Dr. Katherine Kortes-Miller

Director, Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH) https://cerah.lakeheadu.ca; Associate Professor, Research Chair on Aging and End of Life (2023-25) https://www.lakeheadu.ca/research-and-innovation/about/Distinguished
Associate Professor

Department: 
Social Work
Email: 
kkortesm@lakeheadu.ca
Phone Number: 
+1 (807) 343-8010ext. 7204
Office Location: 
RC 3007
Office Hours: 
Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Academic Qualifications: 

MSW, PhD

Previous Teaching/Work: 

Taught the following courses at Lakehead University

  • SOWK 1100 - Introduction to Social Welfare
  • GERO 1100 - Aging in Canada
  • SOWK/GERO 2010 - Introduction to Palliative Care
  • SOWK 2011 - Foundations of Social Work  Practice
  • SOWK/GERO 3437 - Social Work with Older People
  • SOWK/GERO 3439 - Living with Grief and Loss
  • SOWK 4300 - Theory of Social Work Practice
  • SOWK 4401 - Theory of Social Work Practice II
  • HESC 5035 - Qualitative Inquiry
  • SOWK 5214 - Social Work at the End of Life
  • SOWK 5511 - Applied Research Methods
Research Interests: 

My research experience is interdisciplinary and collaborative contributing to a broad range of fields of study including: social work, palliative care education, gerontology, and medical assistance in dying (MAiD). I am committed to improving the care provided at the bedside for our most vulnerable and frail. My intention is to continue to develop a research portfolio that will influence healthcare education and care at the bedside alongside improving organizational and healthcare policy.

Current Research:

  • Disrupting Death; An examination of Canadian experiences with medical assistance in dying (MAiD) (SSHRC Insight Grant received 2022) (Principle Investigator)
  • COVID-19 #Not Just A Visitor; Caregiving in long-term care during lockdown (SSHRC Partnership Engagement Grant received 2020) (Principle Investigator)
  • The Untold Stories of MAiD in Ontario:  Family and loved one's experiences (SSHRC Insight Development Grant received 2019) (Principle Investigator)
  • Caring, Sharing, and Preparing:  Let's talk about later life! (Canadian Frailty Network) (Co-investigator)
  • Deconstructing normativity in gerontology:  Focus on sexual orientation & gender identity.  (SSHRC Partnership Development Grant)  (Co-investigator)
  • Improving palliative care in the home and community:  Building CAPACITI (Community Access to Palliative Care via Interprofessional primary care Teams Intervention) (CIHR Project Grant) (Co-investigator)
  • Valuing the perspectives of LGBT older adults in Canada: An evidence based approach to developing inclusive research and policy agenda (Co-Investigator)
  • Speaking Up and Speaking Out:  A toolkit for healthcare professionals caring for older LGBT adults facing the end of their lives (Principle Investigator)
  • Getting by with a little help from their friends: the role of support and care networks in moderating health inequalities among lesbian, gay, and bisexual older Canadians (Co-Applicant)
  • Palliative Care for First Nations Communities: Supporting Capacity Development (Co-Applicant)
  • Aging with HIV in Canada:  Towards an understanding of psychosocial determinants to support health equity (Co-Investigator)
  • Intersectionality & Aging:  Planning a Way Forward to Improve Policies Related to Aging, Dementia and Mental Health (Co-Investigator)

Selected Publications:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katherine-Kortes-Miller

  • Durant, K. L., & Kortes-Miller, K. (2023). “And Then COVID Hit”:(Re) flexibility of Digital Storytelling in Qualitative Health Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 16094069231170953.
  • Lipinski, E., Wilson, K., Kortes-Miller, K., & Stinchcombe, A. (2022). The power of story: bringing 2SLGBTQ+ digital stories into gerontology settings. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 1-14.
  • Kortes-Miller, K., & Durant, K. L.* (2022). Physician experiences with medical assistance in dying: Qualitative study in northwestern Ontario. Canadian Family Physician, 68(5), e161-e168. *student
  • Hiebert, A.*, & Kortes-Miller, K. (2021). Finding home in online community: exploring TikTok as a support for gender and sexual minority youth throughout COVID-19. Journal of LGBT Youth, 1-18 *student
  • Stinchcombe, A., Kortes-Miller, K., & Wilson, K. (2021). “We Are Resilient, We Made It to This Point”: A Study of the Lived Experiences of Older LGBTQ2S+ Canadians. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 0733464820984893.

Student Supervision:

Kathy is interested in supervising MSW students who are interested in gerontology, grief, MAiD, and palliative and end of life care.