Lunch ‘n’ Learn
Sharing Indigenous Health Research Across the Wabanaki-Labrador Region
Do you have a research project that you would like to share? Are you a student who would like to practice your presentation skills in a safe place? Or maybe there’s a new research method or skill that you would like to tell us about?
All you have to do is complete this form and tell us about your presentation idea!
Join us for this month’s Lunch ‘n Learn with Dr. Tara Pride & Dr. Erica (Samms) Hurley as they share their presentation: “From Indigenous graduate students to early career researchers: Sharing experiences and lessons learned.”
🗓️ March 26, 2026
⏰ 12-1 PM ADT
🔗 ONLINE - Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ojlRI-yUQeKTMyWKx6BkpA#/registration
Dr. Tara Pride & Dr. Erica (Samms) Hurley will share insights on their transition from Indigenous students to early career researchers (ECRs). “The conversation centers on the shift from navigating academic requirements while honouring relational accountability. We also address the "double burden" of Indigenous scholars which is seen in the pressure to meet Western institutional standards while fulfilling deep-seated responsibilities to our communities. By sharing lived experiences, we highlight alternate approaches to decolonizing these spaces, while emphasizing that successful integration into the academy requires not just personal resilience, but collective efforts—such as those offered by Indigenous-led networks and programs like the WLN.”
🎤Featured Speakers:
Tara Pride is of mixed Mi’kmaw and settler ancestry, a member of Sipekne’katik First Nation, and currently works as an Assistant Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie University. She was previously the Coordinator of the Atlantic Indigenous Mentorship Network from 2018-2023, and now serves as a co-Principal Investigator for the Wabanaki-Labrador Indigenous Health Research Network.
Dr. Erica (Samms Hurley) is a Mi’kmaw nurse, scholar, and Assistant Professor at Memorial University’s Faculty of Nursing. She has a cross appointment with the School of Arts and Social Science in Humanities and is an affiliate of the Environmental Policy Institute both at Grenfell Campus, Memorial. Her focus is on Indigenous health and wellness for improving Indigenous health outcomes. A PhD graduate of the University of Alberta, her research, most notably her work on Mi’kmaw women's heart health, integrates Indigenous knowledge with clinical nursing practice. She is founder and Director of WATERR Lab (Wellness and Transformative Engagement in Research Relations) an Indigenous Health lab which focuses on bringing forth the importance of relations in engagement.
Register now via the link or QR code.
📧Questions? Contact us at wln@dal.ca
Atlantic Indigenous Mentorship Network (September 27, 2024):
Indigenous Journeys Navigating Academia: A panel of students from the Atlantic Indigenous Student Network
Presenters: Angelina Heer (Sucker Creek First Nation) and Jocelyn Paul (Membertou First Nation)
Date: September 27, 2024
Join Indigenous students Angelina Heer (Master of Education, Counselling, UNB), and Jocelyn Paul (PhD Candidate, Psychology, Dalhousie) as they reflect on what it’s been like to navigate their respective academic journeys as Indigenous students. They talk about challenges and successes, what they wished they knew before they started, balancing multiple roles at home and at work, and cultural responsibilities with expectations of their programs and share tips that they hope will help other Indigenous students succeed as they navigate their way through their chosen programs.
Poster can be found here.
Photo Source: (iWELL Project, 2024)
We know that there are some innovative and exciting Indigenous-led health research projects being conducted across the Wabanaki-Labrador Region (Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia) and we want to hear all about them! That’s why we have created the Wabanaki-Labrador Indigenous Health Research Network (WLN) Lunch ‘n Learn—to provide an opportunity for Indigenous researchers, students and communities share some of the important work they are doing to improve the health and wellness for Indigenous Peoples across the Atlantic Provinces.
Our Lunch ‘n’ Learn program is a monthly virtual gathering. Its goals are to facilitate networking, idea-sharing and to learn more about current Indigenous health research in the region.
Upcoming Lunch ‘n’ Learn Sessions
Previous Lunch ‘n Learn Sessions
Sexual Health and Gender Lab (October 22, 2024):
Indigenous Mens’ and Boys’ Wellbeing: Indigenous-Led Interventions Incorporating Cultural and Traditional Teachings
Presenters: Dr. Matt Numer and David Miller
Date: October 22, 2024
The SHaG (Sexual Health and Gender) Lab is situated within the Division of Health Promotion in the Department of Health and Human Performance in the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University. The goals of the SHaG Lab are to advance our understanding of sexual health, to impact health policies and outcomes, and to provide a research training environment for students. Join presenters Matt Numer and David Miller as they talk about their project and what they have learned from it.
For more information about the SHAG Lab and its projects, visit their website: https://shaglab.ca/
Maritime SPOR Support Unit (MSSU) (April 24, 2025):
How the MSSU Supports Partnerships in Health Research
Presenters: Lizzie Lappin & Lisa MacDougall
Date: April 24, 2025
The MSSU supports patient-oriented research, or research that ensures people with lived experience are meaningfully engaged in shaping the health research that will be used to inform decisions about health and health care across the Maritime Provinces. Lizzie Lappin, Research Manager at the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit (MSSU) and Lisa MacDougall, Patient Engagement Coordinator will share how they support patient-oriented research across the Maritime provinces.
For more information about the MSSU, visit their website: https://mssu.ca/.
A Wholistic Approach to Managing Stress and Anxiety: An Indigenous Perspective (June 26, 2025)
Presenter: Michelle Peters, Clinical Specialist, PhD Ed(c), MSW/RSW, BBA
What is stress? What is anxiety? Are they the same, or perhaps overlapping? Explore the impact of stress and anxiety on the mind, body, behaviour, emotional and spiritual self. Develop a wholistic understanding, and a personalized plan, on how to manage your stress and anxiety from an Indigenous perspective.
Michelle Peters is Mi'kmaq woman from Mi'kma'ki, and a 4th year PhD(c) at St. Francis Xavier University. She regularly develops customized workshops and training programs, and has taught courses for STFX, Dalhousie and St. Thomas universities. Michelle is a clinical specialist; her private practice is known as Etli Npisimkek Counselling and Consulting Services. She has been counselling and providing crisis-level support to Indigenous communities since 2012.