Annalijn I. Conklin MPH, PhD (cantab)
Associate Professor (Tenure)
Scientist, Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes
Investigator, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging
A former CIHR Postdoctoral Fellow (2014) and Gates Cambridge Scholar (2011), Dr. Annalijn Conklin is an associate professor (tenure) at UBC and leads a program of social epidemiology and metabolic outcomes research (SEMOR) to support healthy aging and reduce heart health inequities in women in Canada. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, Conklin examines how broader social determinants, such as social ties or job loss, impact cardiovascular risk factors differentially for women and men.
Conklin’s training spans philosophy and biology at the University of Toronto (2002), life sciences at the University of Edinburgh (2005), history and ethics of public health at Columbia University (2007), and social epidemiology at both Cambridge (2014) and UCLA (2016). Conklin worked as an analyst in health policy and evaluation at RAND Europe (2007-11) in Cambridge, UK and and completed over two dozen projects for the European Commission, UK Department of Health, and other funders.
Tam ACT, Steck VA, Janjua S, Liu TY, Murphy RA, Zhang W,* Conklin AI.* A systematic review of evidence on employment transitions and weight change by gender in ageing populations, PLOS One, 2022 [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273218
Kim Son Jun, Witchell E, Conklin AI. Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction: Assessing Dietitians’ Knowledge, Support Requirements and Barriers, Eur J Clin Nutr 2022 [DOI: 10.1038/s41430-022-01193-4
Mozaffari H, Hosseini Z, LaFreniere J, Conklin AI. Is eating a mixed diet better for health and survival?:A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2021 May
Hosseini Z, Safari A, Khan NA, Veenstra G, Conklin AI. Adiposity and the role of diverse social supports: an observational, gender-sensitive study using the baseline Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Public Health Nutrition, 2021
Hosseini Z, Veenstra G, Khan NA, Conklin AI. Social connections and hypertension in women and men: a population-based cross-sectional study of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Journal of Hypertension, 2020
TOPS/New Investigator Award, Obesity Canada, 2023
Scholar Award, Michael Smith Health Research BC, 2021-2026
CIHR-INMD’s Early Career Investigator Meeting Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2017
Postdoctoral Fellowship award, Canadian Institute for Health Research. April 1, 2014-2017
Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Gates Cambridge Trust, 2011-2014
Doctoral Foreign Study Award, Canadian Institute for Health Research, 2011-2014 (declined)
“Social connectedness, life transitions, gender and eating habits: longitudinal study of a Canadian aging cohort.” Conklin AI (PI). $59,260. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant. 2022-24.
“Multiple social tie transitions and their impact on cardiometabolic risk factors in aging women and men (MORE).” Conklin AI (PI). $229,500. Canadian Institutes for Health Research Project Grant. 2021-25.
“Health Equity and cArdiovasculaR disease prevenTion in Canadian adults (HEART).” Conklin AI (PI). $176,478. Heart & Stroke Foundation Grant-in-Aid. 2022-4. (Declined)
“Slhánay̓ Sḵwálwen: Developing foraging walks with Squamish Nation to promote Indigenous women's heart health.” Conklin AI (PI). $59,300. Canadian Institutes for Health Research Indigenous Gender and Wellness Development Grant. 2020-23.
“Gender and the social determinants of obesity.” Conklin AI. The joint conference of Obesity Canada and European Association for the Study of Obesity, virtual, May 10-13, 2021
“Addressing the multileveled, intersecting determinants of cardiometabolic health: Current pilot projects.” Conklin AI. The Cardiometabolic Research Network Workshop hosted by the Canadian Nutrition Society, Virtual (Edmonton), December 11, 2020
“Social connections and their role in healthy aging.” Conklin AI. The BC Brain Wellness Program public forum, Vancouver, March 4, 2020
“Gender, social determinants and chronic disease: finding novel solutions to the complexity of prevention and treatment.” Conklin AI. Indigenous Research Support Initiative’s Research Day, Vancouver, BC, April 19, 2018
- Expert (Taurine and aging), interview with Kevin Jiang for The Toronto Star, Vancouver, 9 June 2023
‘An elixir of life’? Taurine supplements slowed aging, improved health in animals; [online]
https://www.thestar.com/life/2023/06/10/an-elixir-of-life-taurine-supplements-slowed-aging-improved-health-in-animals-study-finds.html - Expert (Social Determinants of Health), Podcast Interview with Dr. Chana Davis for ‘Get Real Health’, 23 May 2023
https://fueledbyscience.com/podcast/annalijn-conklin/ - Expert (Ozempic), recorded interview with Sarah Chew for CTV News, Vancouver, 28 March 2023 (not aired due to federal budget)
- Dr. Annalijn Conklin was interviewed by The New York Times for a November 2, 2020 article “Social Isolation Tied to High Blood Pressure in Women” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/well/mind/social-isolation-tied-to-high-blood-pressure-in-women.html
- Study Last Author, telephone interview with Nick Bakalar for The New York Times, New York, 30 October 2020. “Social Isolation Tied to High Blood Pressure in Women” posted on 2 November 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/well/mind/social-isolation-tied-to-high-blood-pressure-in-women.html - Study Last Author, telephone interview for Radio Canada, Vancouver, 31 October 2020. “Isolation is associated with hypertension, especially in women, study says”
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1746054/tension-arterielle-recherche-ubc-vancouver-maladie-cardiaque - Study Last Author, live TV interview with Global News, Vancouver (on zoom), 29 October 2020
https://globalnews.ca/video/7429621/health-matters-social-isolation-puts-women-at-higher-risk-of-hypertension - Study Last Author, recorded TV interview with CTV, 28 October 2020
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2063765&jwsource=cl and https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2066707 - Study Last Author, live radio interview on Spice Radio, Richmond, 4 August 2020 [no url available]
- Study First Author, live TV interview on Global News Morning, Burbaby, 4 June 2019
https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/1531944003956/ - Independent Expert, Commentary for the Ottawa Citizen on the social aspects of eating, telephone interview with Joanne Laucius, Ottawa, 22 January 2019
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/better-than-eating-alone - Independent Expert, Commentary for Times.com Health on “why eating alone may be bad for you”, telephone interview, New York, 25 October 2017
https://time.com/4995466/eating-alone-metabolic-syndrome/ - Study Author, Broadcast Interview on Loneliness and diet in older men and women, National Geographic documentary, Boda Media Group, Los Angeles, USA, 18 September 2015
- Study Author, Broadcast interview on Social isolation and diet, Morning show on Thames FM for City University, London, UK, 31 October 2013
Media Dissemination of My Research Expertise / Profile
- Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) Radio News, “Healthy Aging”, interview by Michelle Eliot, March 2, 2023
- St. Paul’s Foundation 2020 issue of Promise magazine, ‘The future of health care starts here. Now’, featured my research in an article title, “The science of seniors and healthy aging”
https://helpstpauls.com/articles/the-future-of-health-care-starts-here-now - People of UBC: Annalijn Conklin (April 2020).
https://www.ubc.ca/about/people.html?annalijn-conklin&page=2 - Will a tax on drinks sweetened with sugar work? The Daily Scan, 2 March 2020.
http://thedailyscan.providencehealthcare.org/2020/03/will-a-tax-on-drinks-sweetened-with-sugar-work/ - Nutrition Month – it’s more than food, posted by Home Slider News Research, 28 February 2019.
https://www.advancinghealth.ubc.ca/research-in-action/nutrition-month-its-more-than-food/
Media Dissemination of My Research (by Publication / Topic)
Hosseini et al (2020) J Hypertension (12 cites)
- Social isolation can lead to higher risks of hypertension in older and middle-aged women, claims study, posted by Times of India, 12 November 2020.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/social-isolation-can-lead-to-higher-risks-of-hypertension-in-older-and-middle-aged-women-claims-study/photostory/79149645.cms?picid=79149665 - Social isolation has many health risks – for women, they include hypertension, posted by Philly Voice, 10 November 2020.
https://www.phillyvoice.com/social-isolation-health-effects-women-high-blood-pressure-study/ - How social isolation could lead to high blood pressure in women, posted by International Business Times, 2 November 2020.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-social-isolation-could-lead-high-blood-pressure-women-1685374 - Social isolation puts women at higher risk of hypertension, reposted by Global BC, 2 November 2020.
https://globalnews.ca/video/7429621/health-matters-social-isolation-puts-women-at-higher-risk-of-hypertension - Social isolation puts women at higher risk of hypertension, reposted by Hindustan Times, 2 November 2020.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/sex-and-relationships/here-s-how-loneliness-social-isolation-increases-risk-of-high-blood-pressure-hypertension-in-women/story-V4wtJi48W2WTdEgkssnC2L.html - Social isolation puts women at higher risk of hypertension, reposted by McKnights Long-term Care News, 2 November 2020.
https://www.mcknights.com/news/clinical-news/health-effects-of-social-isolation-strikingly-different-in-older-men-and-women-study/ - Social isolation puts women at higher risk of hypertension, reposted by ScienceDaily, 2 November 2020.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201028124537.htm - Social isolation puts women at higher risk of hypertension, reposted by News Medical, 2 November 2020.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201028/Women-more-likely-to-be-hypertensive-when-experiencing-social-isolation.aspx - Social isolation puts women at higher risk of hypertension, reposted by Medical Xpress, 2 November 2020.
Press released reposted by: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-10-social-isolation-women-higher-hypertension.html - Loneliness and Social Isolation are Prone to High Blood Pressure and Hypertension in Women, posted by Yahoo (India), 31 October 2020.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/social-isolation-increases-risk-high-172734051.html - How social distancing might be affecting your health, posted by Ladders, 30 October 2020.
https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/how-social-distancing-might-be-affecting-your-health - https://www.rcinet.ca/es/2020/10/29/coronavirus-aislamiento-es-causa-de-mayor-hipertension-sanguinea-en-mujeres/
Hosseini et al (2020) Plos One (11 cites)
- Obesity more common among women with fewer social ties, reposted by Earth.com, August 1st, 2020.
https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-more-common-among-women-with-fewer-social-ties/ - Women with little or no social ties could be most prone to obesity, reposted by Hindustan Times August 2nd, 2020.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/women-with-little-or-no-social-ties-could-be-most-prone-to-obesity/story-DYwLnPidIouuzxsvL5YwfM.html - Limited social interaction linked to obesity in women, reposted by WISH-TV August 5th, 2020.
https://www.wishtv.com/news/medical/limited-social-interaction-linked-to-obesity-in-women-new-study-finds/ - Obesity in women linked to fewer social ties, reposted by Psych Central, DATE
https://psychcentral.com/news/2020/08/02/obesity-in-women-linked-to-fewer-social-ties/158519.html - Spice Podcast, Annalijn Conklin, SpiceRadioVan, August 4th 2020
https://podcastaddict.com/episode/http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.soundcloud.com%2Fstream%2F870698290-user-244969524-696484203-annalijn-conklin-aug-4.mp3&podcastId=2513555 - Obesity more common among women with fewer social ties, reposted by Black Press Media via BC Local News. August 5, 2020.
https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/obesity-in-older-women-linked-to-lack-of-social-ties-ubc-study/ - Obesity in older women linked to lack of social ties, reposted by Surrey Now-Leader August 5th, 2020.
https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/obesity-in-older-women-linked-to-lack-of-social-ties-ubc-study/ - Obesity in older women linked to lack of social ties, reposted by Abbotsford News, August 5th, 2020.
https://www.abbynews.com/news/obesity-in-older-women-linked-to-lack-of-social-ties-ubc-study/ - Obesity in older women linked to lack of social ties, reposted by Chilliwack Progress. August 5th, 2020.
https://www.theprogress.com/news/obesity-in-older-women-linked-to-lack-of-social-ties-ubc-study/ - Obesity in older women linked to lack of social ties, reposted by Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News. August 5th, 2020.
https://www.westerlynews.ca/news/obesity-in-older-women-linked-to-lack-of-social-ties-ubc-study/#:~:text=Women%20without%20social%20ties%20have,UBC%20published%20in%20PLOS%20One.&text=The%20study%20found%20that%20women,by%20general%20obesity%20than%20men - Obesity in older women linked to lack of social ties, reposted by Nelson Star, August 5th 2020.
https://www.nelsonstar.com/news/obesity-in-older-women-linked-to-lack-of-social-ties-ubc-study/ - Obesity more common among women with fewer social ties , reposted by WorldHealth.net, August 3rd 2020.
https://www.worldhealth.net/news/obesity-more-common-among-women-less-social-ties/
Conklin (2019) British Medical Journal
- Calories more important than sugar in obesity debate, posted by William Reed Business Media Ltd., 23 April 2019.
https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2019/04/23/Calories-more-important-than-sugar-in-obesity-debate
Conklin et al (2018) Preventive Medicine
- Sleep matters: quality and health issues in young people, posted by Prague Post, 27 June 2019.
https://www.praguepost.com/lifestyle/sleep-matters-quality-health-issues-in-young-people - Quality – not quantity – of sleep linked to better health in teens, posted by Sleep Reviews, 12 June 2019.
http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/06/quality-sleep-teens/ - Poor Sleep Habits Can Impact Teens’ Long-Term Health, posted by PsychCentral, 4 June 2019.
https://psychcentral.com/news/2019/06/04/poor-sleep-habits-can-impact-teens-long-term-health/147540.html - Bad sleep linked to poor health, risky sex in teens, posted by CTV News, 3 June 2019.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/bad-sleep-linked-to-poor-health-risky-sex-in-teens-1.4449533 - Quality, not quantity is key in teens’ sleep habits: B.C. study, reposted by Surrey Now, 3 June 2019.
https://www.surreynowleader.com/trending-now/quality-not-quantity-is-key-in-teens-sleep-habits-b-c-study/ - Quality, not quantity is key in teens’ sleep habits: B.C. study, reposted by The Abbotsford News, 3 June 2019.
https://www.abbynews.com/trending-now/quality-not-quantity-is-key-in-teens-sleep-habits-b-c-study/ - Quality – not quantity – of sleep linked to better health in teens, posted by the University of British Columbia News, 3 June 2019.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-06/uobc-qqs053119.php
Conklin et al (2017) Public Health Nutrition
- Poverty Policies: How can legislative strategies such as increasing the minimum wage improve the nutritional status of a society’s poorest members?, FSPH Magazine Spring/Summer 2017, pp. 20-21.
https://ph.ucla.edu/news/magazine/2017/springsummer/article/poverty-policies
Conklin et al (2016) Plos Medicine
- Vary your diet to combat diabetes, posted by Coach Fitness & Health Magazine, August 2, 2016, Issue 43, page 7.
http://www.coachmag.co.uk - A varied diet CAN prevent diabetes but eating healthy is more expensive, say experts as they call for government help posted by the Daily Mail, 21 July 2016.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3701365/A-varied-diet-prevent-diabetes-eating-healthy-expensive-say-experts-call-government-help.html - Opinion: A varied diet can prevent diabetes – but can you afford it? Reposted by Medical Xpress, 21 July 2016.
https://www.tapatalk.com/topic/7d0dc9ba10f23b6d4009dbcd9fbea56f-1089558 - Opinion: A varied diet can prevent diabetes – but can you afford it? Reposted by Medical Press, 21 July 2016.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-07-opinion-varied-diet-diabetes.html - Opinion: A varied diet can prevent diabetes – but can you afford it? Reposted by MyScience.org, 20 July 2016.
https://www.myscience.org/wire/opinion_a_varied_diet_can_prevent_diabetes_but_can_you_afford_it-2016-cambridge - Opinion: A varied diet can prevent diabetes – but can you afford it? Posted by The Conversation, 20 July 2016.
https://theconversation.com/a-varied-diet-can-prevent-diabetes-but-can-you-afford-it-62459 - Opinion: A varied diet can prevent diabetes – but can you afford it? Reposted by the University of Cambridge, 20 July 2016.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3701365/A-varied-diet-prevent-diabetes-eating-healthy-expensive-say-experts-call-government-help.html and http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/blog/varied-diet-can-prevent-diabetes-can-afford/
Jones et al (2014) Plos One
- Price gap between ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ foods is growing wider posted by Nathan Gray for William Reed Business Media Market Trends, 9 October 2014.
http://www.foodnavigator.com/Market-Trends/Price-gap-between-healthy-and-unhealthy-foods-is-growing-wider - Los alimentos sanos suben más de precio en una década que los menos sanos, posted by Tendencias de la Salud, on 9 October 2014.
http://www.tendencias21.net/Los-alimentos-sanos-suben-mas-de-precio-en-una-decada-que-los-menos-sanos_a37700.html - Price gap between more and less healthy foods grows reposted by ScienceDaily from University of Cambridge, 8 October 2014.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141008141114.htm
Conklin et al (2014) Soc Sci Med
- Study Shows Eating Alone Is Bad For Your Health, posted by Yagana Shah for Wellness Today, 4 November 2013.
http://www.wellnesstoday.com/spirit-nutrition/study-shows-eating-alone-is-bad-for-your-health - Study Shows Eating Alone Is Bad For Your Health, posted by Fitness Carter, 30 October 2013.
http://fitness-carter.blogspot.com/2013/10/study-shows-eating-alone-is-bad-for.html - Study Shows Eating Alone Is Bad For Your Health, posted by HuffPost, 29 October 2013.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/loneliness-affects-diet_n_4173944.html - How eating alone affects the health of the elderly, posted by Stone Hearth News, 27 October 2013.
http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/how-eating-alone-affects-the-health-of-the-elderly/elder-care/#sthash.wisSYLek.dpuf - Meals for one: how eating alone affects the health of the elderly, posted by the University of Cambridge News, 19 October 2013.
http://www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/blog/meals-one-eating-alone-affects-health-elderly/ and http://www.cam.ac.uk/news/meals-for-one-how-eating-alone-affects-the-health-of-the-elderly-0
