In addition to being a full-time PhD candidate, Maria is a mom to three beautiful girls. Maria likes to play video games with her oldest daughter and make crafts with her youngest. She is also a founder of the Alisha Jilani Foundation, through which she raises funds to support other families that are going through cancer treatment in loving memory of her daughter, Alisha.
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“Through serendipity or divine intervention, my life pathways have perfectly situated me to tackle these research questions on health and social inequalities"
“Through serendipity or divine intervention, my life pathways have perfectly situated me to tackle these research questions on health and social inequalities"
Maria’s SSHRC-funded doctoral research at Western University draws on both her personal experience and academic background in social structures. She is examining the mechanisms and policymaking processes in highly institutionalized settings during times of crisis that create advantages and disadvantages for racialized populations. Maria wants to look at maternal and neonatal health outcomes of disadvantaged populations in the Canadian context, and she has already presented a paper looking at disparities in the risk of c-section deliveries among visible minority and immigrant women in the United States.
“Through serendipity or divine intervention, my life pathways have perfectly situated me to tackle these research questions on health and social inequalities,” reflects Maria. She looks back on how her current research themes have been shaped by her bachelor’s degree in commerce focused on organizational behaviour and master’s in leadership and policy.
"My year spent at two different children’s hospitals shaped my understanding of the role that social institutions play in alleviating or exacerbating social inequalities"
"My year spent at two different children’s hospitals shaped my understanding of the role that social institutions play in alleviating or exacerbating social inequalities"
“This research area is inspired by my daughter, Alisha, who was diagnosed with brain cancer shortly before the pandemic,” shares Maria. “My year spent at two different children’s hospitals shaped my understanding of the role that social institutions play in alleviating or exacerbating social inequalities.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these social institutions providing support to patients and caregivers were strained or altogether stripped away, deemed as “nonessential”. Maria says that she sees the reverberations of these policy decisions on mental health today, with greater impacts on minority populations who rely on social supports to compensate for other disadvantages.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these social institutions providing support to patients and caregivers were strained or altogether stripped away, deemed as “nonessential”. Maria says that she sees the reverberations of these policy decisions on mental health today, with greater impacts on minority populations who rely on social supports to compensate for other disadvantages.
"I have a passion for data visualization and making complex concepts accessible to the general public."
"I have a passion for data visualization and making complex concepts accessible to the general public."
Maria is adept at using Stata and R to perform quantitative data analysis and uses logistical regression modelling and regression discontinuity analysis for her dissertation research. She also brings with her a wealth of knowledge on qualitative research methods, such as interviews and ethnographic research. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Maria has supported following courses to date: Sociology of Healthcare; Thinking Sociologically; Gender and Society; Statistics for Sociology; Qualitative Research Methods; and Environmental Sociology.
"I have a passion for data visualization and making complex concepts accessible to the general public. This means I'm big on knowledge dissemination and am always looking for opportunities to learn new methods. The CAnD3 program has been instrumental in honing my data analysis and visualization skills and I look forward to applying this learning in my research." Maria's goal upon graduation is to work in the federal research sector examining health inequities and public policies.
"I have a passion for data visualization and making complex concepts accessible to the general public. This means I'm big on knowledge dissemination and am always looking for opportunities to learn new methods. The CAnD3 program has been instrumental in honing my data analysis and visualization skills and I look forward to applying this learning in my research." Maria's goal upon graduation is to work in the federal research sector examining health inequities and public policies.
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