Biography

Margot Parkes grew up and completed her medical training in New Zealand, prior to subsequent work and training in public health, human ecology and ecohealth in Europe and the Americas. Margot’s publications and international collaborations focus on research, education and capacity to link health, ecological and social concerns; with an emphasis on ecohealth, and ecosystem approaches to health. Her work seeks to integrate social and ecological determinants of health, with a particular focus on the cumulative health, environment and community impacts of land and water governance, and on watersheds and catchments as settings for intersectoral action to improve health.

Margot’s research and collaborations continue to be informed by Indigenous knowledge and leadership across Oceania and the Americas, as well as next-generation approaches to learning and collaboration that address complex health and sustainability concerns. She is co-founder of the Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health, a past president of the International Association for Ecology and Health, and a founding member of Oceania Ecohealth chapter.