Ibrahim Ghanem

Research and Professional Interests

Research Domains: 

• Health and medical geography, neighbourhood environments and health, contextual and non-medical determinants of health, physical activity, walkability, immigrants’ health, and spatial access to services.

Research Methods: 

• Quantitative geography, mixed-methods, Geo-spatial data science, spatial econometrics, Geographic information systems (GIS), statistics, and cartography.

Dissertation: 

Walkability shapes how people move, connect, and access resources in their neighbourhoods. Yet, the way it is measured can vary drastically. While objective metrics capture mainly infrastructure aspects, perceived walkability reveals how individuals experience safety, accessibility, and cultural relevance on the ground. On one hand, in urban health and planning research, perceived walkability remains underexplored, particularly among racialized groups whose walking preferences may not align with objective walkability metrics. On the other hand, the Arab population in Metropolitan Toronto—a fast-growing and culturally diverse group—offers a critical case to examine this disconnect. 

In this context, my dissertation uses mixed-methods approach (e.g. participatory mapping, thematic analysis, spatial analysis, and survey data analysis) to (1) Capture and examine perceived walkability among Canadian racialized communities, with a focus on the Arab population; (2) Investigate how perceptions of walkability vary across demographic groups and how do these perceptions align or differ from objective walkability measurements; (3) Investigate how walkability associate with chronic conditions among racialized population. The findings of this dissertation are expected to support inclusive approaches to healthy city planning and public health interventions.

Why Geography, Geomatics and Environment at UTM?

• My research interests align with the faculty's expertise
• Unique and Diverse Phd cohort and community
• The environment-friendly campus of UTM

Honours and Awards

• The Novo Nordisk Network for Health Population Award, UTM
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship, UTM
• Entrance Award, UTM
• Arts’ Public Scholar and University Fellowship, Toronto Metropolitan University
• The Certificate of Honors (2012), The American University in Cairo

Presentations

• March 2025: Presented a research-in-progress about Identifying Biking Potential in Toronto’s Underserved Communities: From Spatial Access to Survey Inquiry -  the American Association of Geographers – Michigan.
• January 2025: Presented ongoing research at the Network for Healthy Populations-BBDC Joint Clinical and Population Research-in-Progress Rounds. Research Title: Analysis of the Impact of Neighbourhood Walkability on the Presence of Chronic Diseases among the Arab populations in Canada.
• May 2020: Presented a Major Research Paper about access of immigrants to public parks in Toronto at the Migration Working Group, Toronto Metropolitan University.

Publications

Noaeen, M., Rostami, A., Ghanem, I., Saarela, O., Keshavjee, K., Brook, J. R., & Shakeri, Z. (2025). Mapping neighborhood-level drivers of type 2 diabetes: A predictive-causal approach for precision public health. Manuscript submitted for publication. Scientific Reports.