Pamela  Roach

Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD

Pronouns: she/her

Positions

Assistant Professor

Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine

Director, Indigenous health education

Cumming School of Medicine

Full Member

Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education

Full Member

Hotchkiss Brain Institute

Assistant Professor

Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences

Full Member

Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education

Full Member

O'Brien Institute for Public Health

Contact information

Background

Biography

Dr. Roach is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary and is also the Director, Indigenous health education in the Office of Indigenous, Local and Global Health for the Cumming School of Medicine. She is a PhD health researcher and member of the Métis Nation of Alberta who has worked in a variety of academic and community health care settings, both in Canada and the UK, over the last 18 years. Her research focuses on Indigenous health; brain health and dementia in underserved populations; and developing anti-racism educational interventions.

 

 

Research

Areas of Research

Dementia & Cognitive Disorders
Mental Health
cognitive conditions
patient and family centered care
early onset dementia
Activities

My research program addresses the overarching theme of cognition and brain health in Indigenous populations and other vulnerable groups including people living with early onset dementia, to enhance equity in populations based health outcomes. This work includes understanding the social drivers of cognition and brain health for Indigenous populations. This involves reviewing the current evidence and engaging stakeholders to understand how the factors of colonization, adverse childhood experiences, and intergenerational trauma impact cognitive development, as well as cognitive decline, later in life. I also work to develop culturally safe therapeutic interventions for Indigenous people living with dementia. Building on current experience to understand the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of Indigenous-made therapeutic sensory items in mental health and dementia, I am working to co-create culturally safe therapeutic interventions for Indigenous people living with dementia, that will be guided by community.

I also work to build anti-racism curriculum in Indigenous health and medical education that addresses upstream determinants of health that impact patient outcomes to improve the health of populations. I co-designed and implemented an Indigenous Health Leadership course for graduate students in Community Health Sciences and lead anti-racism curriculum for faculty development.

Participation in university strategic initiatives

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
MDCH 681 LEC 01 01 Health Research Methods 2021
MDCH 70064 LEC 04 04 Community Hlth Directed Study 2020

Awards

  • Tier 2 Canada Research Chair: Indigenous Health Systems Safety, CIHR. 2021