I am a mixed-methods social researcher who…
Advocates for equitable, accessible, and culturally safe sexual health services and systems by centering marginalized voices and challenging normative assumptions within public health. My research specializes in sexual health equity, with a strong focus on HIV/STI prevention, digital health interventions, self-testing technologies, implementation science, and the structural determinants shaping 2S/LGBTQ+ and IBPOC communities’ access to care.
Sitting at the intersection of public health, critical social theory, and community-based research, I interrogate how racism, cisnormativity, and other systemic barriers influence sexual health testing uptake, service delivery, and minority health outcomes, contributing evidence that informs public policy, service design, and culturally grounded interventions within Canada’s public health landscape. Committed to community and collaboration, I prioritize research that is not only academically rigorous but meaningfully responsive to the needs of disenfranchised communities including 2S/LGBTQ+ and IBPOC.
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Ryu, H., Stewart, M., Dulai, J., Gómez-Ramirez, O., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2025). Acceptability of HIV self-testing among sexual health service providers and Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men in Ontario, Canada. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Hassan, A., Dulai, J., Stewart, M., Ryu, H., Anand, P., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2024). ‘Sometimes white doctors are not very friendly or inclusive’: A critical race theory analysis of racism within and beyond sexual health settings. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 27(2), 236–252.
Dulai, J., Hassan, A., Stewart, M., Ryu, H., Anand, P., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2024). Perspectives on digital testing services for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections from Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer Black, Indigenous, people of colour living in Ontario, Canada. Ethnicity & Health, 29(4–5), 533–552.
Dulai, J., Gilbert, M., Lachowsky, N. J., Card, K. G., Klassen, B., Dame, J., Burchell, A. N., Worthington, C., Ablona, A., Anand, P., Blaque, E., Ryu, H., Stewart, M., Brennan, D. J., & Grace, D. (2023). Acceptability of an existing online sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection testing model among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Ontario, Canada. Digital Health, 9.
Ryu, H., Blaque, E., Stewart, M., Anand, P., Gómez-Ramirez, O., MacKinnon, K. R., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2023). Disruptions of sexually transmitted and blood borne infections testing services during the COVID-19 pandemic: Accounts of service providers in Ontario, Canada. BMC Health Services Research, 23, Article 29.
Stewart, M., Ryu, H., Blaque, E., Hassan, A., Anand, P., Gómez-Ramirez, O., MacKinnon, K. R., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2022). Cisnormativity as a structural barrier to STI testing for trans masculine, two-spirit, and non-binary people who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with men. PLoS ONE, 17(11), e0277315.
Grace, D., Stewart, M., Blaque, E., Ryu, H., Anand, P., Gaspar, M., Worthington, C., & Gilbert, M(2022). Challenges to communicating the Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) HIV prevention message: Healthcare provider perspectives. PLoS ONE, 17(7), e0271607.
Ryu, H. (2020). Colonial Continuum: (De)construction of a ‘Canadian heritage’ at the Fort York National Historic Site. Pathways, 1(1), 1–12.
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Stewart, M., Kraemer, W., Ubor, T., Ryu, H., Metabanzoulou, Y., Sinno, J., Dulai, J., Bonertz, L., Tan, D., Klassen, B., & Grace, D. (2025, November 20–22). “I’m left with the weight of this shit”: What mpox taught us about the 2S/GBTQ outbreak response [Poster presentation]. Summit 2025, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Dulai, J., Hassan, A., Stewart, M., Ryu, H., Anand, P., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2023, November 12–15 ). Perspectives on digital testing services for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) from Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer Black, Indigenous, people of colour (2SGBTQ+ BIPOC) living in Ontario, Canada [Paper Presentation]. APHA 2023, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Grace, D., Stewart, M., Blaque, E., Ryu, H., Gaspar, M., Worthington, C., & Gilbert, M. (2023, June 25–July 1). Challenges to communicating the Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) HIV prevention message: Healthcare provider perspectives [Paper Presentation]. ISA World Congress of Sociology XX, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Ryu, H., Stewart, M., Hassan, A., Blaque, E., Anand, P., Gómez-Ramirez, O., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2023, April 27–30). Acceptability of HIV self-testing among sexual health service providers and gay, Bisexual, and queer men in Ontario, Canada [Poster presentation]. 32nd Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2023), Quebéc City, QC, Canada.
Hassan, A., & Ryu, H. (2023, April 27–30). Barriers Black and Indigenous 2SGBTQ+ service users experience in sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing: A qualitative analysis of sexual health service users in Ontario [Paper presentation]. 32nd Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2023), Quebéc City, QC, Canada.
Ryu, H., Blaque, E., Stewart, M., Anand, P., Gómez-Ramirez, O., MacKinnon, K. R., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (2022, April 27–29). Disruptions of sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBI) testing services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario: Service providers’ experiences and responses [Poster Presentation]. 31st Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2022), Virtual.
Grace, D., Stewart, M., Blaque, E., Ryu, H., Anand, P., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M. (2022, April 27–29). Challenges to communicating the Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) HIV prevention message: Healthcare provider perspectives [Paper Presentation]. 31st Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2022), Virtual.
Dulai, J., Gilbert, M., Lachowsky, N. J., Card, K., Klassen, B., Burchell, A. N., Worthington, C., Ablona, A., Anand, P., Blaque, E., Ryu, H., Stewart, M., Brennan, D. J., & Grace, D. (2022, April 27–29). Factors associated with acceptability of online sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing sexual minority men living in Ontario, Canada [Poster Presentation]. 31st Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2022), Virtual.
Blaque, E., & Ryu, H. (2021, October 27–29). Service users and providers’ experiences and responses to STBBI testing service disruptions [Panel Presentation]. In R. Lisk (Moderator), Should we return to “normal”? Examining barriers, disruptions, and innovations to STBBI testing for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Ontario. Summit 2021, Virtual.
Dulai, J., Gilbert, M., Lachowsky, N., Card, K., Klassen, B., Burchell, A. N., Worthington, C., Ablona, A., Anand, P., Blaque, E., Ryu, H., Stewart, M., Brennan, D. J., & Grace, D.(2021, May 5–7). High acceptability of online sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) testing for sexual minority men living in Ontario, Canada [Poster presentation]. 30th Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2021), Virtual.
Blaque, E., Ryu, H., & Stewart, M. (2020, November 5–7). Let’s get digital!: Examining the acceptability of online sexual health services for STI/HIV testing in Ontario [Panel presentation]. In C. Draenos (Moderator), Changing the narrative on HIV and STBBI testing: Innovations and community reflections. Summit 2020, Virtual.
Ryu, H. (2019, March 6–8). Colonial continuum: (De)construction of a ‘Canadian heritage’ at the Fort York National Historic Site [Paper presentation]. Richard Frucht Memorial Conference, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Ryu, H., Stewart, M., Chang, H.-J., Dulai, J., Worthington, C., Gilbert, M., & Grace, D. (Forthcoming). From kit to care: Best practices for the implementation of accessible, affordable, and acceptable HIV self-testing interventions [Report]. Digital & Sexual Health Initiative.
Ryu, H., & Lisk, R. (2024, March 7). Overview of the HIV self-testing landscape in Canada and recommendations for HIV self-testing interventions from service providers and 2SGBQM service users in Ontario, Canada [Webinar]. Digital & Sexual Health Initiative.
Blaque, E., Ryu, H., Anand, P., Stewart, M., & Grace, D. (2021, May 20). Is online-based STBBI testing GCO-K?: Analysis of GCO’s acceptability among service users and providers in Ontario [Webinar]. Digital & Sexual Health Initiative.