Laura Hurd
Education:
BA, Sociology, Queen’s University, 1992
MSW, Wilfrid Laurier University, 1994
PhD, Sociology, McMaster University, 2000
Research interests: Aging, ageism, anti-aging health and beauty culture, assistive technology, body image, disability, gender, health and illness, physical activity, and media representations of later life
My research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR).
You can find my UBC profile here.
For a list of my publications, please see here.
Lynda Li

Lynda Li
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
Education:
BKIN, School of Kinesiology (in progress), UBC
Research interests: Aging, social inequalities, media representations of older adults, and the health impacts of racism
I am a fourth-year kinesiology student pursuing a directed studies course under the supervision of Dr. Laura Hurd. As an undergraduate researcher, I am studying the textual representations of Anti-Asian discrimination against seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jessica Liang

Jessica Liang
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
Education:
BKIN, School of Kinesiology, UBC, 2018
MA (in progress), School of Kinesiology, UBC
Research interests: Gender and fashion in sport, exercise, and physical activity
I am a Master of Arts graduate student under the supervision of Dr. Laura Hurd. For my master’s thesis I will be exploring the social construction of gender through fashion in the context of sport, exercise, and physical activity. As a research assistant, my roles include assisting with data management, coding, and analysis for the LGBTQ Aging study.
Raveena Mahal

Raveena Mahal
Hometown: Burnaby, BC
Education:
BA, Sociology, The University of British Columbia, 2017
Research interests: Aging, body image, social gerontology, gender studies, social inequalities
I completed an undergraduate degree in sociology in 2017. I have been working as a research assistant with Dr. Laura Hurd’s team since 2015. Currently, I am involved in the SSHRC-funded project examining older men’s experiences of aging and having an older body. Specifically, we are examining older men’s body image, embodiment, and body management practices.
Catherine Tran

Catherine Tran
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Education:
BSc Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2021
MA (in progress), School of Kinesiology, UBC
Research interests: Aging, intersectionality, and the social determinants of health
I am a Master of Arts graduate student under the supervision of Dr. Laura Hurd. I am interested in studying the intersectionality between racism and ageism, and how this affects the health and healthcare experiences of racialized older adults. I am also working as a research assistant on the LGBTQ Aging project.
Maya Willis-Fry

Maya Willis-Fry
Hometown: Bristol, UK
Education:
BA, Human Geography, The University of Liverpool
MA, Gender, Sexuality & Culture, The University of Manchester
PhD (in progress), Kinesiology, The University of British Columbia
Research interests: Gender, sexuality, the body, technology, social media, beauty culture and body image.
I am currently a first year Kinesiology PhD student and my research area of focus includes the intersections between gender, technology, and the body. As a research assistant, I will be contributing to Dr. Laura Hurd’s research project on LGBTQ+ and Aging.
Danni Zhang

Danni Zhang
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Education:
BKIN, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Toronto, 2018
MA (in progress), School of Kinesiology, UBC
Research interests: Mental health and illness, social inequalities, acculturation
I am a Master of Arts graduate student under the supervision of Dr. Laura Hurd. My interests are in understanding the experiences of international students with acculturation, social inequalities, and mental health and illness. Currently, I am a research assistant for Dr. Laura Hurd on the LGBTQ Aging project.