Kendra Nixon

• Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work) - University of Calgary, 2009
• Master of Social Work - University of Calgary, 2009
• Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) - King’s College, 1998
• Certificate in Criminology (Honours) - University of Toronto, 1995
• Bachelor of Arts (Economics) - University of Western Ontario, 1992

Dr. Nixon’s overarching research agenda focuses on gender-based violence. She specializes in the following areas:

• intimate partner violence

  children’s exposure to violence

  mothering within the context of violence

  domestic homicide

  suicide and violence

  sexual exploitation

Dr. Nixon’s research has primarily focused on policies aimed at reducing violence, as well as institutional responses to intimate partner violence, including the child welfare and criminal justice systems. Dr. Nixon is also the Director of RESOLVE, a tri-prairie research network on family and gender-based violence.

Dr. Nixon is the Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator on the following grants (selective):

Letourneau, N. (Principal Investigator), Nixon, K. (Co-Principal Investigator), K. Ross, A. Tufescu-Stewart. Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA) training platform: Health and social service research training platform for system and population transformations in girls’ and women’s health. (CIHR Health Research Training Platform, $2.4 million, University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing, $30,000, University of Calgary Vice-President Research Office, $60,000, Strategy-for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) supplement, $150,000) (2022-2028).

Nixon, K., Henriquez, N., & Smith, N. COVID-19 and the Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors and Service Providers, Individual Partnership Engage Grant (PEG) COVID-19 Special Initiative (SSHRC), 2020-2023, $24,780.

Nixon, K. Assessing the capacity to conduct Indigenous-based research and engage with Indigenous communities in the Prairie Provinces, 2021-2023. Indigenous Initiatives Fund, University of Manitoba, $29,914

Nixon, K., Ristock, J., Peter, T., Hoffart, R., Tutthill, M., Dack, S., Letourneau, N., McManus, C., Wood, K., & Loewen Walker, R. Examining the Nature & Context of IPV in the 2SLGBTQ Community, 2020-2023, Prairieaction Foundation Special Call, $74,922.

Nixon, K., Wood, K., Letourneau, N., McBride, D., Stupack, B., McManus, C., & Dusel, J. Understanding Responses and Resources to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Against Female Victims Within Rural Municipalities in the Prairie Provinces, 2020-2023, Prairieaction Foundation Special Call, $74,902.

Nixon, K., Fraehlich, C., Turnbull, L., & Ferguson, P. Caught in the middle: Children’s involvement in the court process as it relates to intimate partner violence, 2019-2022, Praireaction Foundation Special Call, $66,711.

Nixon, K., Hiebert-Murphy, Mota, N., & Bennet, M., Exploring Suicidality Among Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence, UM SSHRC/Explore, 2020-2021, University of Manitoba, $7,000; Faculty of Social Work Research Development Funds, 2020-2021, University of Manitoba, $5,000.

Nixon, K., Alaggia, R., Black, T., Jenny, A., Milne, L., & Bennett, M. In search of promising approaches: Canadian child protection responses to cases of intimate partner violence, 2016-2023. Insight Grant (SSHRC), $155,193.

Dr. Nixon is a Co-Investigator on the following grants (selective):

Jaffe, P. & Scott, K. (Principal Investigators), Nixon, K. (Co-Investigator), Jackson, M., Holtmann, C., & Lessard, G. From Awareness to Action: Moving from screening and assessment to developing appropriate parenting plans after family violence in the family justice system (Western University; RESOLVE Manitoba is lead institution in RESOLVE Network). Canadian Department of Justice. 2023-2026, $2,317,705

Letourneau, N. (Principal Investigator). Co-PIs: Ross, K., Pliszka, H., Collier, C., Lalonde, S., Varro, S. Co-I’s: Graham, I., Nixon, K., Piotrowski, C., Wood, K., Birnie, K., Kobor, M., Merrill, S. Collaborators: Hart, M., Cole, S., O'Beirne, M., Shajana, Z, & Snell. S. Attachment and Child Health (ATTACH™) Online: Implementation Across Alberta to Promote Healthy Parent-Child Relationships and Mental Health and Development of Children Affected by Early Adversity 273,440 CIHR Team Grant (Team Grant: Mental Health in the Early Years Implementation Science) 2023-2026, $273,440

Jaffe, P. & Scott, K. (Principal Investigators), Nixon, K. (Co-Investigator), Jackson, M., Holtmann, C., & Lessard, G. Supporting the Health of Survivors of Family Violence in Family Law Proceedings. Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020-2023, $1,185,270.

Brownell, M. (Principal Investigator), Afifi, T., Forget, E., Fransoo, R., Levasseur, K,. Levine, K., Linden, E., Mahar, A., Mulvale, J., Nickel, N., Nixon, K. (Co-Investigator), Polyzoi, E., Roos, L., Turnbull, L., Witt, J., Across the Spectrum: Building a Multi-Sector Partnership to Conduct Social Policy Evaluation and Research Using Big Data, SSHRC Partnership Development Grant, 2019-2021, $199,960.

Dr. Nixon’s teaching interests include social welfare policy, policy analysis, and qualitative research. Dr. Nixon supervises students at the Masters and Doctoral levels.