Lana Wells

Associate Professor, Brenda Strafford Chair, Prevention of Domestic Violence Lana Wells

MSW, RSW, BSW, BA (Hons)
Pronouns: she/her/elle

Positions

Associate Professor

Faculty of Social Work, Calgary Campus

Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence

University of Calgary

Founder/Director of Shift: Primary Prevention Research Hub

Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence

Research Fellow and Instructor

School of Public Policy

Contact information

Email

lmwells@ucalgary.ca

Web presence

Shift: Primary Prevention Research Hub

Shift to Learn | An online learning platform dedicated to advancing primary prevention

LinkedIn

Academia

Phone number

Office: +1 (403) 220-6484

Location

Office : MacKimmie Tower 524

Preferred method of communication

Via email

 

Background

Credentials

Board Member, PREVNet, 2023

Member, American Men’s Studies Association, 2021

Member, Gender & Education Association, 2020

Member, Society for Social Work and Research, 2016

Member, Canadian Association for Social Work Education, 2013

Registered Social Worker, Alberta College of Social Workers, 1997

Educational Background

M.S.W. International Social Work (Human Rights), University of Calgary, 1997

B.S.W. Community Development, University of Calgary, 1996

B.A. Women & Religious Studies, Combined Honours, McMaster University, 1994

Overseas Undergraduate Program, Middle Eastern Studies, Tel-Aviv University , 1991

Biography

Lana Wells is an internationally recognized expert on gender-based violence prevention, whose ability to work across disciplines, translate knowledge into action, and advocate for change has made her an invaluable contributor and change maker. As an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work and the Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Wells founded and leads a primary prevention research hub called Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence (www.preventdomesticviolence.ca) where she has led and supported research and over hundred pragmatic violence prevention reports used by governments and community-based organizations throughout Canada and beyond. To support the development of a prevention workforce, Lana co-founded an online learning platform that is focused on building the social conditions that prevent violence before it starts (www.shiftolearn.com). In 2022, she received the Order of the University of Calgary in recognition for her exemplary and distinguished service and the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal which was awarded in recognition of her significant contributions to the prevention of family violence in the province of Alberta. In 2023, she was awarded the prestigious Killam Professor Award. Wells also earned the Alberta Inspiration Award in Leadership in Family Violence, was recognized as a PEAK scholar from UCalgary, and received the John Hutton Memorial Award for Social Action/Policy from the Alberta College of Social Workers. In 2017, she received the UCalgary Teaching Award for Curriculum Development of a graduate certificate program in the Faculty of Education. 

Since her appointment as the Brenda Strafford Chair in 2010, Lana has held over $11 million in research funding, grants, and awards and raised over 22.5 million in support of violence prevention efforts. Her passion includes innovation in systems change, designing and implementing domestic and sexual prevention strategies, advancing gender equality and equity strategies within workplaces, and developing social policies to prevent and respond to complex social issues including the prevention of teen dating violence, domestic and sexual violence. Lana loves to collaborate with leaders from diverse disciplines and sectors and works closely on organizational, system and policy change processes within government and the not-for-profit sector. Lana has advised, consulted and partnered with all orders of government in Canada on prevention research and social policy. She has also collaborated with numerous international organizations, where she has contributed to panels, led workshops and supported the development of international resolutions. Lana has focused her research on engaging and mobilizing men as allies and advocates in gender equality and violence prevention, advancing collective impact and systems change to stop gender-based violence, and advancing innovation in the not-for-profit sector by going beyond programs and policy change. 

Lana supervises graduate students in the Faculty of Social Work and the School of Public Policy where she is also a research fellow. Wells has advised, consulted for, or partnered with all orders of government in Canada and hundreds of not-for-profit organizations on advancing primary prevention efforts to stop violence before it starts. She has also been engaged by the United Nations and contributed to a resolution for the Human Rights Council on engaging men and boys in preventing and addressing violence against women. In 2022, Lana co-founded Shifttolearn.com, an online learning platform and social enterprise aimed at building a primary prevention workforce in Canada and internationally.

Research

Areas of Research

Building Behavioural Approaches to Prevent Gender-Based Violence, Designing and Influencing Social Policies on the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Advancing Gender Equity and Inclusion within Organizations and Systems, Advancing Social and Public Policy Change to Advance Equity and Social Justice, Engaging and Mobilizing Men and Boys to Advance Equity and Prevent Violence, Culture Change Initiatives within Male Dominated Workplaces and Settings, Restorative and Transformative Approaches to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence, Policy and Legislation to Advance Social Justice, Leveraging Technology for Prevention and Social Change

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Child health and wellness

Human dynamics in a changing world

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
SOWK 64601 SEC 01 S01 Advocacy & Diplomacy Winter/Fall 2023
SOWK 64601 SEC 01 S01 Advocacy & Diplomacy Summer 2022
SOWK 64601 SEC 01 S01 Advocacy & Diplomacy Summer 2021
SOWK 64601 SEC 01 S01 Advocacy & Diplomacy Spring 2020
PPOL 611.04 Social Policy in Canada Winter 2019
PPOL 611.04 Social Policy in Canada Winter 2018
SOWK 667 Leadership in Human Services: Theories in Action, Masters of Social Work Summer/Fall 2018
SOWK 667 Leadership in Human Services: Theories in Action, Masters of Social Work Summer/Fall 2016
SOWK 665 Influencing Policy Development, Masters of Social Work Summer 2016
EDER 655.12 Promoting Healthy Relationships, Graduate Certificate in Master’s of Education Summer 2015
SOWK 667 Leadership in Human Services: Theories in Action, Masters of Social Work Summer/Fall 2015
SOWK 665 Influencing Policy Development, Masters of Social Work Summer 2015
SOWK 651 Policy as Clinical Practice, Independent course, Masters of Social Work Spring 2015
SOWK 667 Leadership in Human Services: Theories in Action, Masters of Social Work Summer/Fall 2014
SOWK 665 Influencing Policy Development, Masters of Social Work Summer 2014
PPOL 611.04 Social Policy in Canada, School of Public Policy Winter 2014
PPOL 611.09 Independent Course: Early Childhood Development, Masters of Public Policy Summer 2013
SOWK 667 Leadership in Human Services: Theories in Action, Masters of Social Work Summer/Fall 2013
PPOL 611.04 Social Policy in Canada, Masters of Public Policy Winter 2013
SOWK 667 Leadership in Human Services: Theories in Action, Masters of Social Work Summer/Fall 2012
SOWK 667 Leadership in Human Services: Theories in Action, Masters of Social Work Summer/Fall 2011

Projects

A ‘Made in Alberta’ small town and rural response to preventing gender-based violence

The “Made in Alberta’ initiative is a partnership between Shift/UCalgary, YWCA Banff, Cochrane Big Hill Haven, and Rowan House Society in High River. This initiative is focused on two phases of work. The first phase called, ZeroGBV is an Alberta-based collaboration between Shift/UCalgary, the Collaborative Applied Research for Equity in Health Policy and Systems (CARE) Lab, and HelpSeeker Technologies. The goal of this first phase is to support the three rural GBV community leaders and organizations (YWCA Banff, Rowan House and Big HIll Haven) to harness open source and public data on GBV prevalence and help-seeking relevant to the communities they serve, with a focus on preventing male perpetration of domestic, sexual and family violence. The second phase of the initiative is to engage rural community champions in each region to use the community level data to inform the building of local and customized primary prevention plans that includes a particular focus on equity-deserving groups. Phase 1 is supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and phase 2 by the Government of Alberta. 

Strong women’s circle: Addressing root causes of violence with Indigenous communities

In 2020, Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence partnered with Indigenous researchers, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Grandmothers to better understand primary prevention solutions that address the root causes of violence to promote systemic change. This research initiative, called the Strong Women’s Circle, encompasses both a policy report and a film series. The project builds on the rich work already accomplished by Indigenous researchers and advocates from across Turtle Island and reflects the expertise and lived experiences of Indigenous women living in Alberta to help advance primary prevention of family violence. Created in an ethical space, where Indigenous and Western worldviews came together for sustainable anti-violence solutions through a parallel process, the report proposes five transformative changes to achieve Indigenous sovereignty, along with a list of policy reforms in six systems that are necessary to prevent violence: justice and policing, child welfare, health, education, housing, and transportation. An oral history of the teachings and knowledge shared over the duration of the project was captured and in partnership with the Urban Society of Aboriginal Youth (USAY) and Studio Lumen; together we created the film Strong Women’s Circle: A Systems Change Approach to Addressing Family Violence within Communities’. Another film, focused on Achieving sovereignty in our Children’s Welfare was developed and released on October 1, 2024. 

Flipping the Script to Prevent Gender-Based Violence

In 2024, Shift/UCalgary, the Silver Gummy Foundation, and Informed Opinions partnered on a thought leadership initiative to support gender-based violence (GBV) leaders and advocates in Alberta to develop an aligned public relations agenda that centers on preventing the perpetration of male violence. By equipping these leaders with the tools to frame their insights in clear, compelling ways, the initiative engages both the news media and the public, shifting the narrative toward effective policy solutions that can make a measurable impact on the perpetration of GBV. Recognizing the critical role news media play in influencing public discourse, the initiative builds the capacity of community-based GBV organizations to engage in proactive media outreach. By providing resources and facilitating collaboration, the initiative will ensure that key messages and solutions are articulated clearly and consistently. This strategic media engagement will help shift the conversation from reacting to violence to preventing it, driving real change in public awareness and policy on GBV prevention.

Winning Against Domestic and Sexual Violence: Alberta’s Primary Prevention Playbook

In June 2023 Lana launched 12 provincial primary prevention action plans and strategies that together formed Winning Against Domestic and Sexual Violence – Alberta’s Primary Prevention Playbook. This playbook, Alberta’s first of its kind, provides actionable steps for the Government of Alberta and anti-violence community-based organizations to eliminate drivers of violence such as gender inequality, social exclusion, and colonization. It also focuses on increasing protective factors for women, equity-deserving groups, and Indigenous Peoples through policy, legislation, and initiatives aimed at transforming norms, systems, and behaviors. This three-year policy collaboration with the Government of Alberta and the IMPACT collective was supported by the Max Bell Foundation. 

Stopping Violence Before it Starts: Building the Capacity of Government and Community-Based Organizations to Advance Prevention Policies and Practices

In 2020, Shift partnered with IMPACT/Sagesse (a provincial collective impact organization) and the Government of Alberta to advance primary prevention efforts across the province. The objective of this research project was to identify the root causes of violence and create a comprehensive road map that equips policymakers, community-based leaders, and practitioners with the tools to engage in violence prevention. This collaboration, funded by the Max Bell Foundation and supported by the Silver Gummy Foundation, led to the identification of hundreds of policy and pragmatic action plans and strategies. These include the launch of an online learning platform to support the development of a prevention workforce. Please see Shifttolearn to get started. For more details and to access resources, visit the Alberta Primary Prevention Playbook webpage.

ConnectED parents: Moving to virtual interventions to engage parents in the prevention of adolescent dating violence

In 2022, Lana received a Public Health Agency Canada grant to implement, evaluate, and scale ConnectED Parents: a multi-component, gender-transformative health promotion intervention designed to prevent adolescent dating violence. ConnectED Parents builds the capacity of parents and primary caregivers of adolescents, aged 10 to 20 years old, to teach their children the competencies necessary to develop and maintain healthy relationships. The project prioritizes three co-occurring interventions: 1) parents receive brief interventions delivered via text message that build their knowledge and skills to teach their adolescent children about healthy dating relationships; 2) Alberta-based service providers specialize in working with groups of parents develop capacity to build a healthy social climate where these parents gather; and 3) key influencers within these groups of parents build capacity to provide peer-to-peer supports.

Shifting culture in male-dominated settings: Testing the changing contexts approach with Calgary Police Service

In 2022, Lana received a Public Health Agency Canada grant to implement and evaluate Changing Contexts:  culture change approach designed to cue more gender equitable, anti-violent behaviours in men who work in male-dominated settings. The funding supports Shift to work with Calgary Police Service (CPS) over four years to build peer and key influencers capacity to shift social norms and help the organization  develop evidence-informed nudges (small changes to processes, practices, messaging, etc.) designed to mitigate bias, reduce sexual harassment, and increase inclusion and civility among CPS members. By working with key influencers and making multiple changes to the structures and processes that guide organizational behaviour, we expect the impact of the intervention to extend beyond the members directly involved to influence people across the organization (over 3,000 employees) and hope to eventually scale to other male-dominated workplaces and settings.

CallInMen: Advancing the Field of Engaging Men for Violence Prevention and Gender Equality

To advance gender equality and prevent gender-based violence, men need to be engaged as advocates, changemakers, role models and influencers. This research project focused on working with key experts from across Canada to identify key areas of research and practice. As a result, we produced 9 reports that are focused on evidence-based practices along with toolkit for changing behaviors that will support advocates who are advancinge the field. The CallinMen research initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Department for Women and Gender Equality and was completed in 2023. For all the resources produced through this project, please see Calling In Men.

Awards

  • Killam Annual Professor Award , University of Calgary. 2023
  • The Order of the University of Calgary, Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Social Work. 2022
  • Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, Government of Alberta. 2022
  • Nominated for the FSW Teaching and Research Excellence Awards, The University of Calgary. 2022
  • Tulips Award, Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter. 2019
  • Nominated for 2017 U Make a Difference Award, The University of Calgary. 2019
  • University of Calgary Teaching Award, The University of Calgary. 2019
  • YW Canada 150 She Who Dares, YW Calgary. 2019
  • John Hutton Memorial Award for Social Action and Policy, Alberta College of Social Workers. 2019
  • Alberta Inspiration Award in Family and Community Safety, Government of Alberta. 2019
  • Peak Scholars in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Knowledge Engagement Award, The University of Calgary. 2019
  • Spirits of Gold Award for Social Innovation, United Way. 2019
  • The Spirits of Gold Award for Social Innovation, United Way. 2015
  • Carthy Foundation Leadership Award, Carthy Foundation. 2015
  • Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Social Work. 2013
  • Carthy Foundation Leadership Award, Carthy Foundation. 2013
  • Fellowship with the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary. 2012
  • Fellowship with the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, School of Public Policy. 2012

Publications

  • AI in social work practice- Implications for social work education. Wells, L., & Esina. E.. Hosted by aculty of Social Work’s Teaching Development Symposium, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. (2024)
  • Primary prevention: Going upstream to prevent domestic and sexual violence. Wells, L. Hosted by YWCA, Banff, AB, Canada. (2024)
  • Rolling with resistance: Overcoming apathy & preventing backlash. Wells, L. Hosted by NextGenMen, Community of Practice. (2023)
  • Winning against domestic and sexual violence: Primary prevention in actions. Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence & IMPACT, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • What’s in it for men? Why and how we can engage men in violence prevention and gender justice efforts. Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence & Next Gen Men Community of Practice, Calgary AB. (2023)
  • Strong women’s circle. Recommendations to stop violence against indigenous people. Presentation for IMPACT Stewards & Mobilizers. McLeod, S., Mahegun Trails, Wells, L., & Litviniuc, A. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence & Native Counselling Services of Alberta, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Intimate Partner Violence: A Meta-Analysis. Zhu, J., Exner-Cortens, D., Wells, L., Noel, M., Dobson, K., & Madigan, S. Hosted by CPA’s 84th Annual National Convention, Toronto, ON. (2023)
  • Winning against domestic and sexual violence: Alberta’s primary prevention playbook. Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence & IMPACT, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • Changing contexts approach key features. Wells, L. Hosted by SWITCH, BC. (2023)
  • The case for engaging men and boys in violence prevention: Challenges, opportunities, and tips for practitioners. Wells, L., Pascoe, L., Dozois, E., Claussen, C., & Esina, E. Hosted by Learning webinar for BC Society of Transition Hourses & PEACE program counsellors, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • The Art of the Nudge: Working with Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP). Wells, L. Presented as part of the AACP 2023 AGM, Lethbridge, AB. (2023)
  • Predicting and preventing the perpetration of domestic violence: Identifying trajectories and strategies for prevention. Wells, L., & Fyie, K. Hosted by FearIsNotLove, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • Changing culture: Moving beyond policy and training to prevent workplace harassment. Wells, L. Hosted by Cold Lake 4 Wing Military Base. (2023)
  • Shift’s Immigrant Women Work-Integrated Learning Hub Evaluation Study. Esina, E., Ghidei, W., Sakyi-akomeah, L., & Wells, L. Hosted by FSW Symposium 2023, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • Changing contexts evaluation plan: Presentation for Silver Gummy. Wells, L., & Innes, M. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • Data2Action: Learnings & What’s Next Webinar. Turner, A., Wells, L., McManus, C., & Baker, E. Hosted by HelpSeeker, Calgary, AB. (2023)
  • Panel member on “Gender transformative communication for primary prevention of VAWG” as part of the “Communicating equality to prevention violence against women and girls”. Wells, L. Hosted by Centre for Excellence for Women’s Health, Our Watch, Australia. (2022)
  • Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Global, National and Provincial Trends on Multiple Forms of Violence and the Role of Primary Prevention. A webinar. Wells, L., Ghidei, W., Litviniuc, A., Lee, L. Hosted by FearIsNotLove, Calgary, AB. (2022)
  • Building on What Works: Evidence on 10 Promising Practices to Engage and Mobilize More Men for Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Wells, L., & Pascoe, L. Hosted by Diverse Voices Family Violence Conference, Edmonton, Canada. (2022)
  • Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic and other Global, National and Provincial Trends on Multiple Forms of Violence and the Role of Primary Prevention. Wells, L. Hosted by Alberta Health Services as part of the Family Violence Prevention Month, Calgary, AB. (2022)
  • Recommendations for the Government of Canada: Develop a national strategy that supports innovative ways to get more men and boys invested and involved in violence prevention and gender equality. A webinar. Wells, L., & Pascoe, L. Hosted by Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Government of Canada, Ottawa, ON., Calgary, AB. (2022)
  • Opening the door beyond the legal system: Understanding the use of alternative justice approaches to sexual violence prevention and healing in Canada. A national webinar.. Wells, L., Claussen, C., & Goulet, S. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB. (2022)
  • Data2Action: A multi-sectoral initiative to prevent domestic and sexual violence across Alberta using a data dashboard [Poster presentation]. Baker, E., Wells, L, & McManus, C. Hosted by Society for Prevention Research, Seattle, Washington, USA. (2022)
  • No More: Building Alberta’s Primary Prevention Framework to Stop Domestic and Sexual Violence. Wells, L. Hosted by the Government of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia. (2022)
  • Data2Action: Lessons Learned from Curating Data Across Sectors to Create a Domestic and Sexual Violence Real-Time Data Dashboard. Baker, E., & Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB for IMPACT members. (2022)
  • Advancing Primary Prevention: Engaging and Mobilizing More Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Wells, L. Hosted by Silver Gummy Round Table “Beyond Doing - Re-Thinking How we Work Together to Reduce Gender-Based Violence. (2021)
  • The Art of the Nudge: How to advance equity and inclusion in police organizations. Wells, L., & Dozois, E. Hosted by 2021 AACP Trauma Informed Leadership Conference Banff, Alberta. (2021)
  • Advancing Primary Prevention: Engaging and Mobilizing More Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Wells, L. Hosted by Silver Gummy Round Table “Beyond Doing - Re-Thinking How we Work Together to Reduce Gender-Based Violence. (2021)
  • Preventing Violence in the Home During and After Lockdowns: Local Implementation. Wells, L. Hosted by Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention. (2021)
  • Data2Action: Building Community Capacity for Systems Change Using Data. Turner, A., Wells, L., Baker, E., & MacManus, C. Hosted by Helpseeker, Calgary, AB. (2021)
  • The Art of the Nudge: Mobilizing Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Wells, L., & Claussen, C. Hosted by American Men’s Study Association, 2021, Interdisciplinary Conference on Men and Masculinities, University of Washington Tacoma, USA. (2021)
  • Lessons learned on what it is going to take to move upstream and prevent violence from happening in the first place. Wells, L., & Lee, L. Hosted by Standing Together: Special Session on Action Plans, Halifax, NS. (2021)
  • Examining the Factors that Shaped the Adoption of Virtual or Remote Delivery of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services during COVID-19 in Alberta, Canada: Perspectives from the Anti-violence Sector. Montesanti, S., Ghidei, W., Silverstone, P., & Wells, L. Hosted by CAHSPR Annual Conference 2021. (2021)
  • Systems change and prevention: Problems and solutions. Wells, L. Webinar hosted by Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention. Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB.. (2021)
  • Examining the Factors That Shaped the Adoption of Virtual Delivery of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services during COVID-19 in Alberta, Canada. Montesanti, S., Silverstone, P., & Wells, L. Hosted by COVID-19 and Public Health Forum. (2021)
  • Engaging Men in Preventing Violence and Advancing Gender Equality Learning Collaborative: Successes, Tensions and Lessons Learned. Wells, L., & Claussen, C. Hosted by International Social Work Education and Development Conference 2021. (2021)
  • Tomorrow’s Men Today: Canadian Men’s Insights on Engaging Men and Boys in Creating a More Gender Equal Future. Wells, L., & Fotheringham, S. Hosted by International Social Work Education and Development Conference 2021. (2021)
  • Presentation for the Advisory Council for National Action Plan to learn about Data2Action - Leveraging Social Tech Innovation in Efforts to Prevent Domestic and Sexual Violence. Wells, L. & Turner A. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB. (2021)
  • CallinMen: Mobilizing more men for violence prevention and gender equality. Pascoe, L. & Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB. (2021)
  • Keynote speaker for IMPACT SUMMIT. Up the creek looking for a prevention paddle. Wells, L. Hosted by Sagesse, Calgary, AB. (2021)
  • Primary prevention 101: Going upstream to prevent domestic and sexual violence. Wells, L., Silverstone, A., & Lee, L. Hosted by Sagesse for IMPACT and Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB. (2021)
  • Understanding primary prevention and root causes of violence. Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Calgary, AB. (2021)
  • Community Engagement Session: Informing the federal government on their National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence [Consultation #1]. Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Alberta. (2021)
  • Update on the National Action Plan community consultations. Wells, L. Hosted by Status of Women and Gender Equality Advisory Council. (2021)
  • Alberta’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Primary Prevention Framework Research Committee Meeting. Wells, L. Hosted by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Alberta. (2021)

Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence | Publications

Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence | Primary Prevention Framework

Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence | Prevention Work with Indigenous Peoples

In the News

More Information

Since 2010, Lana Wells held over $11 million in research funding, grants, and awards and raised over 22.5 million in support of violence prevention efforts.

Wells, L. (2024-2025). ConnectED Parents. Government of Alberta. $175,000

Wells, L. (2024-2025). Achieving Better Outcomes for Albertans. Government of Alberta. $110,000

Wells, L. (2023-2025). Moving Knowledge into Action: Policy Reforms for Primary Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence. Max Bell Foundation. $300,000

Wells, L. (2023-2026). Understanding the criminal histories of people committing criminal acts of domestic violence and identifying strategies for prevention. Calgary Foundation. $210,000

Wells, L. (2022-2024). Changing Contexts: The Art of the Nudge. Public Health Agency of Canada. $975,837

Wells, L. (2022-2024). ConnectED Parents. Public Health Agency of Canada. $864,017

Wells, L. (2022-2026). The Art of the Nudge: Engaging Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Silver Gummy. $200,000

Wells, L., & Esina, E. (2022-2024). Shift’s Immigrant Women’s Work-Integrated Learning Hub. Government of Alberta. $177, 979.26

Montesanti, S., Wells, L., Letourneau, N., Pabayo, R., Baker, L., Puligandla, G., Scott, K., Turner, A., & MacDonald, S. (2022-2024).  Creating a Shared Purpose and Methodology for Curating Data to Prevent Domestic and Sexual Violence at a Systems Level. CIHR Project Grant - Priority Announcement: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies ECI Grant competition. $400,000

Wells, L. (2022-2023). ConnectED Parents. Government of Alberta. $169,905.47

Wells, L. (2022-2023). Data2Action: this is a data hub with three main prongs: the ability to systems Map, a real-time Data Dashboard, and Research & Knowledge Mobilization. Sagesse. $25,000

Wells, L. (2022-2023). Strong Women’s Circle: Supporting Alberta’s primary prevention framework by mapping root causes of violence and policy recommendations to stop violence against Indigenous Peoples before it starts. Government of Alberta. $19,103.00

Wells, L. (2021-2024). The Art of the Nudge: Engaging Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Silver Gummy. $75,000

Wells, L. (2021-2022). Working with Indigenous populations to prevent domestic and sexual violence in Alberta: A participatory action research project to inform Alberta’s primary prevention framework. O’Brien Institute for Public Health Research Catalyst Fund, University of Calgary. $15,000.

Wells, L. (2023-2024). The Art of the Nudge: Engaging Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Calgary Police Services. $75,000

Wells, L. (2023-2024). Preventing and Addressing Workplace Sexual Harassment. Calgary Police Services. $22,937.50

Wells, L. (2021-2022). Preventing and Addressing Workplace Sexual Harassment. Calgary Police Services. $75,000

Wells, L. (2021-2022). The Art of the Nudge: Engaging Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Calgary Police Services. $165,000

Wells, L. (2021-2022). The Art of the Nudge: Engaging Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Government of Alberta. $285,000

Wells, L. (2021-2021). InnoSoTech – Leveraging AI in Canada’s COVID Social Response. Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster. $10,000

Wells, L. (2021-2023). Economic evaluation of primary prevention strategies related to the prevention of domestic violence. Anonymous Donor. $40,000

Wells, L. (2021-2022). The Art of the Nudge: Engaging Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality. Government of Alberta. $160,000

Wells, L. (2021-2022). Alberta’s Plan for Promoting Healthy Relationships and Preventing Bullying. Government of Alberta. $160,000

Wells, L. (2021-2022). Getting Ready: Exploring Readiness in Canada to Engage in Reparative and Transformative Justice Approaches to Sexual Violence Healing and Prevention. Canadian Women’s Foundation. $50,000

Wells, L. (2020-2022). Developing a Technical Package on “How to Engage and Mobilize Men in Advancing Gender Equality and Preventing Violence Against Women”. Government of Alberta. $212,850.00

Wells, L. & Silverstone, A. (2020-2022). Building an Alberta Primary Prevention Framework: A Public Policy Collaborative to Prevent Domestic and Sexual Violence. Max Bell Foundation. $566,940

Wells, L. (2020). Developing a Practice Framework for Alternative Justice Approaches to Sexual Violence Healing and Prevention: Laying the Foundation. Canadian Women’s Foundation. $25,000

Montesanti, S., Silverstone, P., & Wells, L. (2020). Co-investigator. Mobilizing Knowledge on the use of Virtual Care Interventions to Provide Trauma‐Focused Treatment to Individuals and Families At‐Risk of Domestic Violence during COVID19. CIHR Knowledge Synthesis grant. $50,000

Wells, L. (2020-2021). Alberta Healthy Youth Relationship Strategy: Engaging Parents to Prevent Teen Dating Violence. Government of Alberta. $160,000

Wells, L. (2020-2021). Engaging Men in male-dominated contexts: Mobilizing Knowledge. Government of Alberta. $160,000

Wells, L. (2019-2022). Research and Knowledge Dissemination: Designing 5 online modules to advance primary prevention in Alberta. Silver Gummy. $75,000

Wells, L. (2019-2021). Engaging Parents to Prevent Teen Dating Violence and Promote Healthy Youth Relationships. Calgary Foundation. $75,000

Wells, L. (2019-2020). Engaging Parents to Prevent Teen Dating Violence & Promote Healthy Youth Relationship Strategy. Government of Alberta. $159,087

Wells, L. & Stika, J. (2019-2020). Building and Developing a National Network. Department for Women and Gender Equality. $125,000

Wells, L. (2019-2020). Engaging Men and Boys in Domestic Violence Prevention. Government of Alberta. $50,600.