Dr. Bree Akesson Renewed as Canada Research Chair in Global Adversity and Well-Being

We’re pleased to share that Dr. Bree Akesson has been renewed for a second five-year term as the Tier II Canada Research Chair in Global Adversity and Well-Being. The Canada Research Chairs Program supports leading researchers across Canada, and this renewal recognizes Dr. Akesson’s significant contributions to understanding how families navigate extreme adversity.

Highlights from Her First Term

During her initial term, Dr. Akesson:

• Launched the Global Adversity and Well-Being Research Group, bringing together scholars and students working on issues of conflict, displacement, and family well-being.

• Established the Mapping Stories Global Research (MSGR) Lab, funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which equips researchers with narrative, visual, and mobile tools to study families’ everyday experiences in crisis contexts.

• Contributed research that informed international policy. Her book From Bureaucracy to Bullets: Extreme Domicide and the Right to Home helped inspire a United Nations report by the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. She later joined a panel with the Special Rapporteur that contributed to UN Security Council discussions on recognizing domicide as a distinct international crime.

Dr. Akesson’s recent work includes ongoing partnerships with Rohingya refugee families in Bangladesh, using collaborative interviews, drawing, and interactive life-story methods to document their daily lives.

Priorities for the Next Five Years

In her renewed term, Dr. Akesson will continue long-term research with communities affected by political violence, displacement, and environmental disasters. This includes sustained work with Rohingya families in Bangladesh and expanded collaborations with Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza.

Her goals include:

• Deepening research grounded in human rights frameworks

• Expanding participatory methodologies with families

• Mobilizing findings in creative and policy-relevant ways

Looking Ahead

Dr. Akesson’s research continues to highlight the central role families play in recovery, resilience, and long-term well-being in humanitarian settings. We look forward to supporting the next phase of this impactful work.

To read the full interview with Dr. Akesson, click here: Full Interview