Dr. Gina Martin awarded SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Post by: Megan Graat
- 8:33AM Aug 03, 2020
- No Comment
Dr. Gina Martin, a Post-Doctoral Associate with the HEAL in the Department of Geography, has received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship. The purpose of this fellowship is to support new Canadian scholars in the social sciences and humanities and assist them in establishing a research base at an important time in their research careers.
Dr. Martin’s Postdoctoral research will expand on her previous work on geographies of children’s well-being, by examining how, and for whom, active school travel may affect mental well-being.
Seventy percent of mental illnesses begin in childhood, and one in five Canadian children experience some form of mental health issue. To improve children’s mental well-being, advocates have proposed children engage in active school travel – defined as commuting to and from school by human-powered modes, such as walking or biking. However, this is based on limited evidence and assumes that all children would benefit in the same way. Through a mixed methods approach, this research project aims to challenge previous assumptions, and contribute a deeper understanding of the links between active school travel and mental well-being.