Ciann L. Wilson

I have over a decade experience working within racialized communities across the greater Toronto area first as a youth programmer, and now as a health researcher doing work across the country. My body of work aims to utilize research as an avenue for sharing the stories and realities of Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities for the improvement of the health and wellbeing of our communities.

My areas of interest include: critical race and class theories, anti-/de-colonial theory, African diasporic and Indigenous community health, HIV/AIDS, public health, social determinants, political economy, sexual and reproductive wellbeing, equity in education, and community-based research.

Recent and Ongoing Projects

• Principal Applicant, No One Left Behind: setting the agenda for the future of HIV research with African, Caribbean and Black communities in Canada. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (2018-2019).
• Co-Applicant, Shifting our Outlook: A Waterloo Region Symposium to Enhance the Health and Wellbeing of Gender and Sexual Minorities. The Institute of Gender and Health, CIHR (2018-2019).
• Principal Applicant, Community Based Research Media Lab. John Evan’s Leaders Fund, The Canadian Innovation Fund and the Ontario Research Fund. (2018-2019).
• Co-applicant, OutLook GBTMSM Situational Assessment: Comprehensive Analyses and Targeted Knowledge Translation and Exchange. The Ontario HIV/AIDS Treatment Network. (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator, Adinkrahene: Improving Access to HIV services for African Caribbean and Black people in Waterloo Region, Ontario. Laurier Internal Grants Competition A (2017-2019)
• Co-Investigator, Celling Sex: Young Women, Transactional sex and HIV Prevention with cellphones. Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research. (2017-2019).
• Principal Investigator, Proclaiming our Roots: A digital oral history project by and for mixed Black and Indigenous people. Social Science and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant (2016-2019).
• Principal Investigator, African, Caribbean, and Black Intravenous Drug Use Needs Assessment Project. Peel HIV/AIDS Network (2016-2019).
• Collaborator, GBTMSM Situational Assessment Project. Ontario HIV/AIDS Treatment Network Community-Based Research and Evaluation Fund (2016).
• Principal Investigator, Women in Health Working Toward Health: Connecting the Narratives of Women of Color for our Wellbeing Project. Women's Xchange Fund (2014-2015).

• Post-Doctoral Research Award for the Networks for Change and Wellbeing: Girl-led from the ground up policy making project. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Declined to take-up Assistant Professorship).
• Research Award, Social Research Centre in HIV Prevention (2014-2015).
• Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada Graduate Student Award of Merit (2015).
• Dian Marino Award for Arts-based Research, York University (2014 -2015)
• CIHR Doctoral Research Award: HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research (2012-2015).
• Research Award, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research (2013)
• Norman Barwin Scholarship for Reproductive Health (2012-2013)
• Leadership Award, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research (2012)
• Graduate Fellowship for Academic Distinction, York University (2011-2012)
• University Without Walls Fellowship (2010-2011)

I am very interested in working with students who have research interests in the areas of the health, education, and the overall wellbeing of Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities, as well as other socially marginalized groups such as sexual minority, precariously housed, and substance using communities.

L. Chambers, R. Jackson, C. Worthington, C. L. Wilson, W. Tharao, N. Greenspan, R. Masching, V. Pierre-Pierre, T. Mbulaheni, M. Amirault, and P. Brownlee. (2018). Dialoguing with the tensions: Decolonizing scoping review Methodologies for literature with and for Indigenous peoples and the African diaspora. The Journal of Critical Qualitative Health Research. 28(2): 175-188

C. Wilson and S. Flicker. (2017). “Let’s Talk About Sex for Money – An exploration of economically motivated relationships amongst young Black Women in Canada.” Gender, Sex, and Sexuality among Contemporary Youth: Generation Sex Sociological Studies of Children and Youth. Emerald Publishing Ltd. (23): 97-119

E. Furman, P. Barata, C. L. Wilson and, T. Fante-Coleman. (2017). "It’s a gap in awareness: Exploring service provision for LGBTQ2S survivors of intimate partner violence in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services. 29 (4): pp. 362-377

C. L. Wilson, S. Flicker, J.P. Restoule and E. Furman. (2016). Narratives of resistance: (Re) Telling the story of the HIV/AIDS movement – Because the lives and legacies of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour communities depend on it. Health Tomorrow: Interdisciplinarity and Internationality Journal. 4(1): 1-35

C. Wilson, V. Oliver, S. Flicker, The Native Youth Sexual Health Network, T. Prentice, R. Jackson, J. Larkin, J.P. Restoule and C. Mitchell. (2016). Culture as HIV Prevention: Indigenous Youth Speak Up! The International Journal of Community Research and Engagement. 9(1): 74 -88

R. Monchalin, S. Flicker, C. Wilson, T. Prentice, V. Oliver, R. Jackson, J. Larkin, C. Mitchell, J.P. Restoule and The Native Youth Sexual Health Network. (2016). When you follow your heart, you provide that path for others: Indigenous Models of Youth HIV Leadership. International Journal of Indigenous Health. 11(1): 135 – 158

C. Wilson and S. Flicker. (2015). “Picturing Transactional Sex: Ethics Challenges and Possibilities.” In A. Gubrium, K. Harper and M. Otanez (editors) Participatory Visual and Digital Research in Action. Left Coast Press. pp. 73 - 86

C. Wilson, S. Flicker., J.P. Restoule. (2015). Beyond the Colonial Divide: Alliance Building Between African Diasporic and Indigenous Communities in HIV Prevention. The Journal of Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education and Society.

V. Oliver, S. Flicker, J. Danforth, E. Konsmo, C. Wilson, R. Jackson, T. Prentice, J. Larkin, J.P. Restoule, and C. Mitchell. (2015). “Women are supposed to be the leaders: Intersections of Gender, Race and Colonization in HIV Prevention with Indigenous young people.” Culture, Health and Sexuality: An International Journal for Research Intervention and Care. pp. 1 - 14.

C. Wilson, Z. Marshall, S. Flicker, S. Nixon, T. Vo, R. Travers, A. McClelland, & D. Proudfoot. (2014). “Condoms and Contradictions: How Queer Youth Labeled with Intellectual Disabilities Navigate Safer Sex Decisions.” Journal of Critical Disability Discourse. 6: 107-139.

S. Flicker, J. Danforth, V. Oliver, E. Konsmo, C. Wilson, R. Jackson, T. Prentice, J. Larkin, J.P. Restoule and C. Mitchell. (2014) “Because we have really unique art: Decolonizing Research with Indigenous Youth Using the Arts.” International Journal of Indigenous Health. 10(1): 16-34

S. Flicker, J. Danforth, E. Konsmo, C. Wilson, V. Oliver, R. Jackson, T. Prentice, J. Larkin, J.P. Restoule, and C. Mitchell. (2014). “Because we are Natives and we stand strong to our pride: Decolonizing HIV Prevention with Aboriginal Youth in Canada Using the Arts.” Canadian Journal of Aboriginal Community-Based HIV/AIDS Research. 5: 4 – 24.

C. Wilson and S. Flicker. (2014). Arts-Based Methods IN D. Cohlan and M. Brydon-Miller (editors) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research. SAGE.

C. Wilson. (2013). “The Impact of the Criminalization of HIV Non-Disclosure on the Health and Human Rights of Black Communities.” Health Tomorrow: Interdisciplinarity and Internationality Journal. 1(1): 110 – 143

A. McClelland, S. Flicker, D. Nepveux, S. Nixon, T. Vo, C. Wilson, Z. Marshall, R. Travers, D. Proudfoot. (2012). “Seeking safer sexual spaces: Queer and trans young people labeled with intellectual disabilities and the paradoxical risks of restriction.” Journal of Homosexuality Special Issue on LGBT health. 6(59): 808-819

Z. Marshall, S. Nixon, D. Nepveux, T. Vo, C. Wilson, S. Flicker, A. McClelland, & D. Proudfoot. (2012). “Navigating risks and professional roles: Research with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people with intellectual disabilities.” Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. 4(7): 20 – 33