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Faculty Member

Andrea Andersen

Email Address(es)
aandersen(at)gov.nu.ca
Division(s)/Institute(s)
Social & Behavioural Health Sciences Division
Position
Adjunct Professor
SGS Status
Associate Member

Research Interest:  

  • Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Metis) health 
  • Population and public health 
  • Health services and policy 
  • Social and behavioural health sciences 
  • Tuberculosis in Inuit communities  

Education & Training History:  

  • Certificate – indigenous Language Proficiency in Inuktut – Pirurvik Centre via UVic, 2023 
  • Certificate – Bear Guard, 2021 
  • MPT, Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University, 2016   
  • BScK (Hons), Kinesiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2014   
  • Certificate – Exercise Physiologists, CEP, 2014 
  • Certificate – Neuro-proprioceptive taping, Concussion Management, iLS, Pain Foundations 
  • Certificate – canoeing Level A, Sea Kayak Level 1, First Aid & CPR

Other Affiliations:  

  • Nunatsiavut Government, Beneficiary  
  • Canadian Physiotherapy Association, Member 
  • College of Newfoundland and Labrador Physiotherapy, Member  
  • Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, Member  
  • 4Rs Youth Movement

Primary Teaching Responsibilities:  

Doctoral dissertation supervisory committees; and thesis and dissertation defense committees (e.g., doctoral final oral examination committee).  

Professional Summary:  

Andrea Andersen, PT, BScKin, MscPT is Inuk from Makkovik, Nunatsiavut. She is the daughter of Toby Andersen of Three Rapids and Maxine Andersen of Postville, Nunatsiavut. Ms. Andersen has over 10-years working in the health sector.  

In her secondary years of schooling Ms. Andersen spent most of her time advocating for Inuit youth rights in the Nunatsiavut region with the Rising Youth Council and Futures in Newfoundland and Labrador. While also being a correspondent for the Labradorian Newspaper. 

During post-secondary studies Ms. Andersen worked at the Shawnadithit Shelter, the Little Gym, and was a fitness trainer at MAX- Arts, Athletics, and Wellness. Ms. Andersen was a liaison for the Nunatsiavut Heritage Forum and Researcher for the Labrador Institute once she completed her schooling.  

Ms. Andersen currently works front line as a Physiotherapist in Iqaluit, NU at the Qikiqtani General Hospital for the past 7-years.  

Ms. Andersen has volunteer experience participating on numerous councils, boards and committees including: Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, Lead of the Iqaluit Water Fund crisis. She was the past youth executive for the National Association of Friendship Centres, 4Rs youth movement steering committee, Board of Directors for Memorial University Campus Food Bank, Memorial University Aboriginal Advisory Committee.  

She also excels in youth sport programming with being the Nunavut Badminton Team Manager and the local high school coach. She previously was the athletic trainer for Kings College Women’s Soccer team, Memorial University women’s volleyball team. Along with leading Neurotherapeutic fitness classes for the L.A. Miller Centre, Spinal Cord Association of NL, and Special Olympics of NL cross country skiing.  

 Appointments:  

Adjunct Professor (2022-2023), Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto 

Lecturer (2013-2014), School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador 

Events Organized:  

  • Iqaluit Water Fund  
  • Nunavut Quest Iqaluit Celebration  
  • Toonik Tyme community events  
  • Petition for Search and Rescue to be stationed in Labrador 
  • Youth engagement sessions around the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) 
  • Action for Indigenous women’s platform 
  • Helped organize the Land Protectors to what eventually formed into an Indigenous- led movement urging the province of Newfoundland and Labrador to address the concerns about the danger of Nalcor’s Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project subjecting residents of the Lake Melville area to dangerous levels of methylmercury. This was known as the “Make Muskrat Right” movement 

 Honours & Awards:  

  • Indspire Building Brighter Futures Scholarship 2023 
  • Top female athlete for Torngnat Labrador Winter Games 2023  
  • Arctic Net travel grant 2016 
  • Iqaluit Community Volunteer Award 2021 
  • Nominated for the Inuit Indspire award 2014 and 2016 
  • ‘UROCK’ Newfoundland and Labrador Volunteer award 2010 

 Research:  

  • Patient- Oriented Indicators for the Evaluation of an Inter-professional Tuberculosis Clinic in Northern Labrador – Research Assistant – Dr. Gabe Wollam, Physician, Labrador Grenfell Health, Goose-Bay, NL 
  • Aging Well Project – Research Assistant – Nathaniel Pollock, Labrador Institute- Memorial University, Goose-Bay, NL 
  • Masters Research Project – Feasibility study of exercise in the ALS population- Dr. Marilyn -MacKay Lyons, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS 2016 
  • Honors Thesis Project – Corticospinal excitability from an upper body Wingate test – Dr. Kevin Power, Memorial University, St. Johns, NL 2014 
  • Indirect Calorimetry Research Assistant – Dr. Fabien Bassett, Memorial University, St. Johns, NL 2014 
  • Ergonomics Research Assistant – Fast Rescue Craft Simulation- Dr. Scott McKinnon, Virtual Environments for Knowledge Mobilization c/o Faculty of Engineering, Memorial University, St. Johns, NL 2013 

 Representative Publications:  

  1. MacLachlan, J., Andersen, A., Benoit, A., Nowgesic, E., & Nixon, S. (2022). Developing an accountability framework to support bridging Inuit worldviews and the critical paradigm in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 1-13. doi:10.1177/16094069221113114