Rusty Souleymanov

Dr. Rusty Souleymanov is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. A leader in social work education, he brings bold, strategic vision to academic administration, driving innovation, institutional transformation, and scholarly excellence. Renowned for his cutting-edge work on HIV, harm reduction, and health justice, Dr. Souleymanov is shaping the future of socially accountable education, research, and social work services in Canada.

• Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work and Collaborative Program in Public Health Policy) – University of Toronto, 2018 
• Masters of Social Work – University of Toronto, 2012  
• Bachelors of Science with Honours (Psychology) – University of Toronto, 2009 

Dr. Souleymanov’s academic and research training reflects a deep and sustained commitment to interdisciplinary, equity-oriented scholarship. In 2018, he completed the Collaborative Program in Public Health Policy at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, where he gained expertise in population health and public health policy. In 2015, he served as a Research Associate Fellow at the Comparative Program on Health and Society at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, an interdisciplinary initiative supporting scholars in global and comparative health. In 2013, he completed the highly regarded CIHR Strategic Training Program in HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research, Universities Without Walls, a national leadership initiative that equips scholars to conduct innovative, community-driven HIV research across Canada.

Health and social disparities disproportionately affect marginalized communities in Canada. To address these systemic injustices, Dr. Rusty Souleymanov is dedicated to improving access to healthcare and social services for disenfranchised populations. His interdisciplinary research, situated at the intersection of social work, public health, psychology, and the social sciences, examines the relationship between socioeconomic inequality and health outcomes. Dr. Souleymanov’s work focuses on how oppression impacts the health and well-being of marginalized and equity-seeking communities, with the goal of informing the development of culturally responsive models of care and community services. 

As Director of the Village Lab, Dr. Souleymanov leads a nationally recognized research network focused on community-led health equity, HIV, and harm reduction research. Over the past three years, he has secured $2.2 million in grant funding from prestigious institutions, including the Government of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Gilead Sciences, the Winnipeg Foundation, and the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation. Dr. Souleymanov has also served as a Co-Investigator on over 15 externally funded, multi-institutional research projects, collectively totaling more than $16 million in funding.

Over the years, his program of research has explored a wide and evolving range of critical issues, including:

• Community-based participatory research
• Social work in healthcare
• HIV services and policy 
• Health and healthcare communication
• Decolonizing and Indigenizing health research
• Marginalization, poverty, and access to health and social services
• Sexual health, HIV/AIDS, and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections
• Substance use, harm reduction, and drug policy
• Racial, ethnic, and cultural inequities in health
• Community-based research ethics
• Mental Health and social work
• Critical public health and social work

Dr. Souleymanov’s work has drawn the attention of key policymakers, including members of the Canadian Parliament and health ministers, who recognize its importance in addressing the impacts of social and economic injustice on marginalized communities across the country.  His research has informed national and regional strategies for healthcare, HIV prevention, testing, and care (particularly for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, Black, African and Caribbean communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants and refugees, people who use drugs, and people living with HIV). Beyond policy impact, he has prioritized training, supervising, and building capacity among emerging scholars, students, trainees, peers, and community partners to lead their own research and advocacy. Dr. Souleymanov is currently a Research Affiliate with the Centre for Social Science Research and Policy at the University of Manitoba, and the Community-Based Research Centre. 

For a detailed list of his publications and broader body of work, please visit his Research Gate page.

Dr. Souleymanov's Research Gate page

Dr. Souleymanov is committed to creating educational spaces that centre communities historically excluded from academia. He teaches from queer-feminist, anti-colonial, and anti-racist perspectives. His teaching interests include community organizing and development, mental health and addictions, research methods and epistemology, social work practice with groups, social work with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and critical social work theory. He is actively involved in training, supervising, and building capacity among emerging scholars and students entering the fields of HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, mental health, sexual health, Indigenous health, migrant health, and 2SLGBTQIA+ research and community practice. Dr. Souleymanov’s dedication to fostering inclusive and transformative learning environments was recognized in 2024 when he received the Outstanding University of Manitoba Teacher Award from the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

As Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Souleymanov leads curriculum development, academic governance, and student support across the Bachelor of Social Work program. His leadership extended to university-wide roles between 2022 and 2024, including serving on Senate and Senate Executive, and contributing to the development of the University of Manitoba’s Strategic Research Plan. Dr. Souleymanov has served as a steward of the Manitoba HIV-STBBI Collective Impact Network since 2019, working collaboratively to advance HIV and STBBI care and policy across the province. Dr. Souleymanov is also member of the Canadian National Action Plan Committee on the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women Living with HIV, where he contributes to co-creating a national call to action to advance the rights and well-being of women living with HIV. Nationally and provincially, he holds influential positions on the Boards of Directors for Shared Health, Nine Circles Community Health Centre, and Realize Canada, and serves as a steward of the Manitoba HIV-STBBI Collective Impact Network.