Geil Han Astorga

I am interested in translating research into practical interventions for patients and communities.

My DPhil, funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK and the University of Oxford, explores strategies to recruit and retain underserved groups in clinical trials.

Before pursuing a doctorate, I developed strategic communications and knowledge translation initiatives for a childhood disability research centre and a hospital-based research lab addressing the social determinants of health. I also led the communications and recruitment committee of a national clinical trial in Canada that evaluated COVID-19 treatments in community settings.

I completed my Master’s in Translational Research in the Health Sciences at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, supported by the Canada Graduate Scholarships - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). My project co-designed an educational module to improve the transition of youth with sickle cell disease from pediatric to adult healthcare settings. I earned my Honours Bachelor's degree with distinction (summa cum laude) from McMaster University, where my research focused on the affordances of social media for knowledge translation in pediatric rehabilitation research.