About Us
EPID@Work stands for Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability at Work. We are a research institute at Lakehead University located in Thunder Bay, ON. We conduct community-driven research in the areas of work-related injury and disability prevention with a particular focus on issues relevant to Northwestern Ontario. Our institute has three main focus areas:
- Mental health in the workplace
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation
Our aim is to bring together community and academic professionals to conduct research that is meaningful to all involved. Therefore, we seek to build partnerships with community stakeholders to ensure our research is relevant and timely. Contact us today to learn how you can get involved.
Message from the director:
Welcome to the site for the Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability at Work (EPID@Work) Research Institute! I am the Director and Senior Scientist at EPID@Work. After receiving Research Centre status in 2018 at Lakehead University, we have continued to grow our team and undertake a number of exciting research projects addressing occupational health and safety in Northwestern Ontario. In 2022, we officially became the sixth research centre partner with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
2023 has brought both growth and prosperity to our research institute. As of June, EPID has nine full-time employees, twenty research assistants, plus additional trainees. To accommodate our growing team, EPID has officially acquired three office spaces in the Balmoral Alumni House, including meeting space to allow us to host community and stakeholder meetings for research projects.
Here at EPID, we continue to engage with the community through a variety of Knowledge Mobilization initiatives, including our ongoing EPID Talks series, strategic network outreach and consultations with key stakeholders. EPID is also currently planning for the largest cohort study ever conducted in Northwestern Ontario which will examine workplace factors for mental health and wellbeing in the workplace as targets for intervention development specific to our region. Our intention is to start recruitment for this study by the end of the summer.
We encourage you to explore our site to find out more about who we are, what we do, and how you can be part of it. If you are interested in workplace health and safety, please do not hesitate to contact us at epid.hbsc@lakeheadu.ca and get involved!
Sincerely,
Dr. Vicki L Kristman, PhD
LU – Ontario Research Chair in Injury & Disability Prevention
Director & Senior Scientist, EPID@Work Research Institute
Professor, Department of Health Sciences
Mandate
Our mandate is to bring people together to reduce impacts of work-related injury and work disability through collaborative applied research and provision of education to enhance knowledge related to injury and disability. Information generated from our research will inform practice and policies aiming to improve health and social outcomes in Northwestern Ontario and beyond.
Goals
- Conduct high-quality, transdisciplinary research in the areas of work-related injury and disability prevention, with a focus on issues relevant to Northwestern Ontario;
- Participate in integrated knowledge exchange with community stakeholders and the greater research community participating at all phases of the research process;
- Provide an exemplary training and experience opportunity for the next generation of transdisciplinary researchers in Northwestern Ontario and beyond; and
- Enable community stakeholders to easily and centrally access Lakehead's research expertise and knowledge in the areas of work-related injury and disability prevention through the provision of research and education services.
Objectives
- Support the development and increase the volume of quality of collaborative grant applications submitted to tri-council funding agencies and other granting bodies;
- Increase the involvement of early career faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, and community partners in research;
- Increase the number of research projects related to work-related injury and disability prevention in Northwestern Ontario;
- Increase the output and dissemination of research knowledge produced by members of the Research Institute; and
- Provide training and research services to community stakeholders.
