Dr. Rupaleem Bhuyan

Biography

Rupaleem Bhuyan is a Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and incoming Director of the Centre for Critical Qualitative Health Research at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She holds the inaugural Eakin-Hoffmann Chair in Critical Qualitative Health Research, commencing in January 2026. Her research focuses on immigration, gender-based violence, systemic racism, and social policy, utilizing feminist, decolonial, and community-engaged methodologies. Bhuyan has established long-term collaborations with grassroots leaders and advocates for migrant justice and gender equity. She is co-Principal Investigator for the ongoing project 'Border(ing) Practices', which investigates how precarious immigration status affects child welfare interventions in Ontario and British Columbia. She also co-leads the Journey SAWRO initiative with the South Asian Women’s Rights Organization, aimed at documenting the collective efforts of migrant women for safety, decent work, and lasting change. Between 2010 and 2020, she led the Migrant Mothers Project, focusing on research and advocacy regarding permanent residence for migrant caregivers. Bhuyan also contributes to public scholarship through digital storytelling, community infographics, webinars, and peer-reviewed publications on issues such as spousal sponsorship and systemic violence. In her teaching, she emphasizes qualitative research and the politics of knowledge production regardless of geographic boundaries.

Research Interests

Experience