2024-2025 Year in Review: Research & Leadership
Above, left to right: (top) Assistant Professor Jia Xue, student researchers from the Youth Wellness Lab, Assistant Professor Kyle Ganson, (bottom) Eric J. Van Giessen and Professor David J. Brennan, Professor Tanya Sharpe, Professor Amanda Grenier.
Leading through research
In the 2024-2025 academic year, the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work continued to build its extensive body of research — gathering data, piloting programs and working for and with community partners to strengthen evidence-based social work practice, advance policy, and deepen our knowledge of the local and global issues that matter to individuals, families and communities.
Our small Faculty boasts an outsized impact, with 61 active research projects that, together, have received $5.35 million in funding. Below is an overview of initiatives we featured this past year. Learn how FIFSW research is addressing pressing social challenges and mobilizing knowledge to effect change. And review the awards and appointments faculty members received in recognition of their work.
FIFSW research: By the numbers
FIFSW Research 2024-2025
In the 2024-2025 academic year, 38 full-time faculty engaged in 61 Active projects, which were awarded $5.35 Million in funding, while 13 students participated in a research practicum.
FIFSW boasts 5 Canada Research Chairs and 10 endowed chairs. Our funded projects included 28 projects funded by SSHRC. Of those, 2 were SSHRC Partnership Grands and 6 were Insight Grants. Twelve projects were funded by CIHR, 9 were funded by government agencies, and 7 were funded in collaboration with non-profit organizations. Our faculty received 3 Splane Awards, 4 SSHRC Institutional Grants, and 6 RBC Fellowships.
FIFSW research resulted in 212 peer-reviewed publications, 8 book chapters, and 81 student authored or co-authored publications. Faculty members participated in 114 invited talks or keynote presentations and 157 conference presentations.
Investigating pressing social challenges
Global, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and community-focused, FIFSW research impacts social work policy, practice, and pedagogy to create more just and inclusive societies where everyone can thrive.
LGBTIQ inclusion in Asia
Professor Peter A. Newman, working with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, is developing evidence to measure and accelerate progress on LGBTIQ inclusion and human rights in Asia — and his research is growing. This year, MFARR-Asia, the SSHRC-funded international project that Newman leads, expanded beyond its original four-jurisdictions to three new countries, including Singapore, where first year PhD student David Puvan will conduct key interviews.
Professor Peter Newman is the Principal Investigator on five funded grants from SSHRC, CIHR, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, U of T’s Institutional Strategic Initiative (SDGs at U of T) and OVPI Collaborative Research with Institutions in Southeast Asia.
The impact of climate change on health and well being
Links between climate change and sexual and reproductive health can no longer be ignored, thanks to research by Professor Carmen Logie. A study Logie co-authored with PhD student Andie MacNeil that found that climate change-related extreme weather events are associated with practices that elevate HIV risk. Logie’s work to advance the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was featured in a fall article in U of T Magazine, and this year she was appointed a fellow of U of T’s SDGs Scholars Academy.
Professor Carmen Logie holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Health Equity and Social Justice with Marginalized Populations and is an adjunct professor at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment & Health.
Global grief in Black communities
In a paper published in the journal Homicide Studies, Professor Tanya Sharpe and colleagues argue that the prevalence and spread of grief following the murder of a loved one can be viewed as a pandemic that is disproportionately affecting Black communities throughout the global diaspora. Structural racism and systemic inequalities underlie its pervasiveness. The Centre for Research and Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims (The CRIB), which Sharpe leads, has called for decisive action to address this pervasive grief, and tackle the root causes of homicide that impact Black populations worldwide. Read Sharpe’s Op-ed in the Toronto Star.
Associate Professor Tanya Sharpe holds the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Social Work in the Global Community. The CRIB’s call to action is based on over six years of research focused on gaps in culturally attuned policies and practice for those who have lost loved ones to homicide.
The secrets to successful aging
What factors help us thrive as we age? Mabel Ho (PhD 2023) together with Professors David Burnes and Esme Fuller-Thomson, examined data from participants, middle aged or older, who were in excellent health at the start of a three-year study. More than 70% of the sample maintained an excellent state of health during that time, underlying the importance of a strength-based, rather than deficit-based focus on aging and older adults. “To see that so many people were doing well gives us a lot of hope,” said Fuller-Thomson. Both Fuller-Thomson and Ho shared insight from their research with the Globe and Mail for an article on how to combat ‘social aging’.
Mabel Ho is a Sessional Lecturer, a recent PhD graduate, and a Research Affiliate at the Institute of Life Course and Aging, which Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson leads. David Burnes holds the Canada Research Chair on Older Adult Mistreatment Prevention. He also leads the elder mistreatment response program RISE.
2SLGBTQI+ Sexual and reproductive health
The Investigaytors program, which has chapters across Canada, launched a new national survey on 2SLGBTQQIA+ sexual and reproductive health — an area that has been lacking in research. Outreach is taking place at Pride and other Queer-focused events across Canada throughout summer 2025. Led in Toronto by Professor David J. Brennan and Program Coordinator for The Investigaytors Eric J. Van Giessen, the community-based research project creates opportunities for 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals to get involved in research, build community, and gather evidence on the factors that facilitate and nourish Queer joy, social connection and community building.
Professor David Brennan is the founder and director of the CRUISElab, an interdisciplinary, community-based social work research lab dedicated to addressing the sexual, mental, physical, and emotional health of gay, bisexual, two-spirit, cis- and transgender men who have sex with other men (GB2M).
Making research more relevant to 2SLGBTQ+ communities
At a time when 2SLGBTQ+ communities worldwide are facing rising persecution and discrimination, Assistant Professor Tin D. Vo is launching two research projects aimed at bringing 2SLGBTQ+ individuals together to explore practical ways to improve their wellbeing. The projects have the same overriding goal: determining what kind of future community-engaged research would be most meaningful and relevant to the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ communities by asking them directly. These conversations will also inform the work of public health departments and social services organizations in designing resources and programs for 2SLGBTQ+ people.
Assistant Professor Tin D. Vo (he/they) joined the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in July 2024 as an assistant professor (CLTA) in community-based social work practice.
Did you know?
A study by the International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience (INQYR) found that social media can serve as a crucial tool for Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth involved in the child welfare system who are interested in expressing their identity, connecting with supportive communities and processing trauma. Led by Professor and INQYR Director Shelley Craig (Canada Research Chair for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth), the study’s co-authors include Research Associate Ashley Brooks, and FIFSW PhD students Rachel Pascoe and Egag Egag.
INQYR has research networks in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Visit the Research Hub on INQYR’s website to learn about its many projects.
Family caregivers managing mental illness
At the close of 2024, the Family Caregiving Project, led by Professor Charmaine Williams released its End-of-Project report [PDF]. Funded by SSHRC and the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Health and Mental Health, the multi-year research study has brought attention to the experiences of caregiving families managing mental illness and promoted the development of more appropriate services to support them. With academic journal publications based on the Family Caregiving Project’s research forthcoming, the Report lists recommendations for advancing supports for Ontario families managing mental illness.
Professor Charmaine Williams is Dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and holds the Sandra Rotman Chair in Social Work.
Partnering with parents to confront anti-Asian racism
The Asian Parents Participatory Action Project (Project APPA), led by Professor Lin Fang, has been working with Asian parents as collaborators in research with the goal of building an Asian-centered approach to countering anti-Asian racism experienced by their children, themselves, and others in their community. The project promises to break cycles of silence when it comes to talking about racism — and build strength in community.
Professor Fang is the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Children’s Mental Health and the Founder and Director of FIFSW’s Talk It Out Counselling Clinic.
Muscle-building supplements linked to body image disorders
A study led by Assistant Professor Kyle Ganson found that the use of muscle-building supplements, such as whey protein and creatine, is common among teenagers and young adults, with over half of the participants in a national study reporting that they have used the substances. Ganson’s body of research has shown a connection between the use of muscle-building supplements and muscle dysmorphia and that over 1 in 5 boys and men in Canada and the United States may meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. Given the popularity of muscle-building substances, the lack of knowledge around male eating disorders, and concerns around misinformation online, Gason’s research continued to receive broad media interest, with coverage from sources including CNNHealth, Fox News Online, CBC News, Radio and TV, TV Ontario, and more.
Assistant Professor Kyle T. Ganson is the principal investigator of the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors, a national, longitudinal study of health behaviours, including eating disorders and muscle-building behaviours, among Canadian adolescents and young adults across all 13 provinces and territories in Canada.
Building connection for kids in foster care
Research by Assistant Professor Ashley Quinn found that children in the child welfare system are hospitalized at nearly twice the rate of other children. The disparities are even more stark for Indigenous children who are significantly overrepresented in the system. Quinn and their team are now building on this foundational research to examine a new model of support for Indigenous children and others in foster care.
An Assistant Professor at FIFSW, Ashley Quinn’s research is rooted in Indigenous research methods and protocols. Their research focuses on culturally engaged caregiving in the child welfare system, Indigenous Alternative Dispute Resolution programs, and the application of Indigenous historical, contextual and contemporary factors in criminal, family, and child welfare law matters. They also examine wholistic approaches and Indigenous perspectives in social work education.
Did you know?
Associate Professor Jia Xue received the Ontario Government’s Early Researcher Award, part of a program that supports cutting-edge research benefiting industries and communities in Ontario. The funding will allow Xue to build a research team to examine a growing concern: image-based sexual abuse facilitated by AI. Image-based sexual abuse includes private sexual images, sexualized photoshopping, non-consensual sexting and sextortion. Xue’s project will inform intervention and prevention strategies and develop recommendations for supporting survivors.
Associate Professor Jia Xue is the Director of the Artificial Intelligence for Justice (AIJ) Lab, which is dedicated to human-centered data science. The AIJ Lab tackles important questions at the leading edge of computational social science. Areas of interest include intimate partner violence, bullying, health information communication, sexual assault, computational social science, and more.
The overrepresentation of Black Families in child welfare system
Youth Wellness Lab research led by Associate Professor Bryn King with Co-Investigator Travonne Edwards has identified key policy and practice areas in Ontario’s child welfare system that create and maintain the over-representation of Black children and families, while also providing recommendations for change. The findings offer child welfare policy makers, frontline workers and leaders a roadmap to meaningfully address the inequitable experiences of Black families.
Bryn King is a Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Youth Wellness Lab (YWL) with Associate Professor Stephanie Begun. (Visit the YWL website to read about their other current projects.) Travonne Edwards is a recent PhD graduate and a new Assistant Professor at TMU’s School of Child and Youth Care.
Addressing gaps in primary care
Associate Professors Keith Adamson and Rachelle Ashcroft are leading efforts to better integrate social workers into primary care teams across Canada through the project Creating a National National Vision and Building Capacity for the Role of Social Work in Primary Care. In September, together with the Canadian Association of Social Work (CASW), they launched a landmark report presenting strategic recommendations and a path forward for improved health outcomes. In January, drawing from her research and expertise on interprofessional education, Ashcroft co-authored a piece for The Conversation outlining “5 principles for action on primary health-care teams.”
Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Keith Adamson is the incoming Director of FIFSW’s Master of Social Work program. Associate Professor Rachelle Ashcroft is cross-appointed to the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Chair of U of T’s InterFaculty Curriculum Committee (IFCC).
Stigma’s profound impact on health outcomes
In an article published in Nature Reviews Disease Primers, Professor Carmen Logie and colleague Laura Nyblade underscore the profound role that stigma can play in health care — and how addressing stigma-related barriers can significantly improve health outcomes for individuals and communities around the world. They argue that investing in stigma reduction in health care systems will yield results across the care continuum, and should be supported by governments, health-care institution polices, and licensing bodies.
Late-life homelessness
Homelessness among people over the age of 50 is on the rise, a phenomenon formal housing strategies often overlook — but Professor Amanda Grenier and colleagues hope to prevent this oversight moving forward. Grenier argues that in order to effectively address late-life homelessness, policy makers and other professionals need a clearly defined and comprehensive understanding of what late-life homelessness entails. Her study, published in The Geronologist, provides a definition informed by the lives and experiences of older adults. “While attention to late life homelessness is starting to increase, older people still often remain overlooked in official strategies and policy response,” says Grenier. “Recognition and inclusion will require continued vigilance.”
Professor Amanda Grenier holds the Norman and Honey Shipper Chair in Gerontological Social Work. She is also appointed at Baycrest Hospital.
FIFSW’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is designed to cultivate high-calibre scholars and leaders in social work research, education, policy, and practice. Below is a list of the dissertations that were successfully defended in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Patricia Lenz
Making (Radical) Change Real: Understanding the Relational Elements Necessary to Undertake Transformational Social Innovation Between Nonprofits and Local Governments
Advisor: Micheal ShierCarolyn O’Connor
Exploring early adolescents’ perceptions of sexual consent: A mixed methods analysis
Advisor: Ramona AlaggiaTravonne Edwards
Interrupting Anti-Black Racism: Examining Physical Abuse Allegations Against Black Families Navigating Ontario’s Child Welfare System
Advisor: Barbara FallonAmina Hussain
Professional Identity and the Significance of Leadership Competencies among Social Workers in Interdisciplinary Health and Mental Health (IHMH) Settings
Advisor: Micheal ShierCatherine Schmidt
The Bordering of Care: How Migrant Illegalization Impacts Undocumented Mothers Caring for Young Children in Toronto
Advisor: Rupaleem BhuyanKedi Zhao
Understanding Chinese International Students’ Perceptions of Cannabis Use in Canada: Navigating a Cross-Cultural Conflict
Advisor: Lin FangMichael Wall
Youth Exposure to Violence & Involvement in the Criminal Justice System: A Developmental Analysis of Youth Police Involvement & the Victim-Incarceration Overlap
Advisor: Michael Saini
Mobilizing knowledge to inspire change
FIFSW faculty members draw on evidence and knowledge from their research and practice to advocate for change through professional and academic appointments, public talks and events, expert testimony, op-eds, and media outreach.
Over the course of the last academic year, FIFSW faculty members participated in 114 invited talks or keynote presentations and 157 conference presentations. Below are some examples of the audiences and issues addressed.
Youth aging out of foster care
On October 28, Co-Directors of the Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development Policy Bench, Barbara Fallon and Ashley Vandermorris, spoke to the Senate Committee on Human Rights on the topic of youth aging out of foster care Their testimony drew on a 2020 Policy Bench report Commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services that focused on policies and programs to improve outcomes for children and youth in foster care.
Professor Barbara Fallon holds the Canada Research Chair in Child Welfare. Ashley Vandermorris is a staff pediatrician in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
Advancing understanding of Anti-Asian racism in Canada
Professor Lin Fang was invited to give a presentation on anti-Asian Racism in Canada to a group of global experts in Geneva in April. The meeting she spoke at was the 11th session of the “Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,” which represents the United Nations’ plan “to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance globally.”
Arguing for a paradigm shift in assessing and responding to firearm-related harms for Black communities
Professor Tanya Sharpe presented the keynote address the 2024 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms. Her presentation shed light on the disproportionate reality of homicide for Black people by highlighting the root causes and consequences of experiencing chronic cumulative Black death.
Centering the Lived Experiences and Rights of Older Adults in Public Policy
Professor Amanda Grenier was a featured guest at a Global Café hosted by the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), a Canadian-based NGO with members across 80 countries that is working to help shape and influence policy and practices that impact the world’s ageing population. In addition to having general consultative status at the United Nations, IFA is a non-State actor in official relations with the World Health Organization.
Examining the root causes and consequences of poverty, inequality and homelessness
Professor Daniyal Zuberi gave a talk on his research on social policy’s role in determining a country’s level of poverty and inequality as part of the Royal Society of Canada, Université du Quebec en Outaouais series on Poverty and Inequality. Co-led with Marie-Eve Sylvestre, Dean and Professor at the Faculty of Lat at the University of Ottawa, the dialogue also explored social and housing policies that take into consideration marginalized people’s rights and realities.
Professor Daniyal Zuberi holds a Joint Appointment at FIFSW and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at U of T.
Climate change, extreme weather events and sexual health
Professor Carmen Logie presented her research on the associations between extreme weather events, resource insecurities, and HIV vulnerabilities, drawing from case studies in Uganda and Kenya, for a talk hosted by the United Nations, Institute for Water, Environment and Health.
Did you know?
Professor and Dean Charmaine Williams was the keynote speaker at the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers’ annual Meeting and Education Day in June. The theme of this year’s meeting was Advancing Innovation and Public Protection.
Faculty member organized events
The International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience (INQYR) held an event to explore how global, community-based, and intersectional perspectives can advance resilience among LGBTQ+ youth. The event, Different Lenses, Shared Vision: Internationalizing Research for LGBTQ+ Youth Resilience, featured an international panel moderated by Professor Shelley Craig, INQYR’s Founder and Director.
During Pride Month, INQYR organized the event: Mobilizing Hope Through Resistance: Confronting Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies Through Research Across Regions. Panelists, including Professor Shelley Craig, explored how the retraction of fundamental rights is impacting research and practice, and how we can build solidarity across borders and sustain community-engaged scholarship grounded in resistance, care and joy.
The Policy Bench, co-directed by Professor Barbara Fallon, hosted a solutions-oriented, online panel discussion on the need to transform system responses to children and youth with complex behavioural and mental health needs.
Professor Carmen Logie hosted A Shared Dream: Using Digital Storytelling in East Africa to Support Public Health. The in-person panel, moderated by Logie, shared how digital storytelling is being used to engage global communities in public health research and outreach.
The Centre for Research & Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims (The CRIB), led by Associate Professor Tanya Sharpe, presented In the Aftermath: Series of strength, survival and resistance from youth impacted by homicide at the TIFF Lightbox. The short film, created by youth, examines the impact of murder on the wellbeing, coping strategies and unmet needs of young ACB survivors of homicide victims in Toronto.
U of T community organized events
Professor Ramona Alaggia was a featured speaker at Feminist City 5.0: Cities as Safe Havens, presented by the School of Cities and the Institute for Gender and the Economy. Alaggia leads the new Child and Youth Trauma Research Incubator (ThRIve) Lab at FIFSW and holds the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Chair in Child and Family.
Professor David Burnes presented a University of Toronto stress-free degree lecture on Elder Mistreatment: Challenges and Solutions, during U of T’s Alumni Reunion Week in spring 2025. His talk shared insight from his groundbreaking RISE (Relationship, Individual, Social and Environmental) model — one of the first evidence-based programs in the world focused on preventing the mistreatment of older adults.
Associate Professor Bryn King was part of a panel on child protection and the child welfare system in the United States. The discussion, hosted by the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, was part of the Bissel-Heyd Symposium on Social Control, The State, and U.S, Families.
Assistant Professor Notisha Massaquoi was a keynote speaker at the Black Research Network (BRN) Research Symposium, which brought together multidisciplinary researchers from across the University of Toronto to showcase the transformative impact of Black research excellence in shaping the future. Associate Professor Notisha Massaquoi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Society at U of T Scarborough, with a Graduate Cross-Appointment to FIFSW.
Reporters and producers — including those representing TV, radio, podcasts, and newspapers and magazines (both on and off-line) — regularly reach out to FIFSW experts for insight into current issues and events. Below are just some of the top stories from this past year.
National media
Ramifications of government support for nonmarket housing: “The market can’t build for low-income people,” says Professor David Hulchanski. (Toronto Star)
Tri-City Roller Derby to skip bouts in U.S. due to Trump’s 2-gender rule: “It was an important decision for our leadership to make that centred the well-being of our skaters over competition,” says PhD candidate and roller derby athlete Kaitrin Doll. (CBC News)
It’s about bloody time we talked about periods and climate: Professor Carmen Logie discusses the importance of equity and access in promoting reusable menstrual products. (CBC News)
Is AI leading to a rise in the ‘hidden’ job market? Associate Professor Izumi Sakamoto warns that this is undermining fair hiring practices. (HRReporter)
Why some Canadian towns are seeing pushes to keep crosswalks white: Professor Shelley Craig, Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth and director of INQYR, provides expert insight. (CBC News)
Our social muscle can weaken as we get older: Professor Esme Fuller Thomson and alumna and Institute for Life Course and Aging researcher Mabel Ho share insight on successful aging. (Globe and Mail)
Study finds that Indigenous people accounted for 26 per cent of police-related deaths: Research by Tracking (In)Justice, a project co-created by The Centre for Reasearch and Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims (The CRIB) is featured. (Radio Canada)
An alarming number of Black youth have gone missing across the GTA: PhD student and Course Instructor and Adjunct Lecturer Marci Gray talks about the importance of strengthening systems to make things better for Black youth. (CityNews)
The Dangers of Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Assistant Professor Kyle Ganson is a featured expert in a TVO documentary exploring the hidden perils of obsessing over your body. (TVO)
Are we really trying to solve the housing crisis? Professor David Hulchanski comments on rising homelessness and what governments could be doing to help people find homes. (The Tyee)
Addressing homicide grief is vital to ending cycles of violence: The Toronto Star published an op-ed by Associate Professor Tanya Sharpe on the pandemic of homicide grief affecting Black communities. (Toronto Star)
Systems are failing Black youth: PhD Student, Course Instructor and Adjunct Lecturer Marci Gray spoke to CityNews about the alarming number of Black boys that went missing last year across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). (CityNews)
International media
Same-sex marriage equity and inclusion in Asia: Professor Peter A. Newman provides expert insight as Thailand legalizes same-sex marriage. (CNN, East Asia Forum)
The relationship between marriage and optimal health: A study by recent PhD graduate Mabel Ho and Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson receives international press. (Hindustan Times)
5 free courses that can help improve your happiness and well-being: Professor Ka Tat Tsang’s online course “the Arts and Science of Relationships: Understanding Human Needs” is featured. (CNBC)
Overuse of muscle-building products associated with muscle dysmorphia in young people: Associate Professor Kyle Ganson studies how the pressure to meet muscular body standards may drive young people to use supplements more often. (NBC News)
A preoccupation with being lean and muscular could be a sign of muscle dysmorphic disorder: A study by Assistant Professor Kyle Ganson finds that Muscle-building supplements may put teens at risk for a body image disorder (CNN)
An increasingly multicultural Japan has qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Research by PhD student Viveka Ichikawa is featured. (The Guardian)
Your stroke risk might be higher if your parents divorced during your childhood: “It is extremely concerning that older adults who grew up in divorced families had 60% higher odds of stroke,” says study author Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson. (Forbes, ScienceDaily, The Economic Times & more)
Podcasts
From margins to mainstream through storytelling: Professor Carmen Logie, Canada Research Chair in Global Health Equity and Social Justice with Marginalized Populations, on the Co-Created podcast. (Co-Created)
Understanding the social determinants of homicide: Professor Tanya Sharpe discussed how she is working to create pathways for healing and safer communities for Black survivors of homicide victims. (Safer Communities Canada Podcast)
When a live-saving device gets in the way of living: Associate Professor (Status Only) Samantha Anthony discusses her study, the first in Canada to explore the lived experiences of children and families living with a Ventricular Assist Device of VAD.(SickKids Vs Podcast)
IlCA staff and faculty pose for a photo with artists Suk Kang Park and Cha Hee Park. From left to right: Iulia Park, Suk Kang Park, Cha Hee Park, Esme Fuller-Thomson, Professor Emirita Merrijoy Kelner, Nina Carlton, Raza Mirza, and Beverly Wellman
Housed at FIFSW, and directed by Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson, the Institute for Life Course and Aging (ILCA) is a multi-disciplinary research institute offering a collaborative specialization with 17 participating academic units, in Aging, Palliative and Supportive Care across the Life Course.
ILCA boasts over 85 cross-appointed faculty members and over 25 research and teaching affiliates. It runs a graduate Collaborative Specialization with 70 current students and co-hosts an undergraduate course in Aging and Health within the University College Health Studies Program.
ILCA workshops
ILCA offered a total of 9 workshops for healthcare professionals in 2024-25 with over 320 participants.
Topics included:
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy for Older Adults
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Depression Among Older Adults
- Trauma Informed Care for Older Adults: Evidence Based Interventions
- Integrating Emotion-Focused Therapy Principles and Interventions in Working with Older Adults
- Intimacy & Meaningful Relationships Among Older Adults
- Advance Care Planning and Goals of Care Conversations with Older Adults
- Power of Attorney and Capacity and Consent: What Every Practitioner Needs to Know
- Housing Needs of Older Adults: homelessness, housing stabilization, continuum of housing & care, and retirement communities
- Hospital Discharge Planning for Older Adults
Outreach
The Institute continues to increase its social media presence with twice daily posts to over 3,100 followers on X (formerly twitter). It has also increased its presence and following on Instagram. Additionally, this past year, the Institute also started posting on the social media channels BlueSky and Threads.
The ILCA also continues to send weekly newsletters featuring aging-related content and events at the Institute and elsewhere to over 5,000 educators, health care providers and other professionals.
The Institute’s YouTube channel hosts 158 videos featuring experts on gerontological topics such as dementia, sleep problems, anxiety and depression among older adults. Top watched videos include: “Sleep problems among older adults” with over 58K views, and “Social Group Work with Older Adults” and “Anxiety and Older Adults: Strategies for Managing Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders” with over 2,600 and 2,000 views, respectively. This year, the Institute created a series of shorts to promote our videos to younger audiences on YouTube and Instagram. The Emerging Scholars series lectures and promotional videos for the Collaborative Specialization are also hosted on the YouTube page.
Did you know?
In November, the ILCA hosted a reception to celebrate the generous loan of artwork from two local older adult artists, Suk Kang and Cha Hee Park. Their colourful paintings now grace the walls of the Institute’s office at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
ILCA media mentions
ILCA projects and research were featured in the media 54 times in the 2024-2025 academic year. Among the features was CP24 News segment on an undergraduate course that the ILCA co-funds, called the intergenerational classroom, where older adults and undergraduate students learn side by side. Led by FIFSW sessional lecturer Raza Mirza this is the second year that the class has been offered, and it has been hailed as a huge success, building connections between generations and offering unique learning experiences for all students.
Other notable media mentions include a CP24 interview with FIFSW PhD graduate and ILCA associate Mable Ho about her research on how marital status impacts aging in men and women as they age. Mable Ho was also interviewed by the Globe and Mail, along with Institute Director, Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson and Professor Emerita Merrijoy Kelner, on the importance of social connections for older adults.
Awards
The Institute provides five endowed student research awards in aging, one of which is a travel award. All are given out annually. In 2024-2025, $25,786 in award payments were distributed. Recipients were from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, and the Department of Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts and Science.
Did you know?
Information on faculty members at FIFSW and across U of T can now be found on the University’s Discover Research platform. Each faculty page includes a bio and recent research publications, as well as information on grants, collaboration networks, awards and teaching.
Curious about the work of specific professor? Visit FIFSW’s Faculty & Research Directory to learn more!
Read about faculty member awards and appointments in 2024-2025 here.