Heather Higgins

Heather Higgins is the Coordinator of Policy and Knowledge Exchange with the APPTA Hub. Heather’s primary focus centers around creating and facilitating effective opportunities for knowledge exchange between policy advisors and decision-makers across Canadian jurisdictions, and working in collaboration to develop knowledge translation tools from a policy-based lens. The stimulating and collaborative work environment at the Hub are what Heather attributes to maintaining a motivated and positive approach to her work in bridging the knowledge to action gap.  

Heather believes that knowledge is power. She describes her most meaningful achievement as her management and delivery of a health promotion initiative with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick – empowering youth across the province with life-saving knowledge and skills. Her overarching desire to continue learning coupled with her passion to more specifically influence population health through public policy drove her to pursue her master’s degree after two years working in health promotion. Heather specifically focused her masters research thesis on a meaningful policy driven issue with the intent to inform future evidence-based policy—stay tuned!

Outside of her work at the Hub and ongoing thesis work, Heather enjoys unleashing her inner child through continued play in recreational sports leagues, dreaming up her next trek and travels, or trying to find her inner zen through her yoga practice.

Quick Info:

• Education: Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, minor in Law and Society, Dalhousie University & Master of Applied Health Services Research, University of New Brunswick (pending)
• Certifications: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Plain Language Online Training / SPOR – Foundations in Patient-Oriented Research Module 1: Patient-Oriented Research Course / The Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 Tutorial, Course on Research Ethics (CORE)
• Recommended Reads & Podcasts:
  • Robert Lustig, The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains
  • Tara Westover, Educated
  • Michio Kaku, The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind
  • Podcast: Philosophize this!
• Contact: hhiggins@appta.ca