PHILLIP JOY

Go to My Research Projects

Wicked Bodies
Safe, Seen, Supported
Pup Play Project
Transformative Compassion
Voices of Nourishment Project
Books

Research Interests

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Phillip Joy, PhD (Health), RD, M.Sc
Associate Professor
Phillip.joy@msvu.ca

I am a registered dietitian with the Nova Scotia Dietetic Association (NSDA) with a focus on gender, sexuality within nutrition, dietetics, and health.

​My research is qualitative and is often framed within poststructural and social constructivism frameworks. I also use arts-based methodologies, such as photovoice, cell-philming, and comics. Such methodologies can disrupt the foundations of nutrition and health research by  involving the emotions, the senses, and the creativity of participants. Art can challenge and subvert social norms and contribute to social transformation through the expression of new perspectives.

My main areas of research include: 1) LGBTQ+ nutrition, body image, and health, 2) Community advocacy and social disruption and, 3) Pedagogy, curriculum, and training.

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Visit my academic page

Selected Scholarly Publications

Explore my published research, scholarly contributions, and citations on Google Scholar

  • Joy, P., Bessey, M., & Mann, L. (2025). “I Believe in Santa Claus” and Ozempic: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of Holiday Health Advertising. Qualitative Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323251350876
  • Khoury, L., Kennedy, L. J., Arumugam, A., Casey, A., & Joy, P. (2025). East Coast Kitchen Party: A ceilidh-inspired program to reduce social isolation and food insecurity among LGBTQIA+ newcomers. Health Promotion Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399251355901
  • Joy, P., Seward, A., White, M., Fewer, S., Gao, M., & Kelleher, S. (2025). ‘You definitely choose struggling over humiliation’: Experiences of food insecurity in Nova Scotia, Canada, for LGBTQ+ individuals. Canadian Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-025-01081-x
  • Theriault, J., Joy, P., Boudhraa, S., & Gao, M. Rethinking 2S/LGBTQI+ food security with co-design: a study protocol. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1558700. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1558700
  • Joy, P., Yeminedi, S., Norris, D., & Mann, L. (2025). ‘Without support, you are just alone’: relational food insecurity among a sample of gay men in India. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2025.2514179
  • Joy, P., White, M., Fewer, S., Gao, M., & Kelleher, S. (2025). Queer food futures: recommendations for inclusive support systems for LGBTQ+ communities affected by food insecurity. Food, Culture & Society, 1-18. doi.org/10.1080/15528014.2025.2459995
  • Lam, O., Mann, L., & Joy, P. (2024). Experiences of healthcare foodservice workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative exploration. Journal of Foodservice Management & Education, 18(1), 1-7. Link
  • Joy, P., Thomas, A., & Aston, M., (2024). Translating research data into creative comics for engaging knowledge mobilization: A case study on meanings of compassion with 2S/LGBTQ+ communities. In Sage Research Methods: Diversifying and Decolonizing Research. SAGE Publications, Ltd., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529681178
  • White, M., Thomas, A., Aston, M., & Joy, P. (2024). “It’s beautiful and it’s messy and it’s tragic”: exploring the role of compassion in the eating disorder recovery processes of 2S/LGBTQ+ Canadians. Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-024-00981-6
  • Forrest, M., & Joy, P. (2023). Shame and disavowing queer reality: An autotheoretical analysis. Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal, 8(1), 69-99. https://doi.org/10.18432/ari29707
  • Joy, P., & Hawthorne, L. (2023). The schooling of Peter Pan: Constructs of gender and sexual orientation within dietetics. Journal of Critical Dietetics, 6(3), 5-29. https://doi.org/10.32920/cd.v6i3.1691
  • Joy, P., Thomas, A., & Aston, M. (2022). Compassionate Discourses: A Qualitative Study Exploring How Compassion Can Transform Healthcare for 2SLGBTQ+ People. Qualitative Health Research, 10497323221110701. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323221110701
  • Gunaydin, D., Burchell, D., Hickens, N., & Joy, P. (2022). Not Just Checklists and Rainbows: Exploring Canadian Dietitians’ Beliefs, Values, and Knowledge of Transgender Nutritional Care. Transgender Health. https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2021.0107

Have Questions? Contact Me

For questions about, please contact Dr. Phillip Joy at phillip.joy@msvu.ca.

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