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Conference Program

Explore our conference program below to view the full schedule, including adjudicated paper sessions, plenaries and a social event.

Please note that additional speaker details, as well as paper and poster presenters, will continue to be added in the coming weeks and are subject to change.

Thursday, May 21

Registration at 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Level 8 Main Entrance Foyer

Registration will open at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Upon arriving to the University of Lethbridge, please make your way to the main entrance on Level 8 of the Science Commons. The registration desk is located on Level 8 of the Science Commons outside of BMO Theatre. The registration desk will remain open for the duration of the conference. You will be provided with a lanyard and badge. The conference program will be displayed throughout the space and available online. 

Opening remarks at 9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. | BMO Theatre

Keynote: Understanding Canada's productivity puzzle at 9:20 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. | BMO Theatre

Trevor Tombe

Professor of Economics / Professeur en économie, University of Calgary

Keynote /Allocution

Break at 10:20 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Level 8 Main Entrance Foyer

Concurrent Adjudicated Paper Sessions at 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Earnings | BMO Auditorium

Neeru Gupta, University of New Brunswick, Differentiated wages by gender and ethnic diversity in the nursing labour market: Evidence from the 2021 Canadian Population Census

Tazia Khushboo, University of Calgary, The worker level impact of resource sector shocks

Ipek Tastan, University of Calgary, Household labour supply dynamics following health shocks: Evidence from Canada

Education and Training | SA6010

Atish Neogi, University of Manitoba, Neighbourhood effects on education for young Canadian immigrants 

Indro Ray, City of Calgary, Understanding the risks and disparities facing NEET Black youth in Calgary and Edmonton 

Mortality and health shocks | SA6012

Michael Veall, McMaster University, Minimum wages, hospitalizations, and mortality: Evidence from Canadian linked administrative data 

Sara Zulyniak, University of Calgary, Assessing age, period and cohort effects on Canadian mood disorder diagnoses from 2003 to 2023 

Suvadra Datta Gupta, University of Saskatchewan, Standardized mortality ratios for lung cancer in the Canadian Uranium Workers Study (CANUWS) 

Lunch at 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Markin Hall Atrium

Make your way to Markin Hall for a hot lunch.

Poster session at 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Markin Hall Atrium

The posters will be available for viewing during the lunch hour. Immediately following, the poster session will begin and poster presenters will be available to share about their research. Please take some time to vote for your favourite poster. The winning poster presenter will be awarded $500.   

Md Saiful Alam, University of Saskatchewan, Standardized Incidence Ratios for lung cancer among the Canadian Uranium Workers Study (CANUWS); 

Salim Benhachmi, University of Toronto, The long run impact of the Carnegie Libraries in Canada; 

AmyAnne Charles, University of Manitoba, Sexual violence and sexual minorities in Canada: The impact of sexuality on vulnerabilities to sexual assault; 

Suha Damag, University of Lethbridge, Social determinants of healthcare access among Indigenous peoples in Canada: Evidence from the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey and 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey; 

Merna Fatohi, University of Ottawa, Workplace violence, immigration status, and life satisfaction in Canada: Evidence from the 2016 General Social Survey; 

Hasti Masihay Akbar, University of Calgary, Neighbourhood built-environment typologies, physical activity, and health-related fitness by immigrant status in Canada; 

Harjot Mehmi, Toronto Metropolitan University, Employment income shocks and tax-deductible loss reporting; 

Carissa Melnyk, University of Regina, Amplification of the effects of social support and negative social interactions in people with central sensitivity syndromes: Data from a nationally representative Statistics Canada survey; 

Ogochukwu Onyeso, University of Lethbridge, The COVID-19 socioecological loci of mental health disruptions among young Canadians; 

Yuzhi Yang, University of New Brunswick, Subsidized housing and healthcare utilization: A prospective cohort study using linked administrative health data 

Break at 2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Level 8 Main Entrance Foyer

Concurrent Adjudicated Paper Sessions at 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Transfers | BMO Theatre

Ken Fyie, University of Calgary, Access to Canadian governmental disability supports

Gillian Petit, University of Calgary, Property tax regressivity in Alberta

Qiongda Zhao, University of Calgary / Mount Royal University, Cash benefits and fertility

Immigration | SA6010

Chika Agbo, Toronto Metropolitan University, Is there a race to the bottom? Evidence of quantity-quality trade-offs in Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program 

Kiarash Hosseini, Simon Fraser University, Immigrants’ pathways to success: Student permits vs permanent residencies 

Max Palamar, Blueprint Matching, immigrant labour market needs to interventions – evidence from linkage of IRCC and pilot data 

Fertility and families | SA6012

Min Hu, UBC Okanagan, How a change in political leadership impacts fertility decisions: Evidence from the 2015 Canadian federal election 

Mingyue Li, Dalhousie University, Reassessing the family investment hypothesis: Labour market outcomes in immigrant households 

Arzu Sardarli, First Nations University of Canada, Studies on daily birth time series: New patterns 

Firm decisions | SA7202

Samson Aklobo, University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Experimental and applied R&D investment under liquidity constraints 

Sencer Karademir, University of Calgary, Global demand shocks, firm responses, and worker outcomes 

Ademir-Paolo Vrolijk, Privy Council Office, Knowledge diversity or innovation capacity: Exploring what predicts success in public-sector innovation challenges when firms compete

CRDCN research, dataset and policy circles and data spaces at 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | SA7202

On research and dataset connections and spaces – Are you open to code-sharing? Are you interested in crowd-funding for custom linkages? Do you want to talk about linkages between your data and other researchers’ data? What would you like to see in the researcher support package that CRDCN is developing? On policy connections, what are your thoughts about CRDCN’s research-policy snapshots? What kinds of exchanges between researchers and government would you most like CRDCN to facilitate? Join this session to take part in the discussion and shape the future of CRDCN’s research, dataset and policy circles.  

Social event at the Galt Museum & Archives at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The Galt Museum & Archives is conveniently located just a short drive from the University of Lethbridge and less than a five-minute walk from the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge. Guests are invited to enjoy complimentary appetizers, sponsored by the Alberta Centre for Labour Market Research, while exploring the museum’s exhibits and archives during the event.

Friday, May 22

Registration at 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Level 8 Main Entrance Foyer

Upon arriving to the University of Lethbridge, please make your way to the main entrance on Level 8 of the Science Commons. The registration desk is located on Level 8 of the Science Commons outside of BMO Theatre. The registration desk will remain open for the duration of the conference. You will be provided with a lanyard and badge. The conference program will be displayed throughout the space and available online. 

Connecting data, empowering decisions at 9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. | BMO Theatre

Presented by Fred Ackah, Alberta Chief Statistician.

Plenary: Labour markets: Going beyond the headline numbers at 9:20 a.m. - 10:40 a.m. | BMO Theatre

Ken Chatoor

Director of Research and Strategic Foresight / Directeur de la recherche et de la veille stratégique, Labour Market Information Council (LMIC)

Panelist

Sylvia Fuller

Professor, Department of Sociology / Professeure, Département de sociologie, University of British Columbia

Panelist

Joseph Marchand

Professor of Economics, Founding Director of / Directeur fondateur de Alberta Centre for Labour Market Research (ACLMR) , University of Alberta

Panelist

Tahsin Mehdi

Ph.D., Senior Research Economist, Economic and Social Analysis and Modelling Division / Ph. D., économiste principal de recherche, Division de l’analyse économique et sociale et de la modélisation, Statistics Canada

Panel moderator

Break at 10:40 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. | Level 8 Main Entrance Foyer

Concurrent Adjudicated Paper Sessions at 10:50 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.

Alberta Centre for Labour Market Research (ACLMR) | BMO Theatre

Husame Doganay, University of Alberta, Earnings assimilation in Canada (2006-2021): A seemingly unrelated regression approach 

Jean-William Laliberté, University of Calgary, Social connections and the persistence of income across generations 

Andrew McGee, University of Alberta, Extending minimum wage protections to gig workers: Evidence from Canada 

Patrick Ndlovu, Concordia University of Edmonton, Gender differences in hours and earnings when working from home: Evidence from Canada 

Innovation | SA6010

Concurrent adjudicated paper session – Innovation | Séances de présentations concomitantes – Innovation 

Saeed Moshiri, STM College, University of Saskatchewan, Diversity and innovation 

Shuai Ren, McMaster University, Institutionalized high-performance work practices under competing strategic logics: A contingent approach to productivity 

In the neighbourhood | SA6012

Lori Curtis, University of Waterloo, Import exposure and health and wellbeing in Canada 

Levi Frehlich, University of Calgary, Population-average associations between neighbourhood walkability and physical activity among adults: An analysis of data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey 

Lingsheng Wen, McGill University Health Centre, Neighbourhood income-related disparities in diabetes-related hospitalization and mortality among Canadian adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A population-based study 

Lunch at 12:20 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Markin Hall Atrium

Make your way to Markin Hall to grab a to-go lunch.

Concurrent Adjudicated Paper Sessions at 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Trajectories and policy contexts | BMO Theatre

Hamid Akbary, University of Lethbridge, Labour market trajectories of Afghan immigrant women in Canada 

Md. Aslam Hossain, University of Manitoba, The influence of care trajectory on care-related out-of-pocket expenditures of caregivers 

Sepideh Yousefiasl, University of Manitoba, Criminal justice system involvement among children and youth with autism: A population-based matched cohort study using linked administrative microdata in Manitoba

Inequalities | SA6010

Omid Asayesh, University of Calgary, Assimilation or segmentation? Intergenerational mobility among Afghan and Iranian Canadians 

Sylvia Fuller, University of British Columbia, Resource inequalities, flexible work, and working mothers’ experiences with child care packaging 

Chinwendu Ikwuegbu, University of Saskatchewan/Community University Institute for Social Research, Income inequality, accessibility gaps, and the right to housing for persons with disabilities in Canada 

Modeling health | SA6012

Bile Yacou Djedou, Predicting and characterizing high-cost healthcare users in Quebec: A population-based analysis using linked administrative data 

Bisma Ikram, University of Saskatchewan, Building the Canadian Uranium Workers Study Cohort: Integrating seven national databases to advance occupational radiation research in Canada 

Rafidul Islam, University of Ottawa / Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Development and validation of a diagnostic model – The Hypertension Population Risk Tool (HTNPoRT) – to predict hypertension and describe risk profiles: A population-based cross-sectional study of Canadians 

Closing remarks at 2:30 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. | BMO Auditorium