Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden (she/her) is a Black queer femme and full professor at Dalhousie University, and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CIHR) in Black Health Studies. She is widely recognized for her national and international contributions to Black Studies in medicine, medical education, health research, and healthcare systems. Her interdisciplinary scholarship foregrounds Black 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and examines the intersections of anti-Black racism, homophobia, transphobia, and systemic inequities in health, with a particular focus on blood donation systems in Canada and anti-racist data governance.

 

Dr. Dryden’s research is reshaping how health sciences and medicine understand and engage intersectionality, race, and sexuality. Through innovative, transdisciplinary methodologies, her work offers critical frameworks for improving health outcomes in Black and Black 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

 

She is the founding Director of the Black Studies Research Institute (in STEMM) at Dalhousie, and previously held the James R Johnston Endowed Research Chair in Black Canadian Studies, in the Faculty of Medicine (2019–2024). Dr. Dryden also co-founded and co-leads the Black Health Education Collaborative, a national organization dedicated to transforming medical education in Canada.

 

In addition, she is an associate scientist with the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit (MSSU) and a member of the the Black Feminist Health Science Studies International Collective based at Northwestern University. Her acclaimed book, Got Blood to Give: Anti-Black Homophobia in Blood Donation, (Fernwood Publishing), was awarded the 2025 George Borden Writing for Change Award.