Kait Simpson is a doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh Institute of Sport, Physical Education, and Health Sciences. She is an ambassador of systemic mental health care reform cross-culturally and for taking a public health approach to protect populations and prevent adverse outcomes. Kait’s passion for public health began in a microbiology class in 12th grade at Phillips Academy Andover, where she was inspired by the work of Dr. Paul Farmer and the way that he built effective collaborations between government, academic, and healthcare sectors that led to remarkable improvements in global health across borders.
In her PhD work, Kait is seeking solutions for integrating evidence-based mental health care practices into elite sport ecosystems. Her investigations are international – in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom – and focus on evaluating epidemiological and health system factors for mental health in unique high risk population groups (elite student-athletes) and testing methods for integrating value-based, preventative care into university sport settings. Her research interests stem from her previous work for the NFL Player Care Foundation and from her own elite sporting background as an NCAA and Canadian National level athlete.
Kait has had experience working with leading sport governing bodies (e.g., NFL, NCAA, Special Olympics), working in public health settings, and leading wellbeing initiatives in various locations worldwide. She has founded and led numerous interventions for health and sport over the past decade including a mental health initiative at 11 American universities, an annual charity community triathlon in her hometown to support initiatives at a homeless shelter (Montréal) and founded health interventions and sport programs for hundreds of individuals with special needs in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Kait holds a BSc double major in Public Health and Psychology and an MPH specialising in Health Systems Management from Tulane University. She hails from Beaconsfield, Québec, where her parents still reside.
Kait was awarded the Victor Dahdaleh Foundation Scholarship 2022 – 2023
