Service portfolio

Active citizenship in the university, the discipline, and the community.

My service contributions span institutional governance at SFU, leadership of national scholarly and professional organizations, and sustained engagement with governments, non-profits, and communities applying our science to real-world challenges.

Service to the institution

Building SFU's scholarly environment.

I contribute to the collegial governance and academic infrastructure of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the wider University, with a focus on equity, curriculum, and graduate education.

Faculty of Health Sciences · standing & ad hoc committees

University-wide service

Service to the scholarly & professional community

Leadership of national networks and disciplinary infrastructure.

I lead two national charities, chair scientific conferences in my field, and contribute substantial peer-review and editorial leadership to public-health and behavioural-science journals.

Founding leadership of national organizations

Scientific conference leadership

Scholarly work with journals

Grant-review & peer-review service

Service to the broader community

Engagement at the science–policy interface.

My community-engaged service involves advisory contributions to government ministries, knowledge translation with national charities, and direct briefings to decision-makers. The throughline is making the evidence on social connection, climate, and mental health useful where decisions are actually made.

Government & ministry advisory roles

  • 2024Disaster & Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment Committee (DCRRA). BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness; Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; Climate Action Secretariat.
  • 2019–21Psychedelic Medicine Assisted Therapy Steering Committee. BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.
  • 2024Age-Friendly Communities Program Advisory Board. BC Healthy Communities.

National & international scholarly bodies

  • 2025–Strategic Plan Steering Committee. Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing.
  • 2025–Insight Council, Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults. Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health.
  • 2024–Research Advisory Board. The Conference Board of Canada.

Direct policy translation & briefings

  • UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights - Submission on strengthening young people's mental health and human rights through social connection (2026).
  • Office of the Governor of California - Invited briefing on social-connection research, policy, and practice (2025).
  • Public Health Agency of Canada - Confidential briefing note: “Addressing the Epidemic of Male Loneliness in Canada” (2025); briefing on Public Health Guidelines for Social Connection (2025).
  • House of Commons of Canada - Subject of a Member Statement recognizing the GenWell Project and the Canadian Alliance for Social Connection and Health.
  • Loneliness Taskforce Research Network (ALONE Ireland) - Invited presentation on anti-loneliness public-health strategy (2025).

Community organizations & service partners

  • Awards Committee, United Way Social Meals (2024)
  • Knowledge Mobilization, Canadian Red Cross friendly-call program (2024–25)
  • Mental-health and climate-readiness webinars with Métis Nation BC (2024)
  • Plan H Webinar, BC Healthy Communities (2023)
Affiliations

Professional memberships.

Society for Personality and Social Psychology International Association for Relationship Research International Association for Sex Research Canadian Sex Research Forum Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) Faculty of Graduate Studies, UVic (Associate Member) Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics & Society (Advisory Board)