Austin Oswald, PhD

Education

PhD Social Welfare, City University of New York
MPhil Social Welfare, City University of New York
MA Applied Health Sciences, Brock University
BSc Therapeutic Recreation, Dalhousie University

Certificate in Demography, City University of New York
Certificate in Critical Theory, City University of New York
Certificate in Qualitative Research, University of Georgia
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (ID: 57497)

Bio

Austin Oswald, PhD, CTRS, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University. With clinical experience in geriatric psychiatry, Dr. Oswald specializes in culturally responsive care for sexually and gender diverse older adults. Their work is grounded in commitments to health equity and social justice.

Dr. Oswald’s research integrates qualitative, quantitative, and archival methods through community-led inquiry that is deeply intersectional and participatory. Informed by critical theories, their scholarship contributes to academic knowledge while supporting community-defined priorities and systems-level change. They collaborate closely with communities affected by systemic injustice to co-design research with tangible, real-world impact.

Dr. Oswald currently leads two major research projects: a federally funded study supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and a provincially funded study supported by Research Nova Scotia. These projects examine the health and aging experiences of sexually and gender diverse Nova Scotians, with the aim of strengthening health, social, and community systems. Dr. Oswald welcomes inquiries from prospective graduate students interested in sexually and gender diverse health and aging, as well as critical and participatory approaches to research.