FHS PhD student Anmol Swaich receives Vanier Scholarship
by Sharon Mah
Faculty of Health Sciences alumnus and current PhD student, Anmol Swaich, has won a prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
When asked how she reacted to the announcement, Swaich admitted: 鈥淚 was honestly shocked. It took me a little while to process.鈥�
Up to 166 Vanier Scholarships are awarded annually to Canada's top doctoral students. Scholars are selected based on demonstrated leadership skills and high scholarly achievement in graduate studies in one of the areas of health, social sciences and humanities, or natural sciences and engineering.
Swaich has engaged in research since her undergraduate years. She completed her Honours degree in Psychology examining the role of cultural values and a strong bicultural identity in psychosocial sexual health among South Asian young adults. However, she went one step farther, pairing community action with her scholastic interests. 鈥淚 was involved in the UVic student union and launched a harm reduction campaign that provided monthly naloxone training to the campus community.鈥�
After she completed her BA degree, Swaich decided to pursue a Master鈥檚 degree in Health Sciences at FHS to investigate how drug policy impacted health outcomes amidst the worsening toxic drug crisis in British Columbia. For her thesis, she explored gendered impacts of benzodiazepine contamination in the unregulated drug supply on experiences of violence among people who use drugs. During her Master鈥檚 program, she worked with the Surrey Union of Drug Users (SUDU), a peer-led organization that leverages the power of community to advocate for the rights and wellbeing of people who use drugs. SUDU also provides support, resources, and education to people who use drugs.
鈥淭he relationships I built during [my Master鈥檚 degree] led to this opportunity for my PhD 鈥� a research collaboration with the South Asian Advocacy Network for Justice and Harm Reduction (SAANJH) 鈥� a peer-led group of South Asian people with current or former lived experience of drug use in Surrey.鈥� says Swaich. She also credits her supervisor, FHS Associate Professor Kanna Hayashi, who also oversaw her MSc research: 鈥淸Hayashi鈥檚] support has played a critical role in my ability to blend my community work with my research.鈥�
Swaich鈥檚 doctoral project will explore how immigration policies and labour conditions shape unregulated drug use amongst South Asian men working in trades. 鈥淭he toxic drug poisoning crisis in BC has disproportionately affected this population,鈥� she explains. However, there is limited research examining unregulated drug use in this population, a gap her research will address.
鈥淭his project will enhance understanding of the intersections of race, class, and immigration in the toxic drug crisis,鈥� she says. 鈥淸It will also] contribute to the development of culturally sensitive health services and policies to reduce toxic drug poisoning deaths among South Asian men in the trades.鈥� Her research findings will also contribute to the creation of advocacy tools for SUDU, and help build capacity and transferrable skills among SUDU's South Asian Advocacy Network for Justice and Harm Reduction members.
When asked why it is important to her to be able to couple her research with her community work, Swaich shared a story about her great uncle, Shaheed Karnail Singh Benipal, who lived in Punjab, India. He was a community advocate, first as a student leader he challenged fee hikes, and later he even led a major strike with the teachers鈥� union while working as a primary school teacher. He was martyred at the young age of 25 while peacefully marching to Goa to liberate Goa from Portuguese rule. 鈥淗is anti-colonial struggle and legacy has inspired me in many ways and shaped my passion for advancing education, research, and equity today.鈥�
