I am Melba D’Souza, registered nurse and a nurse educator at Nursing and Population Health, Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia. My program of research addresses decision-making, public policy, and health promotion for improving the health and well-being of people living with cancer and diabetes mellitus among immigrants, refugees, the elderly, and 2SLGBTQ+ in rural communities. My inspiration to work is promoting healthy public policy and practices which promote human rights, sovereignty, and social justice to be examined beyond the distribution of resources to include the recognition of differences and inclusion of voices of non-dominant groups in society to move toward greater equity, diversity, inclusivity and healthy policies for people. I have applied an intersectionality lens to promote inclusion, social justice, critical cultural analysis, examining access to healthcare, and use of healthcare resources to reduce health disparities, which is aligned with the work of the International Psycho-Oncology Society and Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology. My research in psychosocial oncology is focused on social, gender, and cultural issues facing people affected with an illness spectrum, and the need for continuity for developing better coordination of healthcare services and reducing the impacts of environmental health on psychosocial, emotional, and mental health outcomes.

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