SOCIO-CULTURAL RESEARCHER
Dr. Sheri
Adekola
Migration & Labour Market Research · Policy Scholar · SSHRC-Funded Researcher
Examining how institutions shape professional opportunity, migration, and belonging.
Examining migration systems, regulatory frameworks, and policy structures that shape professional access and long-term mobility for internationally educated professionals.
20+
Years Teaching & Research
SSHRC
Funded Research
7+
Institutions Taught
1,400+
Youth Trained
King Charles III Medal
Recognized for Community Leadership
SOCIO-CULTURAL RESEARCHER
Understanding how institutions shape opportunity.
Canada depends on the skills and experience of internationally educated professionals, yet many face barriers to recognition, labour market entry, and long-term advancement. My research examines how institutions shape opportunity, and how policy can better align talent, equity, and economic inclusion.
- Migration systems influence workforce outcomes.
- Credential recognition affects economic mobility.
- Evidence-informed policy can reduce wasted talent.
Scholarship
Research Areas .
Interdisciplinary research examining how policy, regulatory systems, and institutional structures shape access, equity, and outcomes across health and social domains.
View Research →
01
Migration & Labour Market Integration
Immigration systems and professional recognition for skilled migrants
02
Professional Citizenship & Institutional Barriers
Belonging, recognition, and systemic inequality in regulated professions
03
Migration, Health & Workforce
Integration pathways for internationally educated health professionals
04
Institutional Governance & Access
How governance and policy shape participation across social domains
Selected Work
Publications by Theme.
All Publications →
theme 01
Professional Citizenship & Labour Market Integration
Interdisciplinary research examining how policy, regulatory systems, and institutional structures shape access, equity, and outcomes across health and social domains.
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Theme 02
Migration, Health & Workforce Participation
Integration of internationally educated professionals in health systems
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Theme 03
Research Methods & Methodological Innovation
The PACED Framework and mixed-methods research design
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Theme 04
Digital Visibility & Black Studies in Higher Education
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Theme 05
Gender, Migration & Community
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FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
2026
Transnational information brokerage and migration chains among Nigerian health workers in Canada and Nigeria
Discover Social Science and Health (Springer Nature)
2026
Professional Citizenship Denied: InternationallyEducated Black Health Professionals and the Politics of Recognition in Canada
Healthcare Management Forum
Invited
Under Review
2026
The PACED Framework: A Structured Approach toWriting the Methods Section Across Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Research
International Journal of Qualitative Methods
Under Review
2023
African Single Mothers and Their Children in Canada: Transnational Experiences and Sources of Support
Journal of Family Studies · Olukotun, Mason, Fouché, Richter, Sibeko, Adekola & Salami
2021
From Brain Drain to Brain Retrain: Nigerian Nurses in Canada
In M. Walton-Roberts (Ed.), Global Migration, Gender and Health Professional Credentials · University of Toronto Press
Public scholarship
Latest Public Scholarship
October 2026
Canada recruits internationally educated health professionals. Credential recognition is only part of the challenge.
The Conversation Canada
View report →
July 2026
As Canada modernizes Senate appointments, it can also broaden how it understands Black representation
The Conversation Canada
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Media
Latest Media Appearance
Radio Interview · October 25, 2026
Dr. Sheri Adekola on Rob Fai: Internationally Educated Health Professionals in Canada
Dr. Sheri Adekola discusses the challenges facing internationally educated health professionals in Canada, including credential recognition and broader institutional barriers to professional integration.
Pedagogy
Teaching Areas.
Dr. Adekola has taught across seven Canadian postsecondary institutions in full-time, partial-load, contract, and sessional capacities. Student evaluations consistently 4.5–4.9 / 5.
Methods
Research Methods
Health & Society
Health Systems, Policy & Equity
Labour & Migration
Migration, Labour Markets & Inequality
Policy & Gender
Gender, Work & Public Policy
MEDIA & SPEAKING
Available for Commentary & Talks.
Dr. Adekola is available for media interviews, keynote speaking, panel presentations, and policy consultation. She offers accessible, evidence-based expertise on the issues that matter most to Canadian policy, communities, and institutions.
- Immigration policy and labour marketintegration
- Credential recognition and professional access
- Internationally educated health professionals
- Black Canadian communities and institutional equity
- Higher education and research methods
- Community leadership and public service
Community & Leadership
Ontario Learning Development Foundation.
- Founder and Executive Director since 2006
- 1,300+ youth trained through leadership and development programs
- Programs supporting youth, newcomers, and families
- Translating academic research into community practice
Community & Leadership
Ontario Learning Development Foundation.
King Charles III Coronation Medal
SSHRC-Funded Doctoral Research
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funding at Wilfrid Laurier University