Myles Leslie is an ethnographer and sociologist, and has spent the majority of his career examining policy ‘in action.’  At the heart of his interest are the social interactions and cultural values that shape the structures and contexts of healthcare.  As the Associate Director of Research at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, Dr. Leslie is extending his interest in Quality Improvement research into:

·        the theory and pragmatics of patient engagement, and
·        the policies that support the formal and informal delivery of elder care. 

As such, his core interests are in the social, cultural, institutional, and political factors that are in play as healthcare clinicians and policy makers seek to engage patients either in their own care, or in the care of aging family and friends. 

Dr. Leslie joins the Global Justice Lab with an interest in understanding access to healthcare as a human right that is shaped by social change, crime and violence, political and economic demands, and conflicted organizational priorities.  How might the processes of patient engagement for healthcare priority setting, or care pathway reform, be analogous to other justice and access struggles?  Are there lessons about representativeness, and operationalizing principles of justice and equality that can be learned?  What are the points of intersection and diversion between informal healthcare delivery networks in the Global South and North?  Are there ways for policy makers with limited resources to support and encourage these networks and so improve health outcomes?