Sandra Vamos

Dr. Sandra Vamos has been working in the health education, health promotion, health literacy and public health fields in K-12, higher education, and federal government since 1995. Her international work as a faculty member in health education in the U.S., Canada and Europe has focused on improving health literacy as a cross-cutting public health education theme and priority linking disciplines and faculties. She has developed and coordinated innovative health-related university degree programs to train future health professionals - from teacher education to public health professionals.

In her former role as lead for health literacy at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Dr. Vamos developed a national program of research and practice for PHAC. In this capacity, she worked with many individuals and organizations, including academics, policy-makers and practitioners from across Canada to produce a National Action Plan on Health Literacy.

Dr. Vamos has developed and taught a range of health-related courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Her work has crossed national and institutional borders focusing on the link between health and learning in the schools, universities and public health practice settings. Sandra’s efforts continue to focus on promoting the bigger picture – ‘education for health literacy’. 

Fun Fact:

I love to travel and lived in 3 different continents. I went skydiving over the Great Barrier Reef, while living in Australia as a way to get over my fear of heights. While free-falling, I started to think about sharks...

Media – Op-Eds: 

• Vamos, S., & Lernihan, D. (2022, Feb 3). Dementia awareness needs more than one month. Hamilton Spectator.
• Vamos, S., Van Syckle, J., & Weru, L. (2021, Oct 25). ‘Going out green’: consider your options for eco-friendly burials. Toronto Star.
• Weru, L., Vamos, S., Van Syckle, J. (2021, Oct 7). Promoting COVID-19 vaccine starts with personal persuasion. Orlando Sentinel.
• Lernihan, D., & Vamos, S. (2021, July 28). Health literacy: the missing piece to caregiver support and empowerment. KevinMD.
• Van Syckle, J., Vamos, S., & Weru, L. (2021, July 13). Local changes can save lives in B.C.’s next heat wave. Vancouver Sun.
• Vamos, S., Van Syckle, Lernihan, D., Norgang, K. (June 6, 2021). CDC needs new message to rebuild public trust and acceptance. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Vamos, S., Decker, F., Van Syckle, J., & Weru, L. (2021, May 3). Social math is key to J&J vaccine hesitancy. KevinMD.
• Vamos, S., Van Syckle, J., & Weru, L.  (2021, April 15). Vaccine passport ban will chase potential tourists away. Orlando Sentinel.
• Vamos, S. (2021, April 2). Dear Florida: Put star power in the public health playbook (Guest Columnist). The Gainesville Sun.