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Post-Doctoral Position
Complementary projects in response to climate change in the North:
1) Capacity Building of Environment and Health Surveillance in Inuit
Regions, and
2) Better understanding the influence of climate change on food security
A one to two year post-doctoral fellow is sought to work with
research teams on two Arcticnet projects dealing with climate change
and health among Inuit populations in northern Canada. The main
project's purpose is to augment the capacity of public health
surveillance systems, environmental monitoring systems, and their
interface with respect to health protection of Inuit populations in
response to climate change. The second project will focus on one
particular aspect of the way climate change may be influencing health
status in the North, and that is by investigating the impacts of
climate and environmental change on food security in small northern
communities.
The individual will have a multidisciplinary background and/or
appropriate experience in one of the following areas: health
sciences, particularly public health, community health or health
administration or human geography, nutrition, medical anthropology,
environmental studies, or risk assessment, with experience in
surveillance or monitoring. Experience in qualitative (semi-directed
interviews, surveys, qualitative analysis) and quantitative methods
(univariate and multivariate statistics, risk analysis with programs
such as @risk) will be an asset. The individual must be fluent in
English with strong written and oral communications skills.
Experience working in or with northern communities is preferred.
Solid interpersonal skills are required and French language skills
are an asset.
Rationale:
A number of health endpoints have the potential to be either directly
(e.g. injury) or indirectly (e.g. nutrient profile shift) influenced
by reported climate changes from Nunatsiavut in the East to
Inuvialuit in the West. Several studies at large have identified
associations between health outcomes and climate change. A small
number of studies have begun to document the reporting of adverse
health problems associated with climate change in the Canadian North.
In terms of health endpoints there are mortality, morbidity, injury,
social determinants including physical infrastructure, community
wellness, search and rescue and biomonitoring (human tissues)
indicators that have the potential to be influenced by one or several
climate related changes. These climate related indicators are grouped
as weather, ice, water levels, permafrost and erosion, biota,
drinking water, biomonitoring. Public health surveillance is the
systematic collection and analysis of appropriate data and the
health protection actions that follow as a result of such data
systems.
Traditional food is well documented as a critical resource to
northern populations for its nutritional, economic, social and
cultural benefits. However, these important foods are also the main
source of exposure for many environmental contaminants among northern
Aboriginal people via their traditional diet based on land and sea
species. Climate related changes in the North have been associated
with alterations in animal, fish and plant population distribution,
abundance, morphology, behaviour and community structure
(availability). Climate changes have also been associated with
changes in ice, snow, precipitation regimes, and other environmental
factors potentially influencing travel and transportation in the
North. Recent work has suggested that these climate related changes
may influence components of Inuit traditional food security. In this
way, climate has the potential to influence nutrition and health
status in relation to such things as the incidence of disease,
contaminant affected health outcomes (e.g. child development) and
general individual and community health related to aspects of diet
and lifestyle.
Objectives:
The surveillance project is taking a participatory approach to
capacity building of the networks of managers responsible for
surveillance (health indicators) and monitoring (environmental
indicators). In its first phase (2004-2006), case studies of the
state of health surveillance and environmental monitoring were
undertaken. Case study results will be released in the form of
reports in 2006. The case studies (one per Inuit region) accessed
published and unpublished documentation and carried out interviews
with informants responsible for data pertaining to any of the
categories of indicators of interest. This portrait will enable the
evaluation of strengths and weaknesses within these systems and
enable the development of a strategy to move towards capacity
building. The development of a network of partners and initiation of
pilot projects will mark the beginning of phase 2 of the project
(2006-2009). Policy recommendations for strengthening public health
surveillance are also part of the expected outcomes.
The food security project is taking a mixed qualitative and
quantitative focus on: 1) nutrition and potential changes in intake
of nutrients; 2) exposure to contaminants and 3) levels of food
security (availability and access to traditional foods). The
research seeks to investigate to what extent, and how climate change
is affecting the traditional diet profile of northern Aboriginal
residents presently and potentially into the future and what
implications this may have for individual and community health.
Post details:
Salary of 40-50k depending on experience. Start date: Spring or
summer 2006. Location: Quebec City University Hospital Research
Center (CHUQ) with some travel in the Canadian North and other
locations. Application deadline: open. Informal inquiries welcome.
Contact persons:
Pierre Gosselin MD (PI on the surveillance project):
[log in to unmask]
+1 418 650 5115 ext. 5205
Christopher Furgal PhD (PI on the nutrition project and
co-investigator on the surveillance project):
[log in to unmask] +1 418 656 4141 ext.46521
April 25, 2006.
--
Michel O'Neill, Ph.D.
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Adresse Postale: Faculte des Sciences infirmieres; 4108-J Pavillon
Paul-Comtois, Universite Laval, Quebec, Qc, Canada, G1K 7P4.
Localisation de mon bureau: Faculte des Sciences infirmieres; 1038-F
Pavillon Lacerte, Universite Laval, Quebec, Qc, Canada, G1K 7P4.
tel: +1-(418)-656-2131 #7431; telecopieur: +1-(418)-656-7825
Courrier electronique: [log in to unmask]
http://www.rec.ulaval.ca/lce/securite/confidentialite.htm
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