About Me: Bringing Philosophy to Public Health
I'm a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy at McGill University. My doctoral thesis brings ideas from social epistemology—particularly concepts like epistemic injustice and agnotology—into conversations about public and population health. More specifically, I examine how two dominant frameworks in public health, the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and the biomedical model of health, fall short in how they understand and address health disparities. I argue that these two frameworks overlook important sources of knowledge, especially those related to social factors, and that this oversight hinders each model's ability to identify and ameliorate inequalities in health.
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​Delaying my thesis defense has allowed me to immerse myself in professional experiences beyond academia, where I have gained practical skills that complement my academic work. In my current position as a researcher and communications professional at the World Federation of Hemophilia, I help to develop resources that support advocacy and education efforts aimed at improving care for people with inherited bleeding disorders on an international scale.
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My passion lies in community-based and participatory research, with a particular interest in participatory governance. To achieve better health outcomes, it is crucial to address systemic barriers that prevent marginalized communities from contributing to the development of health related resources. As a board member and secondary reviewer for the Community Research Ethics Office (CREO) in Waterloo, Ontario, I work to promote community-led research by helping ensure that projects meet ethical standards. However, I am also critical of how systems of research oversight have historically contributed to these barriers, often excluding the very communities they aim to serve—an issue I address in a forthcoming publication. By fostering more inclusive research practices, I believe we can create interventions that empower communities and promote more equitable distributions of health, both in Canada and internationally.
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I hope my work will inspire collaboration among health researchers, practitioners, and communities. If you're interested in discussing potential partnerships or ideas, please reach out!
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sarah.clairmont[@]gmail.com
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