Dr. Dickin is a health geographer working on topics at the intersection of environment, development and human wellbeing. She has an inter-disciplinary background, holding a Ph.D. in Geography and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and Biochemistry from McMaster University, Canada. As a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Sarah co-leads an initiative on sustainable sanitation that comprises research, policy engagement and capacity development focused on improving understanding and uptake of sustainable sanitation, including environmental, institutional, social dimensions.
Her current research interests include the links between water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and health and wellbeing in low-income contexts, including development of robust tools for measuring social and gender outcomes, and improving understanding of a wider range of environmental exposure pathways in rural sanitation. Her research interests also include links between health, climate change, and sustainability, particularly related to the contributions of green space and nature-based solutions to wellbeing in cross-cultural contexts. She coordinates SEI’s participation in the Planetary Health Alliance.
Before joining SEI Sarah was a Vanier scholar at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, and co-founded the Water Youth Network in 2012 to promote inclusive participation in the water sector. She has led research in Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Egypt, Malaysia, and Uganda.