Christine Yanagawa

I am a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and a Joint Doctoral Research Scholar in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.

My research examines how urban environments and social conditions shape encounters between people and rats and their associated health risks. I am particularly interested in how housing, neighbourhoods, and access to resources influence these encounters and residents’ ability to respond. My work brings together health equity and One Health, an approach that recognizes connections among human, animal, environmental, and ecosystem health.

More broadly, I am interested in human–animal relationships and the socio-environmental conditions people and animals share. This includes how exposure to health risks and access to protective resources vary across populations and places, shaping both human and animal well-being.

I hold a Master of Public Health from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in anthropology and human–environment geography. My background also includes many years working as a Registered Veterinary Technician in clinical practice.