Postdoctoral Research Fellow · University of Victoria
I'm a postdoctoral scholar and sociologist working at the intersection of food security, 2S/LGBTQIA+ health equity, and systems thinking in Canada and globally. My work leverages community partnerships to co-design more equitable systems.
About Ryan
I am an applied researcher who uses mixed methods and systems thinking to solve real-world problems in partnership with community partners.
Recent collaborations have focused on barriers and facilitators of queer food insecurity in Canada, improving equitable global health research partnerships during times of health crises, Indigenous-led water governance work among communities in the Peruvian Amazon and Western Canada, reducing social isolation among queer seniors, and improving equitable design of school food programs.
As an occupier on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations—otherwise known as Vancouver, BC—I am committed to projects that promote social justice and wellbeing for Indigenous and underserved communities.
I am involved in four research labs with independent researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students similarly committed to this work and to honing mixed-method approaches within applied research to produce real-world change.
“Research is our blueprint for equity. We’re identifying the specific hurdles diverse groups face, linking them to larger systems, and fueling collective action to tear those barriers down.”
Focus areas
Equity-oriented, relationship-based work across local and global systems.
Good research takes time to develop. Here's a guide to where projects are currently:
Documenting the disproportionate food insecurity and experiences of Two-Spirit, queer, and trans communities in Vancouver and across Canada, using mixed-method community-based approaches to surface causes and structural barriers that conventional surveys miss.
Applying systems-based frameworks to equitable global health research partnerships, including participatory systems mapping and social network analysis, to understand how complex health and policy systems produce inequitable outcomes internationally.
In partnership with Indigenous nations and academics, building solidarity between Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon and Western Canada to co-design strategies for water governance, stewardship, and environmental restoration central to Indigenous wellbeing.
Improving school food programs across island, mainland, coastal, and interior regions of British Columbia by assessing socioeconomic, intersectional, and ecological impacts and supporting durable, equitable policy solutions.
Bridging community-based organizational capacities to improve community kitchens, grocery programs, and peer support for queer seniors on the BC mainland, with Ribbon Community and Saige Community Food Share.
"For me, a social justice approach to research means recognizing injustice and accepting responsibility for helping to address it. That commitment is reflected in how I form research partnerships, respecting the dignity, knowledges, and sovereignty of community partners, student trainees, and collaborators. By working within partnership and centring the lived experiences of those most affected by inequity, our team better understands where injustices persist and where the work of building equitable systems begins".
Selected
Global Food & Health Systems Research, York University
Global Food & Health Systems Research, York University
University of British Columbia
BC Medical Journal, 65(8), 315
Journal of Indigenous HIV Research
Stillwagon, R. & Ghaziani, A. · City & Community, 18(3), 874-895
Pruden, H. & Stillwagon, R. · University of British Columbia
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Recognition
Featured fellowship
Issued by Michael Smith Health Research BC
A highly competitive and selective early-career award supporting a three-year postdoctoral fellowship: $180,000 plus $4,500 per annum.
Issued by Michael Smith Health Research BC
Supports Aging Is Not a Drag, pooling frontline service-provider resources to reduce social isolation among 2S/LGBTQIA+ seniors living with HIV-positive and HIV-negative statuses.
Issued by Canadian Sociological Association
Recognizes a top graduating PhD student whose research demonstrates exceptional strength.
Issued by University of British Columbia
Presented to 16 graduate students annually for outstanding contributions to teaching and learning at the University of British Columbia.
Issued by University of British Columbia
Awarded to one of 80+ teaching assistants for exceptional classroom effectiveness, empathy, and integrity. Dr. Stillwagon is the only teaching assistant to win twice in the department's history.
Issued by University of British Columbia
Supported doctoral research extending beyond the academy through collaborative, action-oriented scholarship for the public good.
Career
Faculty of Health, York University · Vancouver
Led project-level research activities and project coordination for the YorkU Global Health & System Change Lab's Equitable Global Health Research Project using a mixed-method, systems-change approach. Project activities included preparing and submitting research ethics and annual funder reports, engagement meetings with collaborators, and data collection and analysis. Supervised a team of research trainees supporting qualitative methods training, literature reviews, scoping reviews, and grant writing. Supported knowledge mobilization by preparing and editing manuscripts and presentations.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University · Vancouver
Managed collaborative research at the intersections of Indigeneity, gender, sexuality, health, and geography, supporting partnerships with Two-Spirit people and communities.
Faculty of Arts, University of British Columbia · Vancouver
Completed doctoral research with Two-Spirit activists, food justice community leaders, food scholars, and data scientists, while teaching sociology at the University of British Columbia.
Academic
University of British Columbia · GPA 4.00
Advisors: Becki Ross & Thomas Kemple. Editorial Assistant, Journal of Health & Social Behavior; Faculty Selection Committee Member (Theory).
University of Chicago · GPA 3.70
Thesis: “Talking over Taking: Doubting the Biomedical Reconfiguration of HIV Prevention in Chicago.” Advisor: Edward O. Laumann. MAPSS Graduate Student Leadership Board Member. LGBTQ Graduate Student Leadership Board Member. CivX User Experience & Design Sprint.
Lehigh University · GPA 3.79
Thesis: “A Nation in the (Re)making: Afghan Nationalism and Those Who Speak It.” Advisor: Nandini Deo. University Choir and Glee Club. Community Service Office Volunteer.
Let's connect
I welcome inquiries from research collaborators, grant committees, funding bodies, public-health authorities, community food organizations, academic partners, and journalists working across food insecurity and 2S/LGBTQIA+ health equity.