Dr. Kate Storey, PhD, RD
Director
Dr. Kate Storey is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, CIHR/PHAC Applied Public Health Chair, and Distinguished Researcher, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. Kate is a Centre for Healthy Communities Scientist and Lead for ‘Healthy Schools.’ An established leader in creating healthy communities, she has been awarded over $11M (PI/Co-PI) in grants and contracts. She has implemented, evaluated, and scaled healthy living programs in communities with thousands of children and has established partnerships across sectors and levels to facilitate sustainability.
SIRCLE Staff
Genevieve Montemurro, BA, MSc
Senior Program Lead
Genevieve Montemurro provides strategic planning, operational management, and research coordination for SIRCLE Lab. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a Master of Science in Health Promotion in 2009 and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2006. Joining the SIRCLE Lab in 2011, she brings expertise in public health research, qualitative research and evaluation, implementation science, and knowledge translation. She has been recognized for her contribution to research success at the University of Alberta, receiving the 2020 Support Staff Research Enhancement Award.
Megan MacNeil, MPH, PhD Candidate
Graduate Research Assistant
Megan is a PhD student at the University of Alberta. She is also a Knowledge Broker with Solutions for Kids in Pain, a national knowledge mobilization network. She is currently researching school and community-based approaches to sleep promotion in children and youth. Megan has over 15 years of experience leading community health and digital health programs and has a background in polysomnography and sleep laboratory operations. She is passionate about children’s health and helping families access quality care where and when they need it most. Megan currently holds a WCHRI Graduate Studentship Award funded by the generous support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation through the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute. In addition, she is a recipient of the 2022 Community University Partnership Graduate Student Equity Award.
Danielle Klassen, BA, PhD candidate
Graduate Research Assistant
Danielle is a PhD student at the University of Alberta. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2017. She has previously worked in areas of Applied Health Research evaluating community-based programming and Institutional Research. She is currently conducting research to understand the impact of Comprehensive School Health at the community level through the school-based wellness promotion program ‘A Project Promoting healthy Living for Everyone in schools’ (APPLE Schools). Danielle held a WCHRI Graduate Studentship award from 2020-2022 funded by the generous support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation through the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute. She is also 2020 recipient of the Dawn Bucharski Graduate Award in Health Promotion and the 2021 Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship.
Stephanie Brooks, MSc, PhD candidate
PhD Student
Stephanie is a PhD Candidate (Public Health, University of Alberta) in the SIRCLE lab. She also works as a Program Coordinator, Stakeholder Engagement for the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, Learning Health System Team. Stephanie is a qualitative applied scientist who has worked in various community and clinical settings to improve health information and strengthen multi-stakeholder research partnerships. Her current work is focused on learning how implementation science can be used in learning health systems to accelerate the movement of research evidence into practice.
Keatton Tiernan, BSc (Hons.), MSc candidate
Graduate Research Assistant
Keatton is an Indigenous Master of Science Health Promotion student at the University of Alberta. He graduated from the University of Victoria in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science (Honours), majoring in Kinesiology. His previous work focused on the intersections of community-based health education, leadership, and digital health. Keatton joined the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program for its commitment to promoting the Mino-Bimaadiziwin/Miyo-
Shivani Solanki, BSc, MSc candidate
Graduate Research Assistant
Shivani is a Master of Science Health Promotion student at the University of Alberta. She graduated from MacEwan University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Psychology with a minor in Biological Sciences. Her previous research has involved student mental health, environmental sustainability practices in the social work field, and oil sands ecotoxicology. She is currently supporting process evaluation research for the STOMP Program (Students Together Moving to Prevent Tobacco Use). Her thesis research is aimed at understanding the impact of peer-led, school-based smoking and vaping prevention and cessation interventions for Canadian youth, using qualitative arts-based research.
McKayla Kirkpatrick, BSc (Hons), MSc candidate
MSc Student
McKayla is a Master of Science Health Promotion student at the University of Alberta. She completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) at MacEwan University in 2022. She currently works as a student researcher with the Kidney Cancer Research Network of Canada to support the Canadian Kidney Cancer Information System database. In this role, she has had the opportunity to explore clinical research and learn from the experiences of cancer patients. McKayla is currently serving as the MSc Director-at-Large for the School of Public Health Students’ Association and as a Social Media Coordinator for the SPHSA’s Wellness subcommittee. She fosters her lifelong passion for working with youth by volunteering as a Boys & Girls Club Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor and by working part-time as a dance instructor. Through these experiences, mentorship has become an area of research interest. McKayla’s thesis research will focus on the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program.
Aviva Sharma, BSc, MSc candidate
MSc Student
Aviva is a Master of Science Health Promotion student at the University of Alberta, beginning her program in September 2023.
Past SIRCLE Trainees
Dr. Fatheema Subhan
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2019-2021)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Catalyzing and sustaining the Indigenous Youth Mentorship Program in Alberta
Melissa Bird
MSc (2020)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Child and Parent Perceptions of Sleep Behaviours: Shaping Policy and Practice Development of School-based Sleep Promotion in Canada
Pamela Mellon
MSc (2023)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Student, Parent, and Teacher Perspectives to Inform and Strengthen School-based Sleep Promotion
Dr. Nicole Ofosu
PhD (2019)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Sustainability of the health benefits of the APPLE Schools comprehensive school health program.
Dr. Kacey Neely
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2016-2018)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Exploration of the optimal implementation of school health programs and policies.
Pierrette Elias
MSc (2018)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Care providers’ perceptions in promoting healthy eating and physical activity in the after-school setting.
Christine McKernan
MSc (2016)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
How do health behaviours acquired at school translate into the home? The exploration of a photovoice project among students in APPLE Schools.
Erica Roberts
MSc (2015)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
The role of the APPLE school principal in knowledge exchange and in implementing comprehensive school health to create a healthy school culture.
Dr. Yen Li Chu
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2012-2014)
School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Nutritional behaviours and health of Alberta youth.
