Alexandrea Anderson

Hi there, my name is Alexandrea Anderson (pronouns: she/her). I graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Statistics from the University of Manitoba, with minors in Computer Science and Economics in 2017. After graduation, I worked at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy as a Data Analyst for one year. I then decided to return to school and enrolled in the Master of Science program in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba under the supervision of Dr. Alyson Mahar and Dr. Lisa Lix. My thesis work focuses on the validation of an algorithm for identifying HIV cases using administrative health data in Manitoba.

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I was a SPECTRUM fellow from September to December 2019. It was very exciting to be a part of the team when SPECTRUM was just beginning. I had the opportunity to meet professors from different departments that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I was also fortunate to be able to attend SPECTRUM’s first partnership meeting with researchers and community partners. I summarised the responses to the end of meeting survey to help inform next steps.

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My research interests include infectious diseases, especially sexually transmitted and blood borne infections, as well as cancer and equity in health care and health systems. I left the SPECTRUM project in January 2020 because I moved to Whitehorse, Yukon to complete a four-month practicum as a Public Health Officer with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) as part of the Visual and Automated Disease Analytics (VADA) Graduate Training Program. When I returned, I transitioned to part-time student status and began a full-time position with PHAC as a Field Surveillance Officer (FSO). In this role, I monitor HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in Manitoba and contribute to the provincial COVID-19 response. When I’m not busy with work and school, I like to read or get outside hiking, camping, canoeing, or kayaking.