Projects & Resources

Trans Day of Advocacy (TDOA) is a community-driven project. In spring 2026, we interviewed advocates to learn about advocacy strategies. In September 2026, we are bringing together Two-Spirit, transgender, and nonbinary (2S/TNB) people and allies from across lands colonially known as British Columbia. The goal of this gathering is to share wisdom and strategize about advocacy for 2S/TNB people. This project has been organized by the Society for Advocacy for Gender-Affirming Healthcare and the Healthcare Ethics and Equity Team.

This project focuses on healthcare barriers related to respiratory infection risk. We have surveyed people with chronic physical health conditions, their loved ones, and advocates in British Columbia to learn about community research priorities and ways to increase accessibility of research participation. We are currently planning the next phase of this work.

The British Columbia Public Health Ethics Project is a participatory research project conducted collaboratively by researchers at The University of British Columbia (Faculty of Medicine and School of Nursing), Provincial Health Services Authority (Ethics Service, Indigenous Health, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control), First Nations Health Authority, and members of Indigenous, disability, seniors, and newcomer communities. We are working to develop an evidence-informed, equity focused guide to support ethical public health decision making. This work is supported by a grant from the Pacific Public Health Foundation. 

This community-engaged research study explored how transgender people with invisible disabilities (trans-disabled) advocate for and navigate healthcare in Canada. Through interviews and collaboration with 15 trans-disabled community leaders, this study aimed to better understand their experiences, the barriers they encounter, and the ways advocacy can help improve healthcare access and outcomes for this community. This project was supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. 

Through this participatory action research project, our team worked with trans, Two-Spirit, and nonbinary youth across the country to identify their health information needs and research priorities. A youth advisory team guided the project, which included focus groups and a survey youth, ages 14-25. Together, we created a health information guide, quick reference infosheets, and a research agenda to guide future health research. This project was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical ethicists and other health professionals have been increasingly called upon to provide support related to moral distress. Moral distress can lead to burnout and attrition, placing further burden on struggling healthcare systems. This project examines shifts in the phenomenon of moral distress in Canadian healthcare systems during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic and how health professionals are addressing the growing need for support of healthcare staff. This study is supported by a UBC Hampton New Faculty Grant.

Through the Trans Youth in Translation knowledge translation project, trans youth from across British Columbia, Canada participated in creative arts workshops with trans artist mentors. The creative works generated through this project were inspired by quotes from interviews with trans youth who took part in the Trans Youth Hormone Therapy Decision-making Study. Youth artists drew on their lived experiences and unique perspectives to bring research findings to life through visual art, songwriting, creative writing, and board game design. This project was supported by funding from Vanier Canada, UBC Public Scholars Initiative, and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.