Research Experience
I am a mixed method community-engaged researcher with experience in the academic, non-profit, and government sectors, which shape my research. My interests focus on the health inequities experienced by marginalized groups, substance use, and community responses. My current research spans three areas:
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How systemic and structural issues contribute to health inequities for marginalized people.
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How stigma related to substance use, pregnancy, and parenting is gendered and experienced.
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The development and implementation of digital knowledge mobilization activities and community-driven responses.
These interconnected topics reveal the impact of stigma and coping behaviours and highlight the role of community-level work in addressing social and systemic challenges.
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Peer Reviewed Journal Publications
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Kotler, M*., & Dunbar Winsor, K. (2023). ‘Now what?’: An examination of ongoing gaps post-diagnosis for justice-involved youth with FASD. Canadian Graduate Journal of Sociology and Criminology, 6(1), 1-19.
Dunbar Winsor, K., & Sheppard, A. (2023). Dance as revolution: Exploring prisoner agency through arts-based methods. Studies in Social Justice, 16(3).
Morton-Ninomiya, M., Almomani, Y., Dunbar Winsor, K., Burns, N., Harding, K., Ropson, M., Chaves, D., Youssef, M., & Wolfson, L. (2023). Supporting pregnant and parenting women who use alcohol during pregnancy: A scoping review of trauma-informed approaches. Women’s Health, 19, 1-22.
Dunbar Winsor, K., Squires, L., & Peters, A. (2022). Developing an FASD health promotion social media campaign using community-based participatory peer review: Notes from Atlantic Canada. Healthy Populations Journal, 2(2), 79-93.
Dunbar Winsor, K. (2021). Staying with the social project: A review of feminist criminology. Social & Legal Studies, 30(3), 469-488.
Dunbar Winsor, K. (2020). An invisible problem: Stigma and FASD diagnosis in the health and justice professions. Advances in Dual Diagnosis, 14(1), 8-19.
Dunbar Winsor, K., & Morton Ninomiya, M. E. (2018). The past, present, and future of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder work in Newfoundland and Labrador: A landscape paper for change. Birth Defects Research, 110(16), 1215-1222.
Liboiron, M., Ammendolia, J., Winsor, K., Zahara, A., Bradshaw, H., Melvin, J., ... & Liboiron, G. (2017). Equity in author order: A feminist laboratory’s approach. Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience, 3(2), 1-17.
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*Denotes student author
Research Grants and Fellowships
Grants
SSHRC Project Engagement Grant - Co-applicant
Visualizing Care: Creative Placemaking & Visions of Care in Rural Healthcare Spaces $24,870
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SSHRC Connection Grant - Co-applicant
Reducing Harms in Atlantic Communities: Synthesizing Voices in Health Equity, FASD, and Trauma $50,000
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Fellowships
SSHRC Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2023 to 2025
$115,000 to complete post-doctoral research.
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SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship 2019 to 2023
$80,000 to complete doctoral research.
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Concordia Merit Fellowship 2018
$10,000 to complete doctoral research.
Concordia Faculty of Arts and Science Graduate Fellowship 2018
$36,000 to complete doctoral research.
Memorial University Graduate Fellowship 2016
$13,600 to complete master’s research.
Research Projects
Community-driven Harm Reduction and FASD Prevention in Atlantic Canada
This ongoing research project is a qualitative exploration of harm reduction work in Atlantic Canada, exploring their role in the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) among women and individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB). The research aims to understand how these programs support overall health, manage substance use, and contribute to FASD prevention and acknowledges the complexities of substance use and the need for varied support approaches during pregnancy. It also seeks to identify barriers to accessing these programs and the impact on clients' lives.
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SSHRC-funded Postdoctoral Research 2023-25
Department of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University
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“Wading Against a Tide”: Emotions, Ethics and the Interstitial Space of Community Service Provision for Criminalized Mothers.
In my doctoral research, I explored how community-based service providers support criminalized women who are navigating motherhood, substance use, and identity changes. While much research has focused on the experiences of incarcerated individuals, there has been less attention paid to their post-release lives. Specifically, there is a lack of research on the role of community-based organizations and their service providers in supporting these individuals. My work highlights how these providers manage their emotions while helping clients through emotionally charged situations, such as dealing with child protection systems, substance use, and identity changes. These providers not only support their clients but also navigate the intimate details of their lives and advocate for them within the constraints of the criminal legal, child protection, and welfare systems.
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Through interviews with 23 community-based service providers in Atlantic Canada and reflexive journaling, I found that these providers face emotional-ethical dilemmas in their work. They often deal with organizational mandates, limited funding, and compassion fatigue while trying to support their clients. My research emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed and harm reduction practices to ease these dilemmas and better support criminalized women. The findings also highlight the ongoing unmet needs of these women, such as housing and poverty, which community service providers are often left to address due to systemic and structural failures. This underscores the need for better responses and support systems for community-based service provision to effectively support criminalized women.
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PhD Awarded 2023
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Concordia University
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in Atlantic Canada: Addressing Prevention, Diagnosis, Education, and Intervention
In Atlantic Canada, significant gaps have been identified in the prevention, diagnosis, education, and intervention related to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) due to limited funding and policies (Dunbar Winsor & Morton-Ninomiya, 2018). Understanding the prevalence and financial costs associated with FASD is crucial for recognizing the needs of the Atlantic provinces in supporting individuals, families, and communities affected by FASD, as well as for the development and implementation of effective policies and practices.
The primary objective of this needs assessment was to conduct the first provincial and local community evaluation to ascertain the main social, familial, educational, health, and legal needs associated with FASD. Employing a multi-stage model, we aimed to identify key needs, service barriers, and strategies for improvement and access within the province.
This research project was conducted in three main phases, with the goal of identifying specific gaps, existing capacities, and strategies to enhance FASD-related support in Atlantic Canada:
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Surveys: Engaged community members, health and justice professionals, educators, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience to gather initial data.
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Focus Groups and Interviews: Conducted focus groups and one-on-one interviews with interested participants to gain deeper insights.
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Policy and Practice Assessment: Evaluated existing policies and practices related to FASD in Atlantic Canada to identify areas for improvement.
Through this comprehensive assessment, we provided a clearer understanding of the current state of FASD-related services and to inform future efforts to address and improve the prevention, diagnosis, education, and intervention for FASD in Atlantic Canada.