Rosalind Abdool, BA(hons), MA, PhD
Adjunct Lecturer
Position: Ethicist, Trillium Health Partners
SGS Status: Associate (Restricted) Member
Primary Graduate Appointment: Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Program: Master of Health Science in Bioethics
Primary Teaching Responsibilities: CHL3001Y – Core Topics in Bioethics
Research Interests
Rosalind (Roz)’s research interests include health equity and challenges of social justice in our evolving healthcare system. Other areas of interest include ethical deliberation in acute care medicine, specifically in rehabilitation, mental health, oncology and palliative care, as well as in applying theoretical concepts to tangible dilemmas.
Current Research Projects
Roz is currently leading the Identify/Document-Substitute Decision-Making (ID-SDM) quality improvement project at Trillium Health Partners (Mississauga, ON). This project provides concrete data regarding baseline SDM identification/documentation practices, as well as post-intervention data after education was provided and a new SDM pilot form was introduced on two pilot units. The data collection of the ID-SDM quality improvement project is now complete, with a publication draft in progress.
Roz is also a Board Member for the Canadian Association of Practicing Healthcare Ethicists – Association canadienne des éthiciens en soins de santé (CAPHE-ACESS) and currently co-chair the Values’ Product Development Group (VPDG). The VPDG is working towards developing a Code of Ethics for practicing healthcare ethicists across Canada, using a deliberative engagement methodology to engage stakeholders during this process.
Education & Training History
Roz is a practicing health care ethicist working at Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, ON. Roz completed her doctoral work in 2015 at the University of Waterloo in the Department of Philosophy in both ethics and bioethics. She further completed the Centre for Clinical Ethics’ Fellowship Program in Clinical and Organizational Ethics through the University of Toronto’s Joint Centre for Bioethics at Unity Health (formerly St. Joseph’s Health Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital and Providence Health Care) in Toronto, Ontario. Roz proceeded to develop a new Ethics Service at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor ON, as a clinical ethicist with the Centre for Clinical Ethics. She is a former Board Member for the Canadian Bioethics Society, acting in the roles of Fundraising Officer and, subsequently, Membership Coordinator.
Roz has presented internationally at the International Academy of Law and Mental Health Congress, the American Philosophical Association Conference, the Canadian Philosophical Association Conference and the World Congress for Psychiatric Nurses. She has presented nationally at the Canadian Bioethics Society Annual Conference, in addition to lecturing locally at the University of Toronto in the Master of Health Science in Bioethics through the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She has also published in Nursing Ethics and the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics.
Honours & Awards
- Hazel McCallion Quality Awards – honorable mention for “Improvement” of the Identify and Document Substitute Decision Maker (ID-SDM) Project (2019)
- President’s Graduate Scholarship (September 2012 – August 2014)
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship (September 2012 – August 2014)
- University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship (Fall 2011 & Spring 2012)
- University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts Graduate Scholarship (Winter 2012)
- University of Waterloo Department of Philosophy Award for Excellence as a Teaching Assistant (May 2011)
- University of Waterloo Graduate Entrance Scholarship (Spring 2009 & Spring 2011)
- University of Waterloo Special Graduate Student Entrance Award (Winter 2011)
- Ontario Graduate Fellowship (Winter 2011)
- Provost Doctoral Entrance Award for Women (Fall 2010 - Winter 2011)
- Arts Graduate Experience Award (Fall 2008 – Spring 2009 & Fall 2010 – Winter 2012)
- University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts Graduate Scholarship (Fall 2008 – Winter 2009 & Fall 2010)
- University of Guelph Entrance Scholarship (Fall 2003)
- University of Guelph Board of Governors’ Scholarship (Fall 2003 – Winter 2005)
Other Affiliations
- Canadian Association of Practicing Healthcare Ethicists/ Association Canadienne des Ethiciens en Soins de Santé (CAPHE-ACESS) Board member (Secretary)
- Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards (CAREB) member
- Canadian Bioethics Society (CBS) member
- CAPHE-ACESS Values’ Product Development Group (VPDG) co-chair
- Regional Bioethics Group member
- University of Toronto – Mississauga Academy of Medicine (MAM) seminar facilitator
- University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (JCB) member
- University of Toronto JCB Clinical, Organizational and Research Ethics Network (CORE Network) member