The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) is delighted to announce that Dr. Nicole Catherine has joined the organization as an affiliate faculty member.

Dr. Catherine is Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Children’s Health Policy Centre in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU), and she also holds the Canada Research Chair Tier 2 in Child Health Equity and Policy. Her research focuses on the early prevention of child health inequities and on ensuring inclusion of underserved children — in both research and policy-making.

“I am thrilled to join HELP as an affiliate faculty member,” says Catherine. “I think we all have an obligation to give children the best possible start in life, and my work as co-director of the Children’s Health Policy Centre — and now with HELP — really serves to put the needs of children at the forefront.”

Dr. Catherine’s work has prompted innovations in scientific methodology for sustaining engagement with children and mothers experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage — providing policymakers and practitioners with concrete information on better inclusion. She is committed to changing the narrative from labelling underserved families as “hard-to-reach” to placing the onus on policymakers who “need-to-reach” this population.

“We are ecstatic to welcome Nicole Catherine to HELP as affiliate faculty,” says Mariana Brussoni, Director of HELP. “She is a talented early career scholar with a focus on the ‘must reach’ members of our community and considers the policy and practice necessary to do so. In joining HELP, Nicole also strengthens our connection with SFU’s esteemed Children’s Health Policy Centre.”