Marcelo Urquia, PhD, MSc

Research summary

Dr. Marcelo Urquia's research interests include the intersection of gender, immigration, and health and wellbeing, with a life-course perspective. He focuses on understanding health risks using a family perspective, rather than treating individuals as unrelated statistical units. His research approach is primarily based on the analysis of large linked population-based multisectoral databases. His current research topics include maternal and birth outcomes, immigration and health, intimate partner violence, child marriage, family and adolescent health, and international health.

Dr. Urquia is also developing the measurement of family structure in the Manitoba population to advance research in this area. He is currently accepting Master's students and PhD candidates in his research group.

Dr. Marcelo Urquia is an epidemiologist, community health scientist, and an expert in the field of gender, immigration, and health. He is currently an associate professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, and a Canada Research Chair in Applied Population Health. Dr. Urquia is also affiliated with ICES (formerly the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences), and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.

Throughout his career, Dr. Urquia has published over 110 peer-reviewed articles, exploring the social determinants of health, maternal and child health, reproductive and perinatal epidemiology, and the epidemiology of migration and health. He has collaborated with researchers from all corners of the globe, bringing new perspectives to the intersection of gender, migration, and health.

Dr. Urquia's research approach involves using large linked population-based multisectoral databases to understand health risks from a family perspective. He is currently developing new measures of family structure in Manitoba to help advance research in the field.

Dr. Urquia holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Buenos Aires, a master's degree in Public Health from the National University of Lanus, and an MSc and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto. He is also a member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists.

In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Urquia is a mentor, supervisor, and advocate for students and early-career researchers. 

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology (PhD), University of Toronto (2009)

Master of Science in Epidemiology (MSc), University of Toronto (2006)

Awards

Member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (2020)

Canada Research Chair in Applied Population Health (2017)

Early Researcher Award, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (2016)

New Investigator Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (2013)