Robert Chase

Robert Chase MD MSc FRCPC is Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada. He is a medical physician with specialty fellowship in Public Health and Preventive Medicine, his clinical practice is in occupational health. He teaches immigrant and refugee health in undergraduate medical education and supervises graduate students. During his training at McMaster University at the time of the 1991 Persian Gulf War he became involved in advocacy and humanitarian relief efforts, and was part of the International Study Team’s landmark epidemiologic study of child mortality and civilian impacts in Iraq. This led to the federally funded four-country “Health of Children in War Zones” project at McMaster University (1993-1996) in which he led the Sri Lankan mental health survey of schoolchildren in conflict areas. He helped establish the Butterfly Peace Garden in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, and its innovative arts program within the sanctuary of a gardened environment. Out of this and subsequent work he developed Vidaview Life Story Board, a visual narrative tool for use in counselling, therapy, and for research and other applications. In 2010 he set up a small company to produce Life Story Board toolkits, provide training and support its applied research. Website: www.vidaview.ca  www.lifestoryboard.ca  He presents at conferences, holds workshops and provides online support. He is co-author of several peer-reviewed publications using Life Story Board methods.