Janet Fast, Ph.D.
Co-Investigator

Dr. Janet Fast is a professor in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta. Throughout her career, Dr. Fast has engaged in research, policy and practice with a focus on the economics of aging and the paid and unpaid care of family members. Her research addresses family, labour, health and continuing care policy issues, and she is often called upon to consult with or advise government policy-makers and NGOs on policy related to caregiving and workplace supports. She currently co-leads an international and multidisciplinary research team investigating the economic challenges and opportunities presented by family caregiving.

From her first professional jobs in community education, practice and advocacy work with national and local NGOs, Dr. Fast has worked to create and transfer knowledge, to engage with public, government and other user groups, and to work at the interfaces among them. Her numerous publications include chapters in books such as Blurring the Boundaries: Ageing at the Intersection of Work and Home Life, Family Time: the Social Organization of Care, and Rural Ageing: A Good Place to Grow Old? She has also contributed research articles to a number of academic journals including Research on Aging, Canadian Journal on Aging and Journal of Family and Economic Issues.

Aynsley Graham-Pidgeon, B.A.
Research Assistant

Aynsley Graham is a recent graduate of the Human Ecology Graduate program at the University of Alberta. While completing her M.Sc. she was awarded the Louise Davies Memorial Graduate Scholarship for superior academic achievement. She holds an undergraduate degree from MacEwan University where she majored in Sociology and minored in Classics, a personal passion of hers. Aynsley currently works as a Child and Youth Care Counselor, is an avid community volunteer and lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with her wife.