on “Preventing Work Disability through Accommodation”. She is currently leading projects to test the effectiveness of a supervisor training program to prevent prolonged work disability; to identify factors associated with Indigenous work, health and safety, and to determine factors associated with supervisors’ support for providing work accommodations for workers with mental health disorders.