The MAP Survey Research Unit (SRU) was created in July 2009 to consolidate, mobilize and expand the Centre for Urban Health Solutions considerable survey research capabilities and expertise. The Unit’s clientele is mainly researchers and program development staff, based in hospitals, universities, research centres and third sector organizations. Some of ours recent projects explore the subjects of housing, violence, quality of life, access to healthcare, health policy, health equity, community engagement, program satisfaction, among others.
SRU Team
Our team is passionate about data collection and data quality. The SRU team has over 30 staff members, who speak more than 15 languages.
Dr. O’Campo is a social epidemiologist and has conducted a number of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in the areas of the social determinants of adult mental health, intimate partner violence and children’s well-being. She is an expert on a variety of research methods, including traditional epidemiological studies and innovative research methods, such as Concept Mapping and Realist Review. Dr. O’Campo is the interim Executive Director of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and a Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Dr. Stephen Hwang is the Director of MAPCentre for Urban Health Solutions. Dr. Hwang is also a physician at Seaton House (Canada’s largest men’s shelter) and St. Michael’s Hospital, and the hospital’s inaugural Chair in Housing, Homelessness and Health. Dr. Hwang’s research has brought attention to the severe health risks faced by people who are homeless and vulnerably-housed in Canada. He is among the world’s most influential researchers in the area of homelessness, housing and health.
Dr. Tatiana Aratangy leads the Survey Research Unit. She has several years of experience with primary data collection, research design and program evaluation. Her research interests lie within social determinants of health, health equity and research methodology.
Cheryl Pedersen is the Research Project Manager for multiple projects within the Survey Research Unit. She manages the relationship with a variety of research partners and investigators. She has championed the Unit’s protocol development in the areas of interview management, qualitative research, and instrument and data management. Cheryl brings to the Unit over 10 years of research management experience in the health care industry and has a particular interest in the social determinants of health and health equity.
Alexandra Carasco coordinates multiple SRU projects. She is the SRU expert on recruitment database development and computer assisted survey programing. Alex Champions the SRU Information Technology Functional Area and has developed several IT protocols for the Unit. Alex also brings to the Unit more than 5 years of research experience and exceptional attention to detail, applied to make sure the SRU projects are delivering superior quality data. Alex’s research interests lie within the use of applied technology, as well as, gender, addiction and offenders studies.
Rebecca Brown is a Research Coordinator in the SRU. She currently coordinates multiple projects for the Unit. Rebecca has expertise in quantitative and qualitative data collection and has conducted a large number of in-person interviews with individuals experiencing housing instability and mental health challenges for several research studies. She has helped develop protocols, training manuals and reports for the Unit, helping shape best practices for data collection. Rebecca also has expertise in qualitative data analysis and thematic coding. She brings to the unit over 6 years of research experience. Rebecca’s research interests lie in the social determinants of health, child and youth mental health and the evaluation of health promotion interventions.
Kristina Vidug is a Research Coordinator in the SRU. Kristina has experience in both quantitative and qualitative data collection as well as experience coordinating multi-site and mixed-methods projects. Kristina holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and is a certified Project Management Professional. She brings to the unit a combined 5 years’ experience in medical device research and research coordination. Kristina’s research interests lie within health equity, research methodology, and gender studies.
