Population Health

Research in Population Health focuses on risk factor identification, disease prevention and the improvement of public health.

Our researchers, with backgrounds in many disciplines, are particularly interested in vulnerable groups, such as native peoples, women, children, workers, the elderly and the disadvantaged. Several of our researchers work in partnership with Quebec’s Institut national de santé publique, as well as with researchers from other fields.

The main areas of interest are:

• Infectious diseases
• Environmental health
• Occupational health
• Chronic diseases
• Social environment
• Health system organization

The research challenges in this field are immense and concern several issues:

• The impact of major global changes on current and future health issues
• Knowledge transfer as a means of improving our society’s response and adaptation to the risks emerging from global changes
• Risk globalization, resulting in the appearance of new infectious agents
• Environmental and climate changes and their effects on public health
• Population aging
• Diabetes, depression and suicide, and their prevention