Peniston, an associate professor in the School of Nursing, is the fourth faculty member to hold the fellowship since it was introduced in 2023. Her project, titled “Global Citizenship: Experiential, Decolonial and Transformative Teaching and Learning for a Healthy and Just World,” aims to prepare students to graduate as both skilled health professionals and ethically engaged global citizens.

"We want students to graduate with ethical responsibility and global awareness of what's happening in the world, because there are real-world issues that will impact their profession," says Peniston.

The project unfolds across three interconnected objectives.

The first is professional development for faculty: equipping educators across the Faculty of Health with the tools and frameworks to weave international citizenship themes into their existing courses. The second is Faculty-wide curriculum transformation, co-developing a pan-Faculty general education course and classroom modular teaching resources centred on global citizenship, health equity and sustainability. The third is preparing students to be globally minded by developing their critical thinking, ethical reasoning and ability to work across perspectives, so they graduate seeing themselves as agents of change who feel capable of addressing real-world health challenges.

The most tangible deliverable is a digital global citizenship badge that students can add to their CV or LinkedIn profile, signalling they have engaged meaningfully with health equity, sustainability and social justice during their time at York.

“I want every student graduating from the Faculty of Health to leave not only with expertise in their discipline, but also as a global scholar equipped to engage with the world," says Peniston.

Earning the digital badge will require completing specific elective courses related to global citizenship, including the proposed interdisciplinary pan-University course, participating in a capstone project through York's Cross Campus Capstone Classroom (C4) and engaging with York International's learning partnerships.

Together, these elements are designed to create experiential and digitally connected learning opportunities that reach beyond the classroom.

Peniston also plans to develop a health-focused teaching toolkit to support faculty in incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals into their classrooms, building on work she completed through a previous Academic Innovation Fund grant.

Running through all three objectives is a commitment to decolonial teaching practices by centring a broader range of voices, perspectives and ways of knowing in health education.

The decolonial focus is grounded in practical classroom application rather than abstract theory. Peniston points to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action as one framework, and describes integrating Indigenous scholarship, diverse global perspectives and non-biomedical voices into what students read and hear.

"It's bringing in diverse perspectives and materials for students to engage with, inviting Indigenous scholars and other historically underrepresented voices, creating space to listen to those voices that haven't been heard and must be heard," she says.

Peniston will measure success at three levels: changes in student thinking about their professional roles and global responsibilities; increases in the number of faculty incorporating global citizenship modules into their teaching; and the Faculty of Health's ability to demonstrate leadership in socially accountable health education.

"What I find most exciting is the opportunity to work across all the schools in the Faculty of Health to co-create something together," she says. "It's about more than one course or one program; it's about building a shared approach to teaching that connects disciplines and prepares students for the world they're entering after graduation."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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At żě˛ĄĘÓƵ, researchers are addressing that gap by bringing patient partners into the conversation to learn from lived experience.

Through its Muscle Health Research Centre (MHRC), York is advancing research that connects scientific inquiry with the lived realities of people affected by conditions and diseases that impact muscle health, ensuring that studies and knowledge-sharing efforts account for how mobility, independence and quality of life are impacted.

The approach recognizes that certain aspects of muscle health are difficult to fully capture without perspectives from those navigating these realities daily.

“Recognizing lived experience as a critical source of knowledge helps to inform future research, education and public understanding related to the real-world impacts facing those living with muscle health disease,” says Christopher Perry, professor and director of the MHRC.

This perspective is particularly relevant for individuals living with mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic condition that affects how cells produce energy.

Working with patient partners, Perry says many report that muscle weakness, fatigue and changes in mobility can cause decline in the ability to execute everyday activities, plan long term and maintain independence. It’s these factors, he says, that are often difficult to capture through clinical measures alone.

“For individuals living with mitochondrial disease, changes in muscle function can emerge gradually or after long periods of stability,” he says. “As mobility declines, the impact extends beyond physical symptoms, requiring adaptation to both physical and emotional well-being.”

Kate Murray, CEO of MitoCanada, says when this decline happens, individuals experience a sense of loss.

“There’s a grieving process for the life and independence they once had,” she says. “From our perspective at MitoCanada, a big part of what we try to do is make sure lived experiences are part of the conversation and stay grounded in what people are navigating in their lives.”

Adding to the challenge is the absence of disease-specific treatments. However, patient partners share one approach helps: exercise.

Resistance and strength training for those living with mitochondrial disease can help maintain function and independence – and Murray says it's important to rethink what exercise can mean in this context.

“I’ve heard community members describe exercise almost as a form of hope. They feel empowered and optimistic about the potential to slow their decline or maintain what they have,” she says. “For these individuals, exercise isn’t about performance or pushing limits, it’s about maintaining function, independence and quality of life.”

Patient partner Louise Gibson, a mitoAmbassador and community advocate with MitoCanada, shares this perspective and will present her insights and experiences to York researchers at the upcoming Muscle Health Awareness Day (MHAD), now in its 17th year.

As a patient advocate, she brings lived experience into research and education settings, helping inform health care teams, support patient education and advocate for greater awareness of rare diseases.

She also emphasizes the role of accessible exercise in maintaining function and quality of life for people living with mitochondrial disease.

“It is difficult to fully understand the conditions we study without hearing from people who live with them every day, which is why the Muscle Health Research Centre is focused on creating space for those voices and finding better ways to ensure they are heard,” says Perry.

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The initiative is part of the ’s fourth-year course Sport and International Development (KINE 4310) that engages students in community-driven projects with local and global organizations.

Led by Associate Professor Lyndsay Hayhurst as part of a community-service learning (CSL) initiative, 45 undergraduate students partnered with seven organizations – Jays Care Foundation, Commonwealth Sport Canada, Free to Run, Skateistan, Prezdential Basketball, Canadian Women & Sport and the International Platform on Sport and Development – to effect real-world change.

Working in small groups, students contributed approximately 25 hours over the term to support partner-identified priorities related to: gender equity; monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning; newcomer inclusion and belonging; climate justice; and youth development.

Each group developed a structured work plan, maintained regular communication with their partner organization and completed a midterm progress report and final report outlining their research, analysis and recommendations.

A core focus of the course was knowledge mobilization, with students producing accessible, action-oriented resources designed to be used in practice by organizations. These outputs included monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) toolkits, policy briefs, infographics, coaching resources and digital content strategies.

The course concluded with a final in-class conference where students presented their knowledge mobilization outputs to partner organizations followed by discussion and feedback from partners and peers.

Partner organizations said the presentations offered practical relevance, clarity and creativity of the presentations, noting that several recommendations would be adopted to inform ongoing programming, evaluation and policy development.

The work, Hayhurst notes, highlights how students are engaging with contemporary challenges shaping sport and development practice.

One project, for example, worked on a policy brief on trans and non-binary inclusion for Canadian Women & Sport just as the International Olympic Committee released new guidance on trans athletes participating in women’s sport.

“The real-time policy shift that is widely interpreted as excluding trans athletes from women’s sports brought urgency to the group’s presentation and sparked conversations about how community sport organizations in Canada can respond with more inclusive, equity-focused approaches,” says Hayhurst.

The Jays Care student group worked on researching how youth-facing barriers to sport participation – and the efforts to address them – shape access, retention and experiences in community baseball. The project maintained a specific gender analysis, with attention to girls’ participation in the broader community-based landscape. Working with Jays Care, students presented an infographic exploring how equity, access, safe spaces, inclusive environments and meaningful participation translate (or fail to translate) into tangible outcomes for girls in baseball across Canada.

Alexandra Blanchard, director of strategy at Jays Care Foundation and York alum, says working with the students was positive experience, noting they were enthusiastic, curious and a pleasure to engage with.

“It's energizing to connect with the next generation of students who are passionate about the field and I'd jump at the chance to do it again,” says Blanchard. “University partnerships like this are a wonderful way to bridge research and community practice, and we'd recommend the experience to any community organization looking to do the same.”

In addition to applied research experience, the CSL model supports skill development in research, communication, teamwork and problem-solving.

“This course has run for the last 10 years with the goal of moving beyond traditional learning by engaging students in collaborative, community-driven projects,” says Hayhurst. â€śStudents are not only developing critical insights into sport, development and social justice, but importantly, they are also creating tangible knowledge mobilization outputs that will be taken up in practice by community partners.”

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With people living longer than ever before, dementia is becoming a common part of aging worldwide.

Parmis Mirzadeh, a Faculty of Health doctoral candidate in kinesiology and health science, says “Dementia is a growing global public health challenge, with over 50 million people affected worldwide and numbers expected to rise substantially in the coming decades.”

Despite its prevalence, Mirzadeh explains, there is still no cure for the condition and existing treatments have only limited effects. As a result, researchers increasingly see prevention as a critical response; however, preventing a condition that develops slowly, often over decades, requires a better understanding of how routine, potentially changeable habits influence risk over the long term.

While previous research links exercise and sleep to dementia, the evidence has often been fragmented. Few large reviews have examined physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep collectively – particularly in middle‑aged adults, when prevention efforts may be most effective.

“Understanding how these everyday behaviours relate to dementia risk earlier in the life course can help inform prevention strategies because they can be targeted through public health and clinical interventions,” says Mirzadeh.

Mirzadeh and Akinkunle Oye-Somefun, a recently graduated PhD student, have addressed this gap with a new study published in which was supervised by Chris Ardern, Faculty of Health associate dean of research and innovation.

The żě˛ĄĘÓƵ-led team conducted a systematic review and meta‑analysis of dozens of long‑running cohort studies dating back to the 1940s and representing millions of adults aged 35 and older. “It provided an opportunity to better understand how daily habits like physical activity, sedentary time and sleep collectively shape brain health over time,” says Mirzadeh.

The study suggests that how people move and rest across the day may be one important piece of protecting brain health as populations age.

The study pooled results across this research to identify consistent patterns among the nearly three million participants included in the analysis. Clear associations emerged across each of the movement patterns examined.

Researchers found that people who met standard physical activity guidelines – roughly 150 minutes of activity per week – had about a 25 per cent lower probability of onset dementia compared with those who were inactive.

The analysis also found that those who slept substantially less than seven hours per night, as well as those who regularly slept more than eight hours, were more likely to experience onset dementia than those who slept seven to eight hours. Longer sleep duration showed the strongest association, echoing earlier research suggesting it may reflect underlying health or early neurological changes.

Sedentary habits proved to be one of the more difficult areas to analyze. “One of the more surprising findings was how sparse the data remains for sedentary behaviour, despite it being recognized as a distinct health risk for more than a decade,” says Mirzadeh. Even so, the available research points to a consistent pattern: individuals who spent eight hours or more per day sitting are more likely to develop dementia.

Taken together, the findings suggest that staying physically active, limiting long periods of sitting and getting a moderate amount of sleep are each associated with better brain health over the long term.

The authors stress that these findings show associations, not cause and effect. Being active or sleeping well does not make someone immune to dementia and factors such as genetics, education and overall health still play major roles. The researchers also note limitations in the available evidence and call for future studies that track movement and sleep over time using objective tools like wearable devices.

Even so, the patterns were strong and consistent enough to matter.

“We hope this work helps raise awareness that everyday behaviours such as physical activity, sedentary time and sleep are associated with brain health,” says Mirzadeh. “Because these are modifiable, they represent practical targets for interventions aimed at reducing dementia risk at the population level.”

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The study, published in , tested a multi-agent system built with large language models (LLMs) to simulate the work of a liver transplant selection committee – a multidisciplinary group that decides which patients are placed on transplant waitlists.

Using real-world transplant registry data, the AI system demonstrated high accuracy in identifying patients who are likely to benefit from a liver transplant and those for whom transplantation would be unlikely to help.

“Liver transplantation is a rare case in medicine where access to a life-saving treatment is limited by organ availability,” explains co-senior author Divya Sharma, assistant professor in the Faculty of Science. “Decisions about who is waitlisted are complex, and committee deliberations can be subject to unconscious bias where a clinician's own background or identity may subtly influence their judgement, even when national guidelines are in place.”

Researchers set out to test whether AI agents – each assigned a clinical role – could support more objective decision-making. To test the approach at scale, researchers evaluated the system against transplant outcomes data.

The study analyzed 20 years of data from more than 8,000 adult liver transplant recipients in the U.S. using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. A simulated group of patients with known contraindications was also created to test the system’s accuracy in flagging cases that should be excluded from transplant consideration.

Results show the AI committee predicted one-year post-transplant survival with 92 per cent accuracy and six-month survival with 95 per cent accuracy. Contraindications were identified with an accuracy of more than 98 per cent, thereby identifying transplant candidates efficiently.

The research team also examined where errors occurred to better understand where the AI system works well, and where it needs careful oversight and improvement. The authors caution that continued monitoring is needed because transplant data can reflect broader inequities in access to health care.

“Our work positions LLM-based multi-agent AI systems as potential clinical decision-support tools, rather than replacements for human judgement,” says Sharma. “While AI shows promise in making liver transplant decisions more objective, it’s crucial to emphasize that the final responsibility must always remain with transplant teams and human oversight is critical to address ethical considerations.”

Sharma says while more research is needed to test the AI tools in real-world settings across different health systems, AI-supported committees have potential to help standardize complex medical decisions where resources are limited.

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In collaboration with Internet Archive Canada, a non-profit digital library, the MHSO is making its collection of multicultural newspapers – one of the most comprehensive in the country, with titles dating back to the 19th century – freely accessible online to scholars, educators and the public.

Housed within the offices of żě˛ĄĘÓƵ’s Institute for Social Research (ISR), the MHSO’s archive was previously hosted by Simon Fraser University Library but is now migrating to a centralized, open-access platform designed to ensure long-term preservation and improve discoverability.

The initiative has launched with – The New Canadian, The Canadian Jewish Review, The Canadian Jewish News and L’Ami du Peuple – which document the experiences of Japanese Canadian, Jewish Canadian and Franco Ontarian communities.

Additional titles, including Chinese Canadian Community News and The Chinese Times, are being added, with more publications from the MHSO’s extensive collection to follow.

“Ethnic and francophone newspapers were vital instruments for community members to engage with and express their views on contemporary events,” says Julia Rady, Chair and president of MHSO. “Through our collaboration with Internet Archive Canada, there is now a single platform for people to discover and research these important resources, helping to preserve their legacy for generations to come.”

“This partnership significantly expands access to rare and historically important primary sources,” says Lorne Foster, director of ISR. “For York researchers – and scholars at other institutions – it supports new and existing work in areas such as migration and diaspora studies, history, sociology and equity-focused research.”

Beyond preservation and access, the collaboration also creates opportunities for student engagement. Under its agreement with York, the MHSO provides orientation and training for students working with its archives, supports work-study and co-op placements, and connects students with community historians and organizations. York is also represented on the MHSO’s board of directors.

The development builds on York’s and the MHSO’s shared leadership in digital research and cultural preservation. The ISR helped bring the MHSO to York’s Keele Campus in 2023, contributing to a growing digital ecosystem that includes searchable archives of oral histories, newspapers, photographs and textual records documenting the experiences of ethnocultural and Indigenous communities across Ontario.

“By supporting open, digital access to these materials,” says Foster, “the initiative helps preserve and amplify the histories of underrepresented communities in Canada, while highlighting the University’s role in fostering inclusive research infrastructure through its hosting of the MHSO and its connections with community-based knowledge.”

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An associate professor of math education at żě˛ĄĘÓƵ’s Faculty of Education, Osibodu focuses her research on how Black students experience math and how education systems can better support equity.

“I want Black learners who enter a mathematics classroom to be fully, completely themselves instead of feeling like they don’t belong,” says Osibodu, who is keenly aware of the persistent and unfounded stereotypes about Black learners’ abilities in math – and how those beliefs intersect with Canada’s colonial legacy and history of immigration.

Osibodu’s teaching experience across three continents has fuelled her interest in and passion for addressing challenges faced by Black students in Canada. Before joining York, she taught secondary school mathematics in South Africa and later taught mathematics and mathematics education courses in the U.S. and Canada. Her research has since documented a range of obstacles faced by Black students in Canadian classrooms.

“It’s impossible to look at course syllabi without realizing that it’s important for equity to be at the core of the teaching practice,” she says. “My ultimate goal is to create math education where Black learners are thriving.”

A key aspect of her work is understanding how Black students experience math, which, in Canada, requires knowledge of the population’s demography. As her colleague Carl James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at żě˛ĄĘÓƵ, has long emphasized, the Canadian Black community is diverse – including descendants who arrived via the Underground Railroad, families who immigrated from the Caribbean decades ago and more recent immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa – leading to a variety of educational experiences.

“It’s something I hope to explore,” Osibodu says. “In the United States, many scholars in mathematics education have studied the racialized experiences of Black learners and can trace these experiences through generations. In Canada, that isn’t the experience of most Africans, who are largely first-generation immigrants with a fairly young population.

African-born parents tend to be trusting of education systems, she notes. “I want to understand how these parents navigate the mathematics education of their children in the Canadian system. I want to collaborate with and support these parents with more tools to advocate for their children better.”

Osibodu is also examining how math education can address broader social and economic realities. Together with Alexandre Cavalcante at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, she has findings from their Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Development Grant exploring critical financial literacy among Black youth. The work highlights the importance of teaching financial literacy in response to Ontario’s 2020 mathematics curriculum, which introduced financial literacy expectations.

The research emphasizes that financial literacy should be taught through a systemic lens (e.g. discussing barriers to financial systems) rather than focusing exclusively on personal responsibility (e.g. budgeting).

Osibodu’s scholarship often draws on decoloniality as a theoretical and analytical lens, particularly for work directly connected to sub-Saharan Africa. One of her examined the impact of coloniality through the widespread use of the British-developed Cambridge Assessment International Education curriculum throughout anglophone Africa.

Across her work, Osibodu returns to the same principle for math education worldwide.

“It is imperative for equity to be at the core of a mathematics education practice and to constantly challenge deficit narratives about who belongs and who doesn’t,” Osibodu says. “We need to be very intentional in pushing against those narratives.”

With files from Elaine Smith

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For people who have experienced trauma, early support is critical for regulating distress and restoring a sense of safety. But Harmsen, a PhD candidate in York’s Clinical‑Developmental Psychology program and the Trauma & Attachment Lab, notes that individualized, in‑person therapy isn’t always accessible. Cost, distance, time constraints, mobility challenges and a shortage of trained clinicians can all stand in the way.

During – and after – the COVID‑19 pandemic, many mental health services shifted online to reach more people, she explains. Alongside individual sessions, clinicians also began offering more virtual group formats. Trauma therapy in that format allows multiple survivors to receive care at once. The virtual format can foster a sense of shared understanding and may reduce stigma by helping participants see their responses as common, rather than isolating.

Despite its potential, Harmsen says group therapy remains an underused resource, in part because of lingering public hesitation. That gap helped inspire a research project she's been part of, now published in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, which tested whether online, skills‑based trauma groups could offer meaningful early‑stage support – and how to make them as effective as possible.

The project was developed by a team at York's Trauma & Attachment Lab, directed by psychology professor Robert T. Muller. Harmsen worked collaboratively with Muller and York postdoctoral fellow ł§˛ą°ů˛ąĚý¸é±đ±č±đ˛Ô»ĺ˛ą,Ěý±Ęłó¶ŮĚýł¦˛ą˛Ô»ĺľ±»ĺ˛ąłŮ±đĚýGeorge Langdon, and clinical psychologist Anna Baranowsky. The team designed an eight‑week, skills‑based trauma program delivered in partnership with the community organization Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities. The initiative was offered entirely online and focused on grounding, self‑regulation, basic coping strategies and psychoeducation – tools to help individuals manage distress safely, without detailed trauma disclosure.

“Our guiding goal was to understand how to create an online program that was informative, practical and helpful, particularly during a difficult time,” Harmsen says.

The study followed 178 adults who took part in a series of small, closed online groups between 2020 and 2024. To assess impact, the research team compared changes in participants’ symptoms before the group began with those measured after the final session.

The results were encouraging. PTSD symptoms declined much more after participants completed the program than during the waiting period beforehand, suggesting the program's success. About one‑third of people showed clinically meaningful improvements, with symptoms easing across areas such as intrusive memories, avoidance, and negative mood and thinking. More than a quarter of those who initially scored in the range associated with probable PTSD fell below that screening threshold by the end of the program.

Soon after completing that project, the research team conducted a follow‑up study to better understand why some participants benefited more than others. Although online trauma groups are increasingly used, Harmsen says far less research has examined the factors that help explain how and why they work.

“There are so many different types of therapy,” she says. “Identifying when online group therapy is most successful, and how to use it effectively, is important.”

The follow‑up study examined the experiences of 80 adults drawn from the same community‑based program. Those who participated completed symptom questionnaires before and after the experience, along with post‑program feedback on dynamics and satisfaction.

What stood out most was that satisfaction – not group climate – predicted improvement. Participants who felt the techniques were clearly explained, easy to understand and practical in everyday life showed the largest reductions in trauma‑related symptoms.

In the paper, the researchers note this does not mean the collective setting was unimportant; rather, the findings suggest that for early‑stage, skills‑based trauma groups, the primary value comes from expanding access and delivering practical tools safely and efficiently. Individual improvements, however, depend on how clearly those tools are taught and how easily they can be applied in daily life.

Harmsen stresses that more research is still needed, including randomized trials and longer‑term follow‑up. In the meantime, she hopes the work highlights how early stabilization in online group settings can be a valuable part of broader trauma‑care pathways, and encourages clinicians to think carefully about how similar programs are designed and facilitated.

“Understanding how to make online group therapy as effective as possible will help make services more accessible to those in need,” she says. “I hope this research encourages people to consider using online group therapy in their practices and provides some guidance on how to make the most of these groups.”

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Created in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the initiative brings together researchers, community organizations and international partners to build knowledge and capacity to respond to the global water crisis.

With Shooka Karimpour, associate professor at the , as academic director, the academy supports learning, strengthens global dialogue and bridges water knowledge with decision-making and public policy.

"Water insecurity means different things for different groups and different demographics," says Karimpour.

While some water challenges are shared internationally, she says, the academy also works to highlight local issues – from changing ice patterns in Canada to the impact of drought on specific communities elsewhere in the world.

That dual focus shapes everything the academy does. Its free online courses are open to learners worldwide at no cost. Offerings include “On Thin Ice: The Impacts of Climate Change on Freshwater Ice” and “An Introduction to Indigenous Relationships to Water on Turtle Island,” among others.

The courses aim to build practical knowledge of water systems, governance and sustainability at both local and global scales – whether the learner is a student, a community organizer or a policy professional.

In 2024, the academy engaged nearly 8,000 participants from 147 countries through courses, events and partnerships including United Nations conferences, international research collaborations and public exhibitions.

One of its most recent collaborations illustrates how that work translates beyond the classroom. For World Water Day 2026, the Global Water Academy partnered with the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto to present a Microplastics Discovery Station. This brought York scientists directly to the public to demonstrate how microscopic plastic particles move through aquatic ecosystems. Visitors examined water samples, identified microplastics and engaged with researchers first-hand.

For Karimpour, the event captured something central to the academy's mission: moving water science from the digital space into hands-on, in-person public engagement with communities.

There is also work happening with community-based organizations to surface stories and solutions that connect research to lived experience.

A with water activist Swani Keelson and the non-profit Global Water Promise examined how water insecurity in Ghana affects women's physical and mental health – and how limited access to clean water compounds broader inequalities, including period poverty and barriers to education.

"We are providing them with a platform and opportunity to share not only global water insecurity issues, but also innovative solutions that have been developed to mitigate this problem," says Karimpour. "Our goal is to raise awareness and ultimately inspire collective action."

That combination of training, storytelling and public programming reflects how the work aligns with York's broader sustainability agenda.

While its mandate is rooted in Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water and sanitation – the issues it engages consistently extend into climate resilience, health, gender equity and governance. The work around the Ghana story advances SDG 5 on gender equality, while the microplastics research supports SDG 14, life below water.

"You can't really confine the impact to one SDG because water availability is such a deep issue," says Karimpour. "It really affects and falls into a lot of other SDGs as well."

Karimpour credits strong institutional support from York, including from University leadership, as central to the academy's growth. Looking ahead, Karimpour says it will continue to build new courses and partnerships, with an emphasis on reaching communities that have the most at stake in global water insecurity.

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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In 2023, a Canadian-wide review of undergraduate nursing programs found that of all 2SLGBTQIA+ topics, gender-affirming care was the least included in the curriculum. Haghiri-Vijehan, assistant professor in the Faculty of Health, was not surprised given her own experience as an educator.

“The literature shows that 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are not feeling safe and health care spaces are not affirming of their needs,” she says. “We need to include this as part of our education.”

As she considered how to incorporate more affirming care practices into her Community Health Nursing course, Haghiri‑Vijeh turned to an asynchronous learning tool called the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Virtual Simulation (SOGI VS). The open‑access platform offers five‑ to eight‑hour modules featuring common patient scenarios, using interactive simulations to help learners identify appropriate, affirming approaches to care.

Haghiri-Vijeh integrated the tool into her course, but went a step further when she learned about York’s GNL initiative. The opportunity sparked a new idea: what if this simulation could become the foundation of a shared international assignment? It seemed like a powerful way to bring students in two countries into conversation, help them build intercultural competence and test whether a reflective, virtual global partnership could support that growth. Just as importantly, she hoped the project might serve as a practical model for other nursing programs.

To bring the collaboration to life, the GNL team at York connected Haghiri‑Vijeh with Alice Wong, a nursing lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).

The process behind that has now been published in a paper in . Wong is a co-author along with York colleague Karen A. Campbell and York master’s student Camille Alcalde.

In the paper, the team outlines how they shaped the shared assignment. Early on, Haghiri‑Vijeh and Wong came together to learn about each other’s institutions, consult with their universities’ GNL offices, test the simulation tool and work together to design their co‑teaching approach.

They aligned the assignment timelines across their courses while keeping the activities asynchronous to accommodate the 12‑hour time difference. Students were required to complete the SOGI VS modules on their own and write a three‑page reflection connecting the experience to their specific placements or practicums. They also submitted an aesthetic piece of their choosing – a song, image, drawing or other creative representation – to capture how the coursework resonated with them.

From there, the students were paired across the two countries. York and HKBU partners exchanged reflections and offered constructive feedback. Guiding questions encouraged students to explore similarities and differences between their placements, and to reflect on at least one social determinant of health and one UN Sustainable Development Goal. Then students were asked to write a second reflection capturing what they had learned from the dialogue.

As the exchanges unfolded, both faculty and students began to see the impact of the work. Assignments and class discussions showed students learning about approaches to 2SLGBTQIA+ care in another country, but also about the social and institutional contexts shaping those approaches. Faculty gathered informal feedback through conversations and the student assignments, and identified increased awareness around issues such as cis-normativity, power dynamics in health care organizations and the importance of inclusive policies and representation in clinical settings.

When the project concluded, its success prompted Haghiri‑Vijeh to write about it with the hope of inspiring similar efforts across the field. A second paper is already under consideration with another major journal, this time exploring the data more closely to identify implications for nursing education. Three students are also developing autoethnographies based on their participation, and several alumni have presented their work at international conferences.

Haghiri‑Vijeh continues to advance her work through a recent to learn about migrant 2SLGBTQIA+ students’ sense of belonging and well-being.

For Haghiri‑Vijeh, student involvement has been among the most meaningful outcomes.

“Where possible, we engage students in the writing and co‑creation of knowledge,” she says. “Asking them if they would like to be involved builds capacity for them, as well.”

She is eager to continue the initiative, including with partners beyond nursing. Conversations are already underway with U.S.-based colleagues in psychology and social work.

“I'm a big believer that if you're doing anything that might be innovative or helpful for others, you have to share it,” she says. “You have to mobilize your knowledge.”

With files from Suzanne Bowness

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