Mikayla Hunter

Hello! My name is Mikayla Hunter, my pronouns are she/they and I am queer nonbinary woman. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications from the University of Winnipeg in 2011. I worked in marketing and advertising for awhile before I returned to university to finish my double major in Psychology. I recently graduated from the Master of Science program in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba under the supervision of Dr. Javier Mignone. In September 2024, I became a PhD student in the Department of Community Health Sciences, under the supervision of Dr. Nathan Nickel, working to address data equity for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

My master’s thesis work focused on the primary healthcare experiences of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and my PhD work will follow up on those qualitative results generated in my MSc using quantitative data. I have been a SPECTRUM Fellow since summer 2021. The multidisciplinary nature of SPECTRUM has enabled me to use the skills I obtained throughout my undergraduate experience as well as the ones I gained from my previous profession. I’ve been able to participate on many of the working groups, notably the grant writing working group which enabled me to contribute to developing a federal funding application and learn about the process.

My research interests include 2SLGBTQIA+ health and healthcare experiences, data equity, primary care and health services, and health system accessibility/equity improvements. When I’m not busy with work and school, I like to use my free time to knit and crochet. Many of these knitted and crocheted projects end up being donated to local community agencies, such as Willow Place. I also enjoy gardening and cuddling with my two cats, Draco and Luna, while I settle in with a good book.