dr. bURNS, pRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
“My experiences have taught me that recovery is more than a process of personal change; it requires societal change. We need to create environments where recovering people can build community, find purpose, and a sense of belonging.“
– Victoria F. Burns
Dr. Victoria F. Burns, Principal investigator
PhD, RSW
Dr. Burns is an
associate professor at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work, as well as the Founder and Director of
UCalgary’s Recovery Community and the
Recovery on Campus Alberta initiative.
As an educator, researcher, speaker and advocate, she is the author of over 25 peer-reviewed journals and 70 conference presentations. A recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal, Victoria has worked as an advisor for the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction.
Described as a recovery trailblazer, Dr. Burns has been a leader in the innovation and design of knowledge translation, sharing her research in accessible ways. Her work has been featured in Vice News, the Toronto Star and the Calgary Herald, CBC radio, and Global.
EDUCATION
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
National Institute for Scientific Research, (INRS), Montréal, 2015-2017
PhD (Social Work)
McGill University, 2015
Master of Social Work (MSW)
McGill University, 2010
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
McGill University, 2007
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology
University of New Brunswick, 2004
Research areas
Health, Mental Health and Wellness
Housing and Homelessness
Research Methods
Addiction-Recovery
Space and Place
Aging
Dr. Burns is currently accepting students interested in addiction recovery research. For more information please reach out via email: victoria.burns@ucalgary.ca
Please contact
Dr. Burns for speaking, facilitation, or consulting opportunities.
teaching
University of calgary
Dr. Burns has been at the University of Calgary since 2017, first as an Assistant Professor, and in 2022 taking on the role of Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work.
programs
UCRC and Roc
Inspired by Collegiate Recovery Communities (CRCs), and the Recovery-Friendly Workplace (RFW) initiative, Dr. Burns found the UCalgary Recovery Community (UCRC) in 2020.
In 2022, Dr. Burns founded Recovery on Campus (ROC), an Alberta-wide initiative that not only supports but celebrates recovery for students, faculty and staff, across campuses.
Funded by the Government of Alberta, ROC serves their members through peer support, social activities, awards, research, and education across 26 post-secondary institutions in Alberta.
research
Co-Creating Recovery-Friendly Environments
"We need to shift away from individual recovery to community recovery that embraces all recovery pathways."
Although Dr. Victoria Burns, PhD, found long-term recovery in 2013 following a 15-year battle with alcohol, she says it was in recovery – rather than in active addiction that she faced the most stigma.
research
Aging in Place, Housing & Homelessness in Later Life
"I have learned that where we receive care can be just as important as how."
As a home care social worker, Dr. Burn's job was to help older adults ‘age in place,’ which essentially means keeping people at home, living independently, for as long as possible. This work taught her about the importance of the physical environment in promoting wellbeing.
News + Media
Print Media, interviews, podcasts, and social media features
With support from SSHR and Telus StoryHive, Dr. Burn's team co-created a documentary film called Beyond Housing that has been featured across various media sources, including, two UCalgary Today articles, Calgary Star, Public Affairs Channel [CPAC] program Outburst, Calgary Global News, CBC Radio, three film festivals, and as part of a national panel hosted by the Government of Canada.