Jennifer Walker

Position: Associate Professor, McMaster University

Dr. Jennifer Walker is a Haudenosaunee member of the Six Nations of the Grand River and a health services researcher. She holds a Ph.D. in Community Health Services (Epidemiology) from the University of Calgary. She is an Associate Professor at McMaster University in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, & Impact. Her collaborative research program is transforming the capacity of Indigenous communities and health services organizations in Ontario and across Canada to address complex health challenges through culturally grounded evidence. Her program uniquely addresses two key areas of research priority: 1) aging and dementia in Indigenous populations, and 2) Indigenous data sovereignty.

Dr. Walker’s work focuses largely on Indigenous community-engaged health research using large health services databases through her work as a Core Scientist and Indigenous Health Lead at ICES in Ontario and through the Health Data Research Network Canada. Dr. Walker also has an active research community-engaged research program in aging and dementia. She is the co-lead of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration and Aging’s (CCNA) Team 18 – Issues in Dementia Care for Indigenous Populations and the lead for the Indigenous Cognitive Health Program. She has also led the validation of the Canadian Indigenous Cognitive Assessment tool and the implementation of the tool in Anishinabek communities of Northern Ontario.