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 and Dr. Aynslie Hinds. 

My thesis work focused on the primary healthcare experiences of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. I have been a SPECTRUM Fellow since summer 2021 and became the Lead Fellow in the beginning of 2022. 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, 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.