Researchers
PAN works with researchers from academic institutions, health authorities, and other agencies from across British Columbia and is grateful for their engagement in community-based research principles, mutual support for PAN studies and commitment to genuine partnerships. We recognize the following people who have supported our work in the last year.
Dr. Catherine Worthington
Professor, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria
Catherine Worthington, Ph.D., is a faculty member and Director of the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria. Cathy has a long history of collaboration with HIV communities in conducting community-based and participatory research. As a key partner in PAN’s Community-Based Research Program, Cathy was the co-lead (with PAN’s executive director Evin Jones) for the BC Core Team of the CIHR CBR Collaborative and CIHR Centre for REACH, the academic lead of the Positive Living, Positive Homes community-based research study on HIV and housing in BC, and co-lead of the Making it Work Project. To learn more about Cathy, view this Faces of UVic Research video and her presentation titled: Working Together: A Dialogue for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Research Partners.
To learn more about Cathy’s approach to research please read her “5 questions with…” blog post.
Dr. Sofia Bartlett
Interim Scientific Director, BC Centre for Disease Control
Assistant Professor, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia
Sofia Bartlett is a PhD trained scientist committed to advancing equity-oriented approaches to prevention, care, and surveillance of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) and other communicable diseases. She currently serves as an Interim Scientific Director at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, providing strategic and scientific leadership for communicable disease monitoring and surveillance, as well as for policies and programs to address health issues associated with communicable diseases. Sofia is also an Assistant Professor (Partner) in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia, and conducts applied public health research focused on improving population level health and well-being through reducing the impact of communicable diseases on people experiencing incarceration or substance use. Across all her work, Sofia aims to disrupt systems of stigma by amplifying the voices of people most affected by health inequities. Sofia has partnered with PAN on several projects including the SPARTA Project: Sustaining Partnerships to Advance Community PrioRities in STIBBI Public Health Data Sets and the Thrive project focused on STBBI priorities for people who use drugs in smaller urban, rural, and remote communities in BC.
Trainees
PAN is also pleased to be able to support the next generation of researchers and public health professionals by hosting trainees through practicums and other learning opportunities. These individuals have contributed to research work at PAN.
Emily Taylor-Lariviere (2025)
Emily is still enrolled as a student; now focusing on her thesis research interests surrounding critical hope, world-making, and stigma.
To learn more about Emily and her approach to research and evaluation please read her “5 questions with …” blog post.
Courtney Tizya (2023)
Research Trainee, Making it Work Project, 2022-2023
Courtney Tizya is a descendant of Vuntut Gwich’in First Nation and a citizen of Carcross/ Tagish First Nation. She resides in unceded Snuneymuxw territory where she is currently completing her final semester of her BA in Criminology. Courtney has previous experience working with Indigenous populations through advocacy and case management within the criminal justice system and she has also worked as a research assistant in Whitehorse, Yukon where she began her degree. Courtney is fairly new to community-based research, and she is inspired by the strengths-based approach of the Making It Work project. She is grateful for the learning opportunities and looks forward to knowledge translation and exchange with case study sites, service providers, service users, and the Making It Work team.
To learn more about Courtney and her approach to research and evaluation please read her “5 questions with …” blog post.
Samara Mascarenhas (2023)
MPH Practicum Student, University of Waterloo
Samara is currently in her second year of the Master of Public Health program at University of Waterloo, and is completing her practicum with PAN during the winter term from January to March 2023. Samara has previously completed an Honours Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Mental Health from University of Toronto.
Samara is working closely with the Research and Evaluation team for her practicum.
To learn more about Samara’s approach to research and evaluation and what she is currently working on please read her “5 questions with …” blog post.
Katsistohkwí:io Jacco (2020 – 2021)
MA in Political Science and Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Nationhood Student, UVic
Graduate Research Trainee, Making it Work Project, 2020- 2021
Katsistohkwí:io is a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Kahnawà:ke, QC and is currently studying for her MA at the University of Victoria. She is grateful to be a guest living on Lekwungen and WSANEC territories, also known as Victoria. Her research interests are concentrated on the improvement of the quality of health for Indigenous peoples in Canada, which is what sparked her interest to work for PAN. Her proposed MA is titled Strengthening Community Relations Through the Reclamation and Consumption of Indigenous Foods. This project seeks to promote the return to knowledge and consumption of traditional Kanien’kehá:ka foods in the community of Kahnawà:ke as a tool to improve the health and well-being in terms of physical, mental, emotional and familial aspects of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Katsistohkwí:io is also working with the Making it Work Research team as a Graduate Research Trainee. To read more about Katsistohkwí:io’s approach to research please read her “5 questions with…” blog post.
Joanna Tulloch (2019)
MPH Practicum Student, UVic – 2019
Joanna has been a nurse since 2009 and has spent the majority of her career living and working in Whitehorse, Yukon. Joanna is currently working on her second year of the Master of Public Health program at the University of Victoria and will be completing a practicum with the Pacific AIDS Network as part of that program from January to April 2019.
To learn more about Joanna’s approach to research please read her “5 questions with…” blog post.