Mckenzie Tilstra
McKenzie is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Epidemiology at the University of Alberta School of Public Health. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 2019 from the King’s University in Edmonton, being awarded the Canadian Chemistry Society Silver Medal in 2018. With a passion for good science communication, she has contributed to development of interactive educational resources that communicate the risks of and solutions to climate change for non-academic audiences. In 2018, she volunteered with World Renew Bangladesh as a research intern with a project focused on improving maternal and child health and nutrition in northern rural Bangladesh. McKenzie is interested in continuing to work in promoting healthy communities and climate resilience through research, science communication, and community involvement.
As part of her graduate thesis, McKenzie will be exploring the impact of climate change and air pollution have on the health of vulnerable people in Edmonton, Alberta. Under the supervision of Shelby Yamamoto and Bernadette Quemerais, she will be working to model associations between air pollution and climate change-related exposures and health outcomes. In addition, she will explore factors that may mediate this relationship. This research will aim to inform a vulnerability index in Edmonton that decision-makers can consult as they work to build a climate-resilient city and mitigate the impacts of air pollution and climate change on vulnerable people.
Keywords: Climate Change; Air Pollution; Vulnerable Populations; Climate Resilience; Epidemiology