Biography

I am a critical gerontologist interested in the existential assumptions that have shaped the Western approach to healthy living and dying. I have an interdisciplinary background with degrees in psychology (BA; UBC), communications (MA; SFU) and sociology (PhD; York).

In particular, my work has sought to challenge the social imaginary of mastery that orients conventional approaches to health and aging. I have developed critiques of the ethos of mastery through the analysis of a number of case studies including: euthanasia, hospice, hypertension and nursing homes.

With the aim of contributing to a more compassionate, equitable and sustainable society, my current research explores alternatives to the social imaginary of mastery. I am investigating, on the one hand, the logic of care and its application to nursing home quality improvement and, on the other hand, contemplative philosophies and the unique relationships they enable to living and dying.