Core Leadership
Dr. Victoria Bungay,
PhD, RN
Director, Capacity Research Unit
Dr. Bungay is a Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia and holds a Canada Research Chair in Gender, Equity and Community Engagement. As the Director of Capacity: The Centre for Research in Community Engagement and Gender Equity, her work focuses on addressing socio-economic and political inequities (e.g., marginalization) that negatively affect people’s health and well-being including the devastating effects of stigma, discrimination and violence. She is interested in how research partnerships can positively impact communities that are regularly excluded in health and social policy and programming that affect their lives and how community-based interventions support real world evidence.
Patricia Tait,
MSc
Research Program Manager
Patricia has a Master of Science in Public Health Sciences from the University of Alberta with a specialization in Population Health, and worked in community support and public health environments for many years prior to moving into the field of research administration & management. She has worked in various aspects of research administration since 2003 such as education, ethics, grant facilitation, research development, and program management. As the Capacity research program manager, she oversees the day to day operations of the Centre, as well as being the project manager for the multi-site outreach intervention project, “Scaling Up”.
Dr. Adrian Guta,
PhD, MSW
Associate Professor, University of Windsor
Dr. Adrian Guta is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Windsor. His research examines the social and structural determinants of health, with a focus on how marginalized communities navigate and experience health and social care systems. Informed by critical theory, and using a range of methodological approaches, his research examines the social, cultural, and ethical dimensions of emergent health issues, biomedical technologies, and public health programs and interventions. Dr. Guta has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network and is supported by a University of Windsor Humanities Research Fellowship (2020-2021).
Dr. Scott Comber,
PhD, MBA, MA
Assistant Professor, Dalhousie University
Dr. Comber is a faculty member at the Rowe School of Business, Dalhousie University, in Nova Scotia, Canada. His research seeks to understanding how complexity science approaches can be applied to healthcare systems (critical care). Specifically, he is interested in how complexity science can be implemented using front line ownership approaches. He is action oriented and practical, and brings his expertise in implemtation science to research teams.
Dr. Ingrid Handlovsky,
PhD, RN
Assistant Professor, University of Victoria
Dr. Ingrid Handlovsky is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria. Her research is informed by a commitment to health equity with an emphasis on situating discrimination (structural and interpersonal) as a determinant of health. In particular, she examines how complex and multi-faceted social environments-inclusive to historical, political and cultural dynamics – inform health practices, perspectives and experiences for 2SLGBTQ+ groups and others who experience disadvantage due to structural inequities. Her work is informed by social justice and critical perspectives, and draws on a variety of methodologies to explore and unpack experiences of discrimination while highlighting and learning from the strengths and capacities exhibited by individuals, groups and communities in the wake of adversity.
Wendy Leiper,
RSW
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Currently a subject matter advisor, Wendy brings a depth of experience and knowledge in multiple areas of child and family well being. As a social worker with over three decades of experience in all facets of child welfare, Wendy has worked and partnered across multiple disciplines provincially, nationally, and internationally. Wendy’s career in public service has spanned from frontline social work; to research, policy, and program development, as a provincial coordinator; to leading transformation and system improvements as a Director of Child Welfare for the province of Nova Scotia.
Project Teams
For information on project specific team members, please go to the relevant research project page.
