SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Through health-care services, mental health supports, research, community engagement, advocacy and education, Laurier demonstrates our commitment to improving health and well-being and contributing to the achievement of this critical SDG.
See some of the work that Laurier completed in 2022 to advance SDG 3.
Melody Morton Ninomiya has been named the Canada Research Chair in Community-Driven Knowledge Mobilization and Pathways to Wellness. An assistant professor in Laurier’s Department of Health Sciences, Morton Ninomiya works with First Nations, communities and organizations to co-develop research projects centred around local knowledge systems, protocols and priorities.
A virologist at Laurier has made a world-first discovery with the potential to change the way we treat a wide variety of ailments, from cancer to lower back pain to viruses, including coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2.
Laurier has entered a five-year pathway agreement with American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) that will allow eligible Laurier graduates to study in AUC School of Medicine's Doctor of Medicine degree program.
In a recent report, Laurier researchers revealed that 53 per cent of caregivers of children or youth with an autism diagnosis felt that the funding they received from the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) last year met their child’s therapy and support needs “to a low extent or not at all,” while nearly half (47 per cent) did not receive a single hour of OAP-funded therapy. Learn more about the research on wait times for services for families of autistic children during COVID-19
The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability,” the Sixth Assessment Report of Working Group II, a comprehensive and far-reaching look at the impacts of climate change on the natural world and human societies, as well as vulnerabilities and potential adaptations. Laurier’s Robert McLeman, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, was the coordinating lead author of Chapter 7 of the report, which focused on the impacts of climate change on human health, well-being, migration and conflict.
Explore the work that Laurier research centres do toward enhancing health and well-being.
The Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action (CCRLA) is an interdisciplinary research centre located in Laurier’s Faculty of Science. Its work is focused on developing community partnerships and producing research, learning and action that advances community well-being and social justice. CCRLA facilitates community-based research by brokering linkages between community partners and Laurier student and faculty researchers. CCRLA provides an activity centre for community-focused and engaged research, social policy development and community action. The defining feature of the centre is its commitment to collaborative processes between university, community, industry and policy partners that honour the unique wisdom and skills of the non-academic community.
The Manulife Centre for Community Health Research is an interdisciplinary community development and research centre guided by multiple social determinants of health. The centre acts as an incubator for students committed to community-based scholarship and development in the field of health and well-being. The centre welcomes master’s, PhD and postdoctoral fellows from a variety of academic disciplines to work within any of its communities of practice including, but not limited to: women and gender, global health and development, Francophone issues, Indigenous health and wellness, environmental issues, community economic development and social innovation.
The Manfred and Penny Conrad Institute for Music Therapy Research is a dynamic forum that bridges the divide between clinical practice and research. The institute’s mission is to provide opportunities for research collaboration and discussions. It aims to bring together the broad range of clinical research activities that already take place at Laurier and foster and house the new research endeavours that will undoubtedly grow from the activities of the faculty and graduate students, particularly with the establishment of Laurier's Master of Music Therapy program.
Learn more about Laurier's initiatives in 2022 that helped advance SDG 3.
Laurier's Student Wellness Centres in Waterloo and Brantford work to promote health and wellness by creating a safe, welcoming, non-judgmental environment for all students; providing confidential, comprehensive and collaborative physical, emotional and mental health services that support students’ needs; facilitating referrals to ensure optimal care; and preparing and empowering students to be successful in their health and wellness journeys during their time at Laurier.
Laurier is committed to supporting staff and faculty with benefits and perks that contribute to their health and well-being, and personal and professional development opportunities. Laurier’s benefits and perks programs touch on a wide range of areas that promote a healthy work-life balance and provide our faculty and staff with the resources to thrive.