Yukari Seko

Director, Centre for Studies In Food Security https://www.torontomu.ca/foodsecurity/

Much of my work takes a critical narrative approach to research with historically marginalized people, including folks with physical and mental disabilities and racialized persons, whose voices are frequently engulfed by labels of deviance and/or abnormalities. My current research focuses on food security, diasporic foodways, aging, and end-of-life communication to address health inequities facing migrants in Canada. I've been researching food practices of families from Asian backgrounds in Toronto focusing on: children’s home-packed lunches to school, and culturally appropriate meal provision to older immigrants. I'm curious if Canada is a good place to live and die for immigrants.

My teaching is in symbiotic relationship with my research. This profound connection lies at the core of my philosophy as an educator, guiding me to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment for all. My teaching philosophy is informed by my program of research that explores the potential role of communication in fostering an inclusive space where diversity can thrive. To me, equity, diversity, and inclusion are not mere buzzwords but guiding principles that inform every aspect of my pedagogy. I am dedicated to creating a supportive and respectful environment where all students, regardless of their backgrounds, identities or abilities, feel empowered to engage in the active learning process.

Recent publications

1. Seko, Y., Tiessen, J., *Wong, V., & *Adachi, R. (2026). Food diversity and aging well in a multicultural city: Japanese Canadian (Nikkei) seniors and Community Congregate Dining. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980825100524

2. Seko, Y., *Wong, V, Juando-Prats, C., *Rahouma, L., *Yu, J., & *Henry-Noel, N. (2025). Feeding children while Asian: Immigrant families’ experiences with school lunches in Canada. Canadian Food Studies/La Revue canadienne des études sur l'alimentation. https://canadianfoodstudies.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cfs/article/view/728

3. Seko, Y., & *Pivalica, I. (2025). Contours and Canyons of Health: Teaching health equity through Body Mapping. Communication Teacher, 39(3), 237-247. https://doi.org/10.1080/17404622.2024.2427126

4. Seko, Y., Oh, A., Thompson, L., Bowman, L., & Curran C.J. (2024). Transitions Pop-Up: Co-designing client-centred support for disabled youth in transition to adulthood. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. [Open Access]. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fresc.2024.1286875/

5. Seko, Y., Malik, A., *Lau, P., *Neri, D., & Courtnage, A. (2023). Toward solution-focused graduate supervision: Developing research-based live simulations for graduate supervisors. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 61(3), 570-582. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2197872

6. Seko, Y., Juando-Prats, C., *Wong, V, *Rahouma, L., *Yu, J., & *Henry-Noel, N. (2023). Lunchbox Shaming: Asian Youth’s Recollections of Canadian School Lunchtime. Food, Culture & Society. [Open Access] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15528014.2023.2289238

7. Seko, Y., Oh, A., Curran C.J., & King, G., (2022). Transitions Theatre: Creating a research-based readers’ theatre with disabled youth and their families. Qualitative Health Research. [Open Access] https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221138004

8. Seko, Y., Meyer, J., *Bonghanya, R., & *Honiball, L. (2022). Mental health support for Canadian students during COVID-19 pandemic: An environmental scan. Journal of American College Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2103379

9. Seko, Y., Oh, A., Goberdhan, K., Bowman, L., Hubley, D., Khazanchi, P., Vermeulen, N, & Curran, C.J. (2022). Transitions Theatre: An arts-informed interprofessional education workshop. MedEdPORTAL. [Open Access] https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11254

10. Cheng, Q., Seko, Y., & Niederkrotenhalter, T. (2022). Editorial: The Role of Media in Suicide and Self-harm: Cross-disciplinary Perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology. [Open Access] https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.932117

11. Seko, Y. & Kikuchi, M. (2022). Mentally Ill and Cute as Hell: Menhera girls and portrayals of self-injury in Japanese popular culture. Frontiers in Communication. [Open Access] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2022.737761/