Dr. Chris Sanders

Associate Professor
Sociology
csander2@lakeheadu.ca
+1 (807) 343-8010ext. 8530
RB 2038
As Chair of Sociology, I have an open door policy. I'm on campus most days of the week, please drop by anytime.
Research Areas: 
Academic Qualifications: 

Postdoctoral Fellow (Public Health), Medical College of Wisconsin
PhD (Sociology), York University
MA (Sociology), York University
BA (Honors & Distinction, Sociology), University of California at Santa Barbara

Date joined Lakehead: 
July 2015
Previous Teaching/Work: 

My teaching spans undergraduate and graduate levels and reflects core strengths in sociological theory, mental health and healthcare, sexuality and gender, and disaster and public health studies. My regular teaching rotation includes:

  • SOCI 1100 – Introduction to Sociology
  • SOCI 2012 – LGBT Communities
  • SOCI 3112 – Sociology of Mental Disorder
  • SOCI 3315 – Humor & Society
  • SOCI 4113 – The Sciences of Disaster
  • SOCI 4114 – Sociology of Healthcare
  • SOCI 5010 – Mental Health & Society
  • SOCI 5011 – Global Public Health

Across these courses, I aim to equip students with the conceptual tools of sociology while helping them see the relevance of sociological thinking to everyday life, public policy, and professional practice.

Research Interests: 

I am a medical sociologist whose research sits at the intersection of public health, mental health, and health equity, with a particular focus on rural, LGBT, and Indigenous contexts. My research program integrates theory-driven sociological analysis with applied, community-engaged research aimed at addressing real-world barriers to health and social services.

My work is organized around two closely connected streams. The first examines how social, legal, and institutional structures shape health outcomes, including research on vaccine hesitancy and trust, HIV/AIDS prevention and criminalization, 2SLGBTQI+ health, and mental health and diagnosis. The second is an applied stream focused on access to care and social determinants of health, most notably research on personal identification (PID) as a structural barrier to health, housing, and income supports in Northern Ontario. This work is conducted in partnership with community organizations, legal clinics, and health agencies and is designed to inform policy, advocacy, and service delivery.

My research has been supported by external funding from SSHRC, CIHR, Mitacs, National Institutes of Health, and the Canadian Immunization Research Network, and has resulted in peer-reviewed publications, policy reports, and community-facing knowledge mobilization. I am an affiliated faculty member with the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research, a member of the Ontario Working Group on Criminal Law and HIV Exposure (CLHE), and Chair of the Thunder Bay ID Action Group.

I welcome inquiries from students and collaborators interested in medical sociology, public health, health equity, and community-based research.

Google Scholar Profile