Geena Verma (she/her) is an epidemiologist with the Benoit Lab working on the Walking for Harm Reduction through Street Engagement (WHiSE) 2.0 project, where she is involved in identifying the local needs of street-affected Indigenous people who inject drugs (PWID) in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and Sudbury. The goal of WHiSE 2.0 is to enhance service delivery and integrate clients’ knowledge into our community partners’ programming. This analysis will help inform harm reduction needs and recommendations tailored to the unique circumstances of Indigenous peoples who reside in Northern Ontario. Geena uses a Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis to present preliminary findings, generate data outputs for team sharing, and write a cohort profile manuscript. Beyond her professional experiences, Geena also enjoys baking such as pies, cookies, and brownies, watching Netflix, and going swimming or gardening with her mom!
Geena’s interest in public health and epidemiology began during her undergraduate studies, where she volunteered at a local senior club: “I noticed many residents faced chronic diseases and a lack of healthcare knowledge, which sparked my curiosity about the social determinants of health”. With this, Geena completed her Master's degree in Public Health focusing on Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. This helped enhance her skills in data analysis, research protocols, and manuscript writing.
Throughout her Master's program, she fulfilled her practicum at the Peel Public Health Unit as a Student Epidemiologist, where her work focused on analyzing population health trends related to mental well-being. She also worked at St. Michael’s Hospital as a Student Data Analyst, where she analyzed HPV infections among young men who have sex with men in major Canadian cities: “This experience enhanced my ability to synthesize information, draft protocols, and execute statistical analyses using SAS, all while effectively communicating complex findings”. These professional experiences helped supplement her epidemiological skills and apply advanced data analyses throughout her work. This is what made her an amazing fit at the Benoit Lab!
“I am eager to bring my skills and experiences to The Benoit Research Lab and contribute to its important work…. As [an] epidemiologist, I look forward to further developing my skills in data analysis, as well as learning more about best practices in harm reduction. I'm excited about the opportunity to contribute to meaningful research that makes a difference in the community”.
We are so grateful to welcome Geena at the Lab, and we look forward to working with her on our WHiSE 2.0 project!
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