Dr. A.J. Lowik (they/them) is an Assistant Professor in Sociology at the University of Lethbridge as of July 1, 2024. Prior to the faculty appointment, they were the Gender Equity Advisor at CGSHE and postdoctoral fellow at CGSHE/ UBC with Professor Kate Shannon. Their qualitative, mixed-methods and arts-based research explores trans people’s health, wellness and experiences accessing healthcare, with a particular focus on reproductive and sexual health. Dr. Lowik’s work spans menstruation, abortion, perinatal mental health, pregnancy, fertility, sterilization and menopause, alongside substance use and mental health; they are also interested in medical, nursing and midwifery education, addressing the erasure of intersex, trans and Two-Spirit people from formal healthcare curricula.
Dr. Lowik leads the CGSHE’s Gender & Sex in Methods & Measurement Research Equity Toolkit. The GSMM toolkit includes nine detailed, open access and self-guided tools for researchers who are interested in mobilizing sex and gender concepts with accuracy, precision and inclusion. As a sex and gender data scientist and methodologist, Dr. Lowik focuses on evaluating the effectiveness and reliability of survey measures, utilizing cognitive testing to assess measurement suitability, and exploring the implications of using diverse measures to capture participant data.
Dr. Lowik is also the President of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, having worked in abortion care, advocacy and research for twenty years. They are a renowned expert in trans-inclusion and gender-affirmation, having worked with researchers, healthcare and social service organizations, lawyers and policymakers who are interested in inclusive research and praxis, policy and practice, and legal reform.