Laura M. Lee is a professional research and programming consultant focussed on strengthening global child, adolescent and youth health programming, protection, and services.
→ Download Laura’s full CV here.
Laura has conducted a wide variety of research, planning and evaluation projects both globally and locally with community-based, non-governmental, and International organizations, such as World Vision and UNHCR and academic and government institutions. Laura brings to each project an expertise in community-based participatory programming and research methodologies and specializes in child and youth health, protection and participation, monitoring and evaluation, and social justice, gender and health equity. Fuelled by principles of equity, collaboration and participation, she has designed, implemented and analyzed research projects and programs with children, youth and communities in Canada, East and Southern Africa, South America and the Middle East.
Since 2003, Laura has worked in 11 countries. Fluent in Kiswahili and French, she was based in East Africa for five years (primarily Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda), and has also worked in such countries as Bolivia, India and Jordan. Her professional experience has underpinned her skillset in applied research and also formed her ethical stance that draws on local knowledge and meaningful participation.
Laura takes an action-oriented community-based approach to research. She holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of British Columbia (UBC, Vancouver 2015), focused on strengthening the sexual health of youth who head households in Kenya through a collaborative community-based participatory research project that led to innovative ground up policy initiatives. A similar approach was applied in Rwanda to explore psychosocial wellbeing of child-headed households for her MSc in International Health (Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh 2006). This work ultimately resulted in a locally led community-based project that strengthens the wellbeing of child-led households and communities in Rwanda.
As an Adjunct Faculty at UBC (Faculty of Medicine) and a Sessional Instructor at Simon Fraser University (Faculty of Health Sciences), Laura teaches Program Planning and Evaluation and Global Health. She is also an Associate with the International Institute for Child Rights and Development, a hybrid NGO and academic institution based in Victoria, B.C. She lives in Vancouver, B.C., with her husband and two children, who continue to fuel her passion to work towards wellness, rights and protection of young people globally.
→ Download Laura’s full CV here.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies, The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. 2009-2015.
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in International Health with Distinction, Institute for International Health and Development, Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, Scotland. 2005-2006.
Bachelor of Medical Sciences (B.MSc.) in Honors Physiology with Distinction, The University of Western Ontario (UWO), London, Canada. 2000-2004.
Select Clients and Organizations
World Vision · United Nations High Council for Refugees · Terre des hommes · BC Provincial Health Services Authority · University of British Columbia · Simon Fraser University · Queen Margaret University · International Institute of Child Rights and Development · Kenya AIDS NGO’s Consortium · Family AIDS Initiative Response Project, Kenya · The Sharing Way, CBM · Les Eglises Baptistes au Rwanda
Laura M. Lee 