Innovative Research Award
Amal Jawad
Faculty of Health Science | McMaster University | Canada
Amal Jawad is a researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University, Canada. Her work addresses health equity, policy analysis, and the right to development in rural Canadian settings. She has authored peer-reviewed studies on healthcare access barriers in Oxford County, Ontario, and has contributed to United Nations thematic studies on the right to development [1]. Her research has been recognized through the Innovative Research Award at the Top Teachers Awards event [4].
Abstract
This article documents the recognition of Amal Jawad through the Innovative Research Award for a qualitative study examining barriers to healthcare service access in rural Ontario through the lens of the right to development [4]. The study integrates mixed-methods analysis with policy interpretation to identify structural and social determinants affecting rural health equity. Findings inform public health planning and contribute to scholarship on the right to development in high-income rural contexts [5].
Keywords
Health equity; right to development; rural healthcare access; qualitative research; health policy; Oxford County; Canada.
Introduction
The right to development provides a normative framework for evaluating equitable access to public services, including healthcare. In rural regions of high-income countries, geographic dispersion, workforce shortages, and policy fragmentation create persistent barriers for minority and underserved populations [4]. Amal Jawad’s research addresses these conditions in Oxford County, Ontario, combining stakeholder engagement with qualitative and quantitative methods to document access disparities and propose policy responses [5].
Research Profile
Amal Jawad is a doctoral researcher in the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University, specializing in health equity, policy analysis, and regional development. Her applied research experience includes work with Oxford County, Ontario, Canada. She is skilled in mixed-methods analysis, rural service access, environmental conditions, and community development. Her policy research includes official plan interpretation and review of planning frameworks connected to long-range planning, growth management, and social determinants affecting land-use decisions [1].
Research Contributions
Her contributions include peer-reviewed studies on healthcare access disparities in rural Ontario, analyses of self-determination and collective rights within the right to development agenda, and examinations of patent injustice and the right to health [5] [6]. She has also contributed to United Nations thematic studies on climate justice and the right to development, and to case studies on Participedia [1].
Publications
Amal Jawad has authored peer-reviewed studies on rural healthcare access through the right to development lens, published in the Journal of Rural Studies (2026) [4] and PLOS Global Public Health (2026) [5]. Additional work includes Ubuntu philosophy and eldercare ethics during COVID-19 in the South African Journal of Philosophy (2025) [6], and knowledge transfer across international assignments in the International Journal of Human Resource Studies (2020) [7].
Research Impact
According to Scopus, her work has received 3 citations across 5 documents, with an h-index of 1. Google Scholar records 23 citations across 15 documents, with an h-index of 3 [1] [2]. Her publications appear in journals including Journal of Rural Studies, PLOS Global Public Health, and the South African Journal of Philosophy, and have informed policy recommendations for public health authorities [4].
Award Suitability
The Innovative Research Award recognizes the study “Barriers to access to healthcare service in rural Ontario: Qualitative study through the lens of the right to development,” published in the Journal of Rural Studies [4]. The work demonstrates methodological innovation by integrating right-to-development theory with qualitative fieldwork in a rural Canadian context. Its findings offer transferable insights for health education, policy analysis, and community development, aligning with the award’s emphasis on original and applied scholarship [1].
Conclusion
Amal Jawad’s research contributes to understanding health equity and the right to development in rural settings. The Innovative Research Award acknowledges the study’s methodological rigor and policy relevance. Continued work in mixed-methods health research and stakeholder engagement is expected to extend these contributions to broader Canadian and international contexts [5].
External Links
References
- Elsevier. (n.d.). Scopus author details: Amal Jawad, Author ID 60079925800. Scopus.
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=60079925800
- Google Scholar. (n.d.). Amal Jawad: Citations profile. Google Scholar.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jAGKeI4AAAAJ&hl=en
- Jawad, A. M. (2021). Managing international assignments (expatriates and inpatriates): Effect of cultural diversity. International Journal of Business and Management, 15(12).
https://econpapers.repec.org/RePEc:ibn:ijbmjn:v:15:y:2021:i:12:p:78
- Jawad, A. K. A., Ibhawoh, B., & Schwartz, L. (2026). Barriers to access to healthcare service in rural Ontario: Qualitative study through the lens of the right to development. Journal of Rural Studies, 123, Article 104024.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104024
- Jawad, A., Ibhawoh, B., Schwartz, L., & Kapoor, A. (2026). The right to development and disparities in healthcare access: Qualitative study from rural Ontario, Canada. PLOS Global Public Health, 6(6), Article e0005758.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0005758
- Jawad, A., & Ibhawoh, B. (2025). Ubuntu philosophy, old-age humanism and eldercare ethics during COVID-19. South African Journal of Philosophy, 44(4), 534–544.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02580136.2025.2582110
- Jawad, A. M. (2020). Knowledge transfer across types of assignments: Case study of an international oil company. International Journal of Human Resource Studies, 10(4), 7292.
https://ideas.repec.org/a/mth/ijhr88/v10y2020i4p72-92.html