Core Team

Our core team is based in Vancouver. We work closely with our collaborative partners in the BC Ministry of Health, provincial Health Authorities, professional groups, and rural communities to plan and develop the strategies of the Centre.

The diversity of our expertise, backgrounds, and interests enhances our ability to comprehensively investigate the complexity of challenges and opportunities for rural health services across Canada and internationally.

Co-Directors

Jude Kornelsen, PhD, is a health services researcher and Associate Professor in the Department of Family Practice at UBC who has a focused program of research on rural maternity care. As co-director of the Centre for Rural Health Research, her primary focus involves rural maternal health issues including the emergence and integration of midwifery in our health care system. In this position Dr. Kornelsen works toward creating productive research environments and coordinates and oversees student positions. She has undertaken numerous funded studies on rural women’s experiences of care and additionally directs a program of research into the emerging social phenomenon of elective cesarean section. Dr. Kornelsen is a former CIHR New Investigator, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Sydney.

Stefan Grzybowski , MD, CCFP, MClSc, FCFP, is a Professor in the Department of Family Practice at UBC and a family physician with many years of rural clinical experience. He is Director of Research in the Department of Family Practice at UBC and has held a Michael Smith senior scholar award. He has a longstanding interest in rural health services research and building research capacity, both of which are exercised through his current positions as co-Director of the Centre for Rural Health Research and Director of the Rural Health Services Research Network of BC. His current research foci include the safety of small rural maternity services with and without cesarean section capacity and systems planning of appropriate and sustainable rural health services.

Research Coordinators

Dr. Kathrin Stoll is a social scientist with degrees in psychology, family studies and interdisciplinary studies. Her PhD spanned three disciplines (public health, nursing and midwifery) and she completed a five-year postdoctoral fellowship in Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a one-year CIHR fellowship in primary health care research. Since 2005, Dr. Stoll has held various research positions in the Division of Midwifery at UBC and worked closely with epidemiologists, clinicians, community members and researchers, on various research and knowledge implementation projects in the area of reproductive health. Between 2007 and 2012, she served as co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Midwifery Research and Practice. In addition to her position at the Birth Place Lab, Dr. Stoll holds an appointment as lecturer at Hannover Medical School in Germany, where she has taught and supervised midwifery graduate students since 2012. Dr. Stoll has led the development of many innovative measurement instruments, and is working on several projects oriented at enhancing equitable access to respectful and person-centered pregnancy and birth care, especially for those at increased risk for discrimination, reduced access to care, and poor clinical outcomes. To recognize her work in rural maternity care research, she was recently invited to become a fellow at the Centre for Rural Health Research. 

Gal Av-Gay is the Quantitative Research Coordinator for the RSON Evaluation. He was raised on campus, where he also completed both his BSc in Biochemistry and MSc in Statistics. He is excited to derive insight from rural health data in order to assess and improve health outcomes for rural populations across BC. Gal sees how an understanding of rural health in BC needs to be informed by socioeconomic, cultural, and historical perspectives. In his spare time Gal enjoys playing music and shooting hoops.

Centre for Rural Health Research

Research Coordinator, Rural Research Inclusion Project

 Sarah Jackson has a Master of Arts in Political Studies and a law degree from the University of Victoria with a focus on Indigenous legal orders. Raised in Prince George on the territory of the Lheidtli T’enneh, Sarah Jackson is passionate about community wellbeing, health, and social justice. Her work history ranges from leading research on Anishinaabe laws and customs for the Koognaasewin project to working as a paramedic and a health educator across northern BC. In her spare time, Sarah can be found spending time with her wife, Chelsea and Australian Shepherd, Blueberry, or running, biking and skiing around Prince George. 

Rural Health Services Research Network of BC

Research Network Coordinator, RHSRNbc

Rural Community Resiliency to Climate Change Research Coordinator, RHSRNbc

Alexandra Bland is the Research Coordinator for the Co-RIG project examining rural resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic. She holds an BA in International Relations from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in Health and International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her past research has primarily focused on global health and health disparities in low and middle income countries. The topic of her MSc dissertation was evaluating effective pneumonia prevention strategies to reduce under-five pneumonia mortality in high burden countries. She is passionate about health equity, health systems strengthening and the social determinants of health. Outside of work Alex loves to bake and go hiking with her dog Alfie.

Worklearn Student 

Jessica Chisholm is a research assistant with the Rural Health Services Research Network of BC and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. She is interested in exploring how food security and resource extraction influence community health.  Outside of work and school, she enjoys music, hiking, and swimming with her dog.

Volunteer Research Assistant 

Ava Kleban is a volunteer research assistant for the Rural Health Services Research Network of BC. She is currently an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Sustainability at McGill University, with a focus in biology and conservation. Ava is interested in the impacts of climate change on community well-being, the role of education in climate action, and protecting biodiversity. Ava was born and raised in Squamish, B.C., and has a deep appreciation for the environment and rural communities. Outside of school, she enjoys getting outdoors to hike, run, and explore the landscapes that first sparked her passion for sustainability.

Volunteer Research Assistant 

Aamna Amer is a volunteer research assistant with an interest in leveraging data to improve healthcare systems and outcomes. Born and raised in Surrey, B.C., she has worked as a community kinesiologist across the Lower Mainland, gaining hands-on experience supporting health and well-being at the community level. Aamna holds a Master’s degree in Data Science and is passionate about exploring how data-driven approaches can be used to inform and strengthen healthcare decision-making. Outside of work and school, she enjoys staying active through sports, particularly recreational leagues with friends and skiing in the winter.

Research Associates

Dr. Rahul Gupta, MD, CCFP works as an integrative medical physician, professional coach, mindfulness instructor, and advocate for provider wellness. He is a Certified MBSR Teacher through the Center for Mindfulness to facilitate Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programs and offers this service to both providers and patients. He also is a professional coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation and supports physicians as a consultant for the Physician Health Program of BC. He lives and works in Gibsons, BC and travels throughout the province to speak on the topics of patient self-management and provider self-care.

Rahul is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the UBC Department of Family Practice and recently completed its Clinician Scholar Program. He can be reached at gupta.v2v@gmail.com or visit www.voice2vision.net.

Robert F Woollard, MD, CCFP, FCFP Professor, UBC Department of Family Practice Dr Woollard is Professor of Family Practice at UBC. He has extensive national and international experience in the fields of medical education (chair of accreditation system for 7 years), the social accountability of medical schools, ecosystem approaches to health, and sustainable development. He is actively involved in Nepal with a new national medical school, school of public health, and nursing school founded on the principles of social accountability, and also works in East Africa on matters of social accountability, primary care, and accreditation systems. He co-chairs the Global Consensus on Social Accountability for Medical Schools (GCSA) and does extensive work in this area with many international bodies. He was a lead organizer for the planned World Summit on Social Accountability: http://thenetworktufh.org/conferences/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTn1ddxAnsQ. His primary research focus is the study of complex adaptive systems as they apply to the intersection between human and environmental health. His book, “Fatal Consumption: Rethinking Sustainable Development” details some of his work in this regard. He also provides central leadership in the development of a Canadian national strategy for addressing educational and service needs for surgical and obstetrical services in rural Canada—in particular Aboriginal service access for birthing. He was instrumental in establishing the mobile clinic for agricultural workers and continues the active practice of medicine. Above all he is a husband, father and grandfather.

Katrina Plamondon joined the University of British Columbia Okanagan, School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in July 2019. She is also a Practice Leader for Research and Knowledge Translation at Interior Health (British Columbia), where her work focuses on health system strengthening through enabling people across the system to use and do research in practice and policy. She is a Registered Nurse with a clinical foundation in critical care/emergency and street outreach and a Master of Science in Community Health & Epidemiology (University of Saskatchewan). She completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia under a Banting & Best Canada Graduate Scholarship, where her doctoral research extended a decade of research and practice in knowledge translation with a focus on knowledge-to-action for health equity. A member of the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research since 2004, Katrina co-chairs the University Advisory Council (comprised of representatives from 24 institutions across Canada) to promote more consistent, coherent investments and practices in global health research. She was the Principal Investigator for the multi-year Gathering Perspectives Studies that led to the creation of the equity-centred CCGHR Principles for Global Health Research (available here: www.ccghr.ca/resources/principles-global-health-research/) and the lead on a series of publications contributing to national dialogue about Canada’s role in global health research. She is frequently invited to present on equity-centred practices for research and knowledge translation, ranging from conferences to guest lectures and intensive training institutes.