The College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa named acclaimed health research expert Karen Davison as the Fulbright Canada Visiting Research Chair. In this capacity, Davison’s research will focus on the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Canadian Community Health Survey and Canadian Longitudinal Survey on Aging.
She is a faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the principal investigator of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes for Health Research, BC campus and Katalyst funded projects related to personalized nutrition, the use of virtual environments in peer health coaching and knowledge dissemination of a national nutrition and mental health research agenda (Bridging the Divide).
“This unique opportunity enables me to connect with scholars and stakeholders in nutrition, food security and mental health and to deeply examine related issues, programs and policies,” said Davison. “It will help to increase connection and understanding between Canadians and Americans, and foster the advancement of knowledge across disciplines such as health and social science.”
Funded in partnership by UH Mānoa and Fulbright Canada, the visiting research chair is housed in the College of Social Sciences under a five-year arrangement that began in fall 2016. The program supports regional cooperation on relevant issues of global importance between both countries and allows the college to expand on its tradition of exciting, intense interaction and dialogue between students and faculty from various academic disciplines, as well as the university and the wider community.
More about Karen Davison
Davison is currently a visiting scholar with the Center for Global Health’s Mental Health Thematic Group at Oregon State University. She is also a recent alumna of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research Intersections of Mental Health Perspectives in Addictions Research Training program, where she conducted research that focused on sex/gender based analysis related to eating issues, mental health, addictions and settlement of immigrants in Canada; led the development of the Dietitians of Canada role papers about nutrition and mental health; and collaborated with Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Mental Health Association on the development of a national nutrition and mental health research agenda.
Throughout her career, she has been awarded more than $3 million in funding as a principal applicant or collaborator and has authored more than 100 scientific journal articles, books and book chapters, technical reports and health professional resources.
