Ciann L. Wilson

Dr. Ciann L. Wilson has over fifteen years of experience working within Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities across Canada - first as a youth programmer, and now as a health researcher doing work across the country. Wilson’s body of work aims to utilize research as a tool for intervention and transformation in understanding and addressing the realities of systemically marginalized communities. Wilson’s research chair (CRC) focuses on her expertise in community-based research and evaluation, including arts and digital media-based approaches; ethical considerations for research and data usage in the current technological age; and community development, and overall health and wellbeing. 

Dr. Ciann L. Wilson’s areas of interest include: Intersectional theory, anti-/de-colonial theory, Black, Indigenous and racialized community health, 2SLGBTQ+ communities, HIV/AIDS, substance use and mental health, public health, social determinants, political economy, children and youth, education, sexual and reproductive justice, and community-based participatory action research.

Recent and Ongoing Projects:

• Proclaiming Our Roots: Afro-Indigenous Community Realities and Wellbeing  (proclaimingourroots.com) 
• Black & Indigenous Lives, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Management in a Time of Transition: Implications for Ethics and Self-determination
• Equitable Evaluation Capacity-Building: Co-Creating Frameworks for Action
• Art as Knowledge Mobilization: Amplifying Youth Voices to Inform Harm Reduction Practice for Preventing Youth Homelessness
• Tailoring an Evidence-Based HIV Prevention Intervention for Application with Young ACB Women in Canada HIP Teen Intervention
• The Mental Health of Intersectionally Marginalized Communities

• Canada Research Chair in Community-Based Research, Ethics, and Wellbeing. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2024-2029)
• Recipient of the 2023 Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity, Canada Research Chairs Program (2024-2026)
• Award of Service Excellence and Community Engagement, Wilfrid Laurier University (2021)
• Status of Women and Equity Award of Distinction, Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (2021)
• Junior Investigator Award, Ontario HIV/AIDS Treatment Network (2020-2023)
• Ethnic Minority Mentoring Award. Culture, Ethnicity, and Racial Affairs Committee fo the Society of Community, Research, and Action (2019)
• Early Career Researcher Award, Wilfrid Laurier University (2019)

I am very interested in working with student trainees who have research interests and a track record of work in the areas of interest outlined  above. I onboard new students in the Access & Equity Research Interest Group (RIG), which I co-direct from April through August each year. Our RIG meets monthly to engage in topics such as: peer-to-peer writing and research knowledge mobilization, qualitative research data collection and analysis training, intersectional and anti-oppressive practice training, as well as other relevant practice-based skills development.

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