Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Dionne Gesink PhD

Research Interests

• Social Epidemiology
• Sexual Health
• Mental Health and Wellness
• Spatial Epidemiology
• Community Based Participatory Research
• Mixed Methods
• Knowledge Exchange and Translation

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

GGR433 Built Environment and Health

(previously) CHL5404 Research Methods I

(previously) CHL5129 Introduction to Mixed Methods Research for Public Health

Current Research Projects

My research investigates the social epidemiology of sexual health, including the spatial movement of diseases and ideas through social/sexual networks. My ideas emerge from a transformative, relational paradigm. I use mixed methods to investigate sexual health as a complex system, with connections to physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health. The projects I am involved with are often community based and consider culture. I have worked with Indigenous, marginalized, and hard-to-reach communities, as well as the general population, to develop effective interventions that transform sexual health at individual, community, and provincial levels.

• 2016 – Present: The Geography of Sex
• 2021 – Present: Wellness and the Architecture of Public Health Education

Recent Publications

• Sobers M*, Smith PM, Massaquoi N, Hamilton HA, Gesink D. Mental health service use among Black adolescents in Ontario by sex and distress level: a cross-sectional study. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2025 Sep 7;197(29): E901-E914 [SRA, CA].
• Kaur-Tiwana T, Schwartz N, Forbes, Hunter S, Gesink D, Hobin E, Anderson LN, Rebellato S, Pabayo R, Smith BT. Public health funding and chlamydia and gonorrhea rates among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada: An interrupted time series study. Public Health. 2025 Sep: 246: 105845
• Dharma C*, Smith P, Salway T Gesink D, Escobar, M, Landsman V. A two-step approach to simultaneously correct for selection and misclassification bias in nonprobability samples from hard-to-reach populations. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2025 Jun 20: 194(11):3267-3272 [CA].
• Balasa R*, Khan M, Gesink D, Forman L, Azzopardi C, Perez-Brumer A. A child-centered approach to trauma- and violence-informed interventions among children who have experienced sex trafficking: Qualitative findings from emergency department providers in Ontario, Canada. Child Protection and Practice. 2025: 5, 100190. [CA]
• Schwartz N, Hunter S, Forbes S, Gesink D, Hobin E, Anderson LN, Rebellato S, Pabayo R, Smith BT. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on sexually transmitted infections and the modifying role of public health funding: an interrupted time series study. Journal of Public Health. 2025. 47(3):395-403. [CA]
• Sturrock S*, Moineddin R, Gesink D, Woodruff S, Fuller D. The effect of software and hardware version on Apple Watch activity measurement: A secondary analysis of the COVFIT retrospective cohort study. PLOS One Digital Health. 2025 Apr 8;4(4):e0000727 [CA]
• Witek T, DiRuggiero E, Gesink D. The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Program at the University of Toronto. Early observations from Canada’s First Professional Public Health Doctorate. Canadian Journal of Public Health. 2025. 116(5):723-732. [CA]
• Kinitz, D. J.*, Ross, L. E., MacEachen, E., Gesink, D. “How can you worry about employment and survival at the same time?”: Employment and mental health among precariously employed cisgender and transgender sexual minority adult men in Toronto, Canada. Culture, Health and Sexuality. 2024 Sep 29:1-16. [SRA, CA]
• Dharma C*, Smith PM, Escobar M, Salway T, Landsman V, Klassen B, Lachowsky NJ, Gesink D. Improving prevalence estimates of mental health and well-being indicators among Sexual Minority Men: A Propensity Weighting Approach. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2024. 193(12):1758-1767. [SRA, CA]
• Dason S, Kapsack A, Baxter N, Gesink D, Shapiro H, Simpson A. Resident and Fellow Perspectives on Family Planning and Building During Training. JAMA Network Open. 2024. 7(8):e2429345. [CA]
• Kinitz, D*, Ross L, MacEachen E, Fehr C, Gesink D. “…full of opportunities, but not for everyone”: A narrative inquiry into mechanisms of labor market inequity among precariously employed gay, bisexual, and queer men. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2024 Apr;67(4):350-363. [SRA, CA]
• Balasa, R*, Khan, M, Gesink, D, Forman, L, & Perez-Brumer, A. Experiences of child sex trafficking identification among Ontario pediatric emergency department healthcare providers: A qualitative study.Child Abuse & Neglect. 2024. 153, 106852. [CA]
• Dason S*, Maxim M*, Gesink D, Shapiro H, Chan C, Yee, M, Simpson A. Medical students’ perspectives on family planning and impact on specialty choice: a qualitative study. JAMA Surgery. 2024 Feb 1;152(2):170-178 [CA]
• Liu B*, Widener MJ, Smith LG, Gesink D. Integrating coordination of food purchasing into activity space-based food environment research: Toward a household perspective. Health and Place. 2023 Jul:82:103046.
• Quelch J, Jackson R, Toombs E, Robinson M, Serghides L, Aker A, Gauvin H, Sinoway C, Barkman L, Mushquash C, Gesink D, Amirault M, Benoit AC. Evaluating facilitators’ experience delivering a stress-reducing intervention for Indigenous women with and without HIV. Health & Social Care in the Community. 2023.
• Yeung A, Lisk R, Rana J, Guiang CB, Bacon J, Brunetta J, Gilbert M, Gesink D, Grewal R, Kwag M, Logie CH, Mitterni L, Shahin R, Tan DHS, Burchell AN. Community and healthcare provider preferences for STI testing interventions for Men who have Sex with Men: e-delphi study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2023 Jun 29: 25: e40477 [CA]
• Dharma C*, Guimond T, Salway T, Lachowsky N, Card K, Gesink D. Geosexual Archetype, Preventive Behaviours, and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Men who Have Sex with Men. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2023 Aug 1;50(8): 499-505 [CA, SRA]
• Fox LC*, Miller WC, Gesink D, Doherty I, Hampton KH, Leone PA, Williams DE, Akita Y, Dunn M, Serre ML. Progression of a large syphilis outbreak in rural North Carolina through space and time: Application of a Bayesian Maximum Entropy graphical user interface. PLOS One Global Public Health. 2023. 3(5):e0001714 [CA]
• Giles M.L, Juando-Prats C, McPherson A.C and Gesink D. “But, you’re in a wheelchair!”: A systematic review exploring the sexuality of youth with physical disabilities. Sexuality and Disability. 2023. 41: 141-171 [CA, SRA]
• Aker A, Serghides L, Cotnam J, Jackson R, Robinson M, Gauvin H, Mushquash C, Gesink D, Amirault M, Benoit AC. The impact of a stress management intervention including cultural components on stress biomarker levels and mental health indicators among indigenous women. J Behav Med. 2023 Jan 18. [CA]
• Kim SR*, Ene GEV Simpson A, Gesink D, Ferguson SE. Acceptability of bariatric surgery in people with endometrial cancer and atypical hyperplasia: a qualitative study. Gynecologic Oncology. 2022 Dec 1;169:12-16. [CA]
• Salway T, Rich AJ, Ferlatte O, Gesink D, Ross LE, Bränström R, Sadr A, Khan S, Grennan T, Shokoohi M, Brennan DJ, Gilbert M. Preventable mortality among sexual minority Canadians. Social Science and Medicine – Population Health 2022; 101276. [CA]
• Shuper P, Varatharajan T, Kinitz D, Gesink D, Joharchi N, Bogosh I, Loutfy M, Rehm J. Perceived Influence of Alcohol Consumption, Substance Use, and Mental Health on PrEP Adherence and Condom Use among PrEP-Prescribed Gay, Bisexual, and other Men-who-Have-Sex-with-Men: A Qualitative Investigation. BMC Public Health. 2022 Oct 7;22(1):1875. [CA]
• Liu B, Widener MJ, Smith LG, Farber S, Gesink D, Minaker L, Patterson Z, Larsen K, Gilliland J. Time-Geographic Project of Household Food Provision: Conceptualization and a Pilot Case Study. The Annals of the American Association of Geographers. 2023. 113; 3: 675-699 [CA]
• Liu, B*; Widener, M; Smith, L; Farber, S; Gesink, D; Minaker, L; Patterson, Z; Larsen, K; Gilliland, J. Who’s cooking tonight? A time-use study of coupled adults in Toronto, Canada. Time and Society. 2022, Vol. 0(0) 1–28 [CA]
• Rana J*, Burchell AN, Wang S, Logie CH, Lisk R, Gesink D. Community perspectives on ideal bacterial STI testing services for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Toronto, Canada: a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research. 2022 Sep 23;22(1):1194 [CA, SRA]
• Wang S*, Widener W, Burchell AN, Grace D, Gesink D. Spatial access to sexual health clinics measured through a novel accessibility score in Toronto, Canada. STDs. 2022 Jul 1;49(7):484-489 [CA, SRA]
• Kinitz, DJ., Goodyear, T., Dromer, E., Gesink, D., Ferlatte, O., Knight, R. & Salway, T. “Conversion therapy” experiences in their social contexts: A qualitative study of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts in Canada.Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2022 Jun;67(6):441-451 [CA]
• Yakubovich, A., Bartsch, A., Metheny, N., Gesink, D., O’Campo, P. Housing interventions for women experiencing intimate partner violence: a systematic review of the quantitative evidence on effectiveness. The Lancet Public Health. 2021: Nov 24 (online) [CA]
• Yakubovich, A, Heron, J., Metheny, N., Gesink, D., O’Campo, P. Measuring the Burden of Intimate Partner Violence by Sex and Sexual Identity: Results From a Random Sample in Toronto, Canada. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2021. [CA]
• Goodyear T, Kinitz DJ, Dromer E, Gesink D, Ferlatte O, Knight R, & Salway T. “They want you to kill your inner queer but somehow leave the human alive”: Delineating the impacts of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts. The Journal of Sex Research.Apr 2021 [CA]
• Rana, J; Guiang, CB; Lisk, R; Shahin, R; Brunetta, J; Mitterni, L; Grewal, R; Tan, DHS; Gilbert, M; Yeung, A; Kwag, M; Logie, CH; Bacon, J; Gesink, D; Burchell, AN. Survey of Health Care Providers’ Practices and Opinions Regarding Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men. Sexually Transmitted Diseases: February 2021 – Volume 48 – Issue 2 – p 94-102 [CA]
• Salway T*, Gesink D, Ferlatte O, Rich AJ, Rhodes AE, Brennan DJ, Gilbert M. Age, period, and cohort patterns in the epidemiology of suicide attempts among sexual minorities in the United States and Canada: detection of a second peak in middle adulthood. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2021;56(2):283-294. [CA]
• Gesink D, Salway T, Connell J*, Kimura L*. STI Knowledge and Attitudes Among Sexual Minority Men During Ongoing STI Epidemics in Toronto, Ontario: A Qualitative Study. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2020 Oct; 47(10):658-662 [PA, SRA]
• Salway T, Ferlatte O, Gesink D, Lachowsky N. Prevalence of exposure to sexual orientation change efforts and associated sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial health outcomes among Canadian sexual minority men. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2020 Jul;65(7):502-509. [CA]
• Gesink D, Salway T, Kimura L*, Connell J*, Widener M, Ferlatte O. The Social Geography of Partner Selection in Toronto, Canada: A Qualitative Description of “Convection Mixing”. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2020 Jul;49(5):1839-1851. [PA, SRA]
• Jüni P, Fothenbühler M, Bobos P, Thorpe K, da Costa B, Fisman D, Slutsky A, Gesink D. Impact of Climate and Public Health Interventions on the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prospective Cohort Study. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2020 May 25;192(21):E566-E573. [CA, SRA]

* denotes student authors, ** denotes community authors