Lily Ziyue Zhang

Lily Ziyue Zhang is an early career scholar in the subfields of Health and Urban Geography with the People, Places and Health Research Group. Lily is a Ph.D. Student under the supervision of Dr. Vincent Kuuire at the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, University of Toronto Mississauga. She is also completing a collaborative specialization in Global Health (UoT Global Scholar) through the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She has received a research award from the Centre for Urban Environments and paper presentation award from the Canadian Association of Geographers (GIScience) for her PhD research.

Previously, Lily was a part of a research team investigating Geospatial patterns of HIV antiretroviral therapy treatment facility use, work location, and viral suppression in Kampala, Uganda, at the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC). Lily developed many valuable insights into international research projects while she prepared proposals and survey instruments, collected interview and survey data, conducted GIS data analysis, and wrote reports. Also, she successfully led two HIV outreach clinics informed by their study and in partnership with the JCRC staff. Lily co-authored three manuscripts (two currently published) and received a Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship while completing her Master of Management of Applied Science, specialization in Global Health Systems, at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Lily also coordinated complex, multi-stakeholder programs serving the inner city homeless with The Salvation Army. Additionally, Lily brings with her unique insights, having lived on a First Nations reserve in northern Alberta while leading community development projects for the University of Alberta and local Chief and Council. She is proud of her work with First Nations Elders in researching cultural knowledge and protecting historic sites. Lily was ultimately trusted to consult on land settlements with government officials and was a part of a multidisciplinary team tasked with creating and delivering diverse community-driven programs and services.

Publications

Gabrielle Bruser, Isaac Luginaah , Ritah Katasi, Lily Ziyue Zhang, Miriam Namasinga, Eric Arts, Cissy Kityo. “…So that's why we hide, we don't want them to know”— Challenges to Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence in Kampala, Uganda. Social Science & Medicine. Africa Geographical Review. 2022.

Gabrielle Bruser, Ritah Katasi, Lily Ziyue Zhang, Miriam Namasinga, Eric Arts, Cissy Kityo, Isaac Luginaah. “Failure is not an Option: Barriers to HIV Treatment Adherence in Kampala, Uganda.” Health and Place. 2021.

Kilian Atouye, Ethel Barnes, Melissa Lee, and Lily Ziyue Zhang. “Maternal health services utilization among primigravida over-time in Uganda: what did the MDGs deliver?” Globalization and Health. 2020.

Supervisors

Vincent Kuuire, Sarah Wakefield

Cohort

2020-2021