Dr. Gerry Veenstra

Biography

Born in southern Ontario, Gerry Veenstra obtained undergraduate degrees in Pure Mathematics and Sociology from the University of Waterloo and completed graduate studies in Sociology at McMaster University. He has received numerous awards including the New Investigator career award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Killam Research Fellowship at UBC. His research primarily focuses on the relationship between social class, racial and ethnic identity, and their associations with physical and mental health. His work has mainly covered research in Canada, China, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States. Veenstra's investigations explore how social class impacts health and have applied Pierre Bourdieu's theory of symbolic power to elucidate health-related factors. His scholarship also examines the health effects of intergenerational socioeconomic reproduction and the intersection of race, gender, and class in influencing health-related outcomes. Veenstra has contributed significantly to the literature on racial health inequalities in Canada and continues to explore the links between social class, cultural phenomena, and health disparities through an intersectionality lens. His academic contributions are widely published and recognized across various disciplines within sociology, public health, and health equity.

Research Interests

Experience