You are now in the main content area
Jasmin Bhawra

Jasmin Bhawra

Assistant Professor; Director, CHANGE Research Lab
EducationBSc Hons, MSc, PhD
OfficeDCC-314, Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex
Phone416-979-5000 ext. 553466
Areas of ExpertiseMental health; Physical activity; Social determinants of health; Health program evaluation; Digital health.

Dr. Bhawra is unavailable to supervise Occupational and Public Health (MSc) students in 2024-2025.

I am a population health researcher and evaluator leading interdisciplinary digital health research. As Director of the CHANGE Research Lab, I use mixed methods and a citizen science approach to conduct research which prioritizes disadvantaged populations in Canada, including BIPOC communities. A key component of my research is the partnership with community partners to co-conceptualize program and policy solutions to complex health problems.

From a global health perspective, I partner with research leaders across low, middle, and high-income countries to advance child and youth by taking a health equity lens to active living, nutrition, and chronic disease prevention. As a country leader with the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, I design and develop the India Report Cards on Physical Activity for Children and Youth to translate knowledge across 57 countries. Apart from my research, I am the Co- Founder of a research and advocacy organization – Active Healthy Kids India – which promotes active living and nutrition among children and youth in India. My work with global health partners, public health units, governmental, and non-profit organizations focuses on advancing health and social equity.

I hold a BSc Honours degree from the University of Toronto, and completed my MSc and PhD in Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. In 2019, I was awarded the CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health to develop a province-wide evaluation to improve efficiency within the healthcare system. In 2021, I was the recipient of a CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Saskatchewan, where I led research on climate change impacts on the health of communities in northern Canada.

Find out more at: www.jasminbhawra.com (external link) 

Research interests:

  • Active living
  • Chronic disease prevention
  • Climate change impacts on health
  • Global health
  • Food security and sovereignty
  • Health equity
  • Socioecological determinants of health

Research projects:

  • Food Equity and Environmental Data Sovereignty (FEEDS): A digital platform to monitor and manage climate change impacts on food systems in rural and remote communities
  • InSync: A digital platform for youth mental health
  • Smart Indigenous Youth: A culturally-appropriate, land-based active living program for Indigenous youth health
  • Indigitize: A digital literacy program to improve the digital quotient among youth and adults
  • India Report Card for Physical Activity Among Children and Adolescents: An Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance initiative to promote active living
  • Development and validation of the Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (GAC-PAQ): A multi-country study across six continents
  • International Food Policy Study: A prospective cohort study evaluating the impact of national-level food policies in five countries (Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States)
  • Knowledge Uptake and Utilization Tool (KUUT): Development and validation of a survey tool to evaluate knowledge translation strategies and products across disciplines