Research Opportunity (MSc): Explore Disability, Care, and COVID-19 Impacts through Dr. Chavon Niles’s Funded Projects

RSI is proud to highlight Dr. Chavon Niles (Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy), whose recent CIHR, SSHRC, and Connaught Community Partnership awards are driving transformative research on disability, race, immigrant health, and long COVID.

These faculty-led projects not only challenge dominant discourses of care but also create meaningful opportunities for graduate students to contribute to equity-informed, community-engaged research across rehabilitation sciences.

Project 1: Collective Futures – Mobilizing Knowledge on Disability, Race & Immigrant Health

CIHR Planning and Dissemination Grant (2025–2026)

• This project explores the experiences of Black and racialized disabled immigrants during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and community partnerships, Collective Futures seeks to inform accessible, culturally relevant emergency planning.

Project 2: Challenging Dominant Discourses of Care

Connaught Community Partnership Research Program (2025–2027)

• This study examines how disabled women and disabled gender-diverse people navigate the dual and often overlooked roles of being both caregivers and care recipients.

Project 3: Untold Stories of Long COVID – Photovoice & Narrative Study

Rehabilitation Science Research Network for COVID Catalyst Grant (2025–2026)

• Using photovoice and narrative approaches, this project centers the experiences of Black and racialized communities living with long COVID in Ontario.

Project 4: Untold Narratives – Long COVID Experiences Across Ontario & Alberta

SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2025–2027)

• This project investigates how Black and other racialized people experience long COVID across two provinces, with a focus on inequities in care access, stigma, and social determinants of health.

Upcoming Event: Collective Futures Roundtable – Toronto Launch

November 19

Join Dr. Niles for the first Collective Futures Roundtable, bringing together Black and racialized disabled immigrants, community leaders, rehabilitation professionals, public-health officials, researchers, and students.

The day features:

• A Spotlight Panel with Raihanna Hirji-Khalfan, Dr. Michelle Murti, Nouma Hammash, and Dr. Notisha Massaquoi

• Small-group discussions exploring:

  • What communities lived through during the pandemic

  • What support made a difference

  • What actions are needed to build accessible, community-centered emergency planning

This roundtable is the first in a series across Ontario. Insights will contribute to a community-made zine and foster collaboration between public health, rehabilitation sciences, and disability justice leaders.

Who We’re Looking For

If you’re a prospective graduate student passionate about disability justice, equity-oriented health research, and community-driven inquiry, these projects offer an excellent opportunity to develop skills in:

• Qualitative research and participatory methods

• Equity-informed approaches

• Inclusive health policy and emergency planning

At RSI, you’ll join an interdisciplinary research community where students are actively integrated into all stages of the research process, from data collection to knowledge translation.

Interested in Joining?

Prospective MSc students interested in these projects are encouraged to contact Dr. Chavon Niles and Cc our graduate coordinators for details about application timelines and available research positions.