Scientific Director


Candace Nykiforuk, PhD, CE
Scientific Director, Centre for Healthy Communities
Professor, School of Public Health

P: 780-492-4109
E: candace.nykiforuk@ualberta.ca


I examine the role of built, social and policy environments on community health and well-being. I also have extensive expertise in developing and evaluating healthy public policies. My work follows a population health approach and involves many different settings and groups of people.

As an applied researcher, my research is typically conducted in partnership with practitioners and decision makers in the communities and organizations that I am working with. My partners help to define project research questions and implement the project in meaningful ways. In turn, the research helps to address issues that the community partners are working on within their daily practice.

I have been privileged to hold an Applied Public Health Chair in Public Policy and Community Environments, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Alberta Innovates (2014-2019), to be inducted as a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada. I was honoured to be awarded the University of Alberta's Killam Professorship (2018-2019), Martha Cook Piper Research Prize (2015), and the Community Connection Scholar Award (2015) for outstanding, innovative research and engaged scholarship.

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