Aida Parnia

Aida Parnia

PhD student

University of Toronto

Biography

My research interests are migration, health, and inequalities. I focus specifically on methods that measure inequalities at a population level and how social conditions shape population health and inequality. Previously, I have published on socioeconomic, racial, migration, and gender-based inequalities in health. I have been working in Dr. Siddiqi’s Health Inequalities research group at the University of Toronto since 2018. My PhD dissertation focuses on labour migrants and their circumstances in Canada. Primarily, I am interested in how available data shapes our understanding of the life of migrant workers and the limitations and consequences of what information is collected and what is ignored.

I am passionate about teaching quantitative methods. I have experience teaching in several undergraduate and graduate courses since 2020. I strive to demystify how statistics work for students who do not traditionally engage in these methods and build their confidence in their ability to engage, critique, and utilize quantitative data.

Interests
  • Methods
  • Health inequalities
  • Migration
Education
  • PhD in Sociology, In progress

    University of Toronto

  • MA in Sociology, 2021

    University of Toronto

  • MPH in Epidemiology, 2016

    University of Toronto

  • HBSc in Human Biology & Psychology, 2014

    University of Toronto

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Research Data Analyst
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
May 2018 – Present Toronto

Responsibilities include:

  • Developing research questions
  • Preparing and cleaning data
  • Constructing statistical models and visualizations
  • Drafting academic publication and presentations
 
 
 
 
 
Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making (CAnD3)
CAnD 3 Fellow
Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making (CAnD3)
September 2023 – Present Toronto
 
 
 
 
 
Queer & COVID Project
Research Assistant
Queer & COVID Project
September 2022 – September 2023 Toronto

Responsibilities include:

  • Preparing and cleaning survey data
  • Developing survey weights
  • Creating visualizations
  • Drafting publications
 
 
 
 
 
University of Toronto - Sociology Department
Teaching Assistant
University of Toronto - Sociology Department
September 2020 – Present Toronto

Courses:

  • Intermediate Data Analysis (Graduate)
  • Statistics for Sociologists (Graduate)
  • Introduction to Quantitative Methods (Undergraduate)
  • Sociology of Emotions (Undergraduate)
  • Intermediate Quantitative Methods (Undergraduate)

Projects

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CAnD3 Fellowship projects
Summary of activities as a fellow in Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making (CAnD3)
CAnD3 Fellowship projects
Queer and COVID Toronto
QueerCOVID–TO is a study of the mental health of sexual and gender minority people living in Toronto during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Queer and COVID Toronto

Recent Publications

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(2021). A time-series analysis of testing and COVID-19 outbreaks in Canadian federal prisons to inform prevention and surveillance efforts. Canada Communicable Disease Report.

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(2021). Identifying gaps in COVID-19 health equity data reporting in Canada using a scorecard approach. Canadian Journal of Public Health.

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(2021). Social inequalities in protective behaviour uptake at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a national survey. Canadian Journal of Public Health.

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Contact

Feel free to contact me about my work.