Course overview
The purpose of this course will be to develop an appreciation for the conceptual and methodological intersections that exist between geographical information systems and population health. While population health can include incidence and prevalence of disease and ill-health, as well as concerns about service provision, this course will focus mainly on disease, injury, illness more broadly. The course will include both lectures, where foundational concepts will be introduced and related to practical lab sessions, where students will gain experience using GIS to map and study health information.
Themes covered in the course
- Spatial measurements of vulnerabilities
- Operationalization of Neighbourhoods
- Conceptual frameworks in GIS and Health
- Health and Population Datasets
- Spatial tracking of infectious diseases
- Visualization of geographic and health data
- Structure of GIS projects in health research
- Spatial Access to medical and non-medical resources
- Regression and Geographically-weighted regression
- Limitation of using spatial data and spatial boundaries
Student Mini-project portfolio (Fall 2025)
The mini project focuses on walkability as a neighbourhood feature that can shape daily mobility, access to amenities, community interaction, and health outcomes. Walkability resources are not distributed evenly across neighbourhoods, and this uneven distribution can affect population groups that face health risks or social inequities. Students were placed in the role of GIS analysts working within a geospatial data science team tasked with supporting a new funding initiative aimed at improving walkability for populations of concern. Each student was assigned a Census Division and identified a priority population based on vulnerability or equity considerations. Using spatial methods, students mapped where this population clusters and analysed where walkability resources are limited or insufficient. Lastly, students overlayed both outcomes to highlight neighbourhoods that should receive interventions that would improve walkability infrastructure.
Use the link below to browse projects from the Fall 2025 cohort.