Matthew Stackhouse
Dr. Matthew Stackhouse joined UNB’s Department of Sociology in the fall of 2025 as Purdy Crawford/Stephen Jarislowsky Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Policy.
Matthew completed his PhD (2024) and MA (2019) in Sociology at Western University, and his BA (Honours, 2017) in Sociology at UNB-Fredericton. He has taught courses in social determinants of health, research methods, and work and health across the life course. He has worked as a Data Analyst and Research Lead at DataNB and Research Analyst at St. Thomas University, conducting applied research on health equity, education policy, and population health for New Brunswick stakeholders.
Research interests
Dr. Stackhouse's research examines how social structures shape population health and health inequalities across the life course, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. His work focuses on three interconnected areas: (1) intergenerational transmission of health inequality, (2) youth development and transitions, and (3) social determinants of physical and mental health.
His current postdoctoral research investigates neurodevelopmental disabilities (autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and learning disabilities) among children and youth in Canada and New Brunswick, examining how socioeconomic disadvantage shapes long-term outcomes in health, education, and employment. Working with Dr. Neeru Gupta, Matthew leads policy-relevant research using population-level survey and administrative data housed at DataNB and the NB Research Data Centre to map trajectories and inform provincial policy.
Selected publications
Stackhouse, M., Wallace, L., Simmons, H., et al. (2025). Prenatal care experiences of first-time mothers navigating socioeconomic challenges during pregnancy in New Brunswick: A qualitative descriptive study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 25(1): 1-14.
Stackhouse, M. (2024). The rural side of the rainbow: Mental health and the intersections of geography, sexuality, and partnership. Canadian Review of Sociology, 61: 131-152.
Stackhouse, M., Ramos, H., Foster, K., and Stoddart, M. (2023). Perceptions of local environment change and ecological habitus. Environmental Sociology, 9(4): 445–462.
Jehn, A., Stackhouse, M., and Zajacova, A. (2021). COVID-19 health precautions: Identifying demographic and socioeconomic disparities and changes over time. Canadian Public Policy, 47(2): 252-64.
Zajacova, A., Jehn, A., Stackhouse, M., et al. (2020). Mental health and economic concerns from March to May during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: Insights from an analysis of repeated cross-sectional surveys. Social Science & Medicine–Population Health, 12(100704): 1-7.
Zajacova, A., Jehn, A., Stackhouse, M., et al. (2020). Changes in health behaviours during early COVID-19 and socio-demographic disparities: a cross-sectional analysis. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 111: 953-962.
