Dr. OmiSoore Dryden – Candidate Presentation
11:00 – 12:00 Thursday September 6, 2018 Room 2L7 – Tupper Link
James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies
How do cultural and historical notions about medicine and racial bias in the health and medical system shape the health prospects of Black people and the society as a whole? Public health discourse have, at times, framed the body as dangerous, with some bodies presumed to be more prone to risk and vulnerability to disease; and thus pose a greater danger to the rest of society. Dr. Dryden’s research seeks to understand how the interlocking systems of oppression (through racism, gender, and sexuality) influence the health experiences of Black people in Canada.
Her analysis extends the theorization of the body to the materiality of blood, while offering insights into Black peoples’ experiences with medical science and popular perceptions of health, disease, and illness.
Dr. OmiSoore Dryden is an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersections of health science, social science and humanities. Her current research studies the symbolics of blood and the “social life” of blood donation. In her research on Black life, health, illness, and belonging, Her research examines the systems of blood donation, including screening questionnaires. She is the Principal Investigator of a two-year research project that aims to identify the barriers African/Black gay, bisexual, and trans men experience with donating blood in Canada. Dr. Dryden is an Assistant Professor and Chair, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Thorneloe University (Sudbury Ontario) and a Researcher-In-Residence, Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN).