In 2012 I moved to Toronto, Ontario from my home town of Vancouver, where I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Victoria. I completed a Master of Social Work at Dalhousie University in 2015 and am now working on a PhD in Adult Education and Community Development at the University of Toronto.
My research interests lie in autism, community development and activism, gender identity, surgical outcomes, archiving, and transgender suicidality. I have also explored more data driven topics such as the location and density of bed bugs in Toronto. I have a number of academic publications on these topics and recently had a book of interviews with transgender and autistic individuals published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Check out the resources page for more.
I’ve worked in a variety of governmental and non-profit roles, particularly in the fields of mental health, addictions, housing and homelessness. Before moving to Toronto, I worked for seven years in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and then for another nine with the City of Toronto Hostel Services division. I’m now working full time on finishing my PhD.
I’m very active in volunteer and community-based work, currently with the Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health and TransPULSE Canada.