Janet McLaughlin


Janet McLaughlin is an Associate Professor of Health Studies and a Research Associate with the International Migration Research Centre at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is an interdisciplinary scholar trained in medical anthropology, with interests in the areas of global and environmental health, food systems, labour, social justice, citizenship, transnational migration and the social impacts of autism. Her research and publications have focused on various areas of migrant workers’ health, rights and well-being, including: access to health care and workers’ compensation; women’s experiences of gender-based violence; occupational, mental, sexual and reproductive health; social determinants of health; and the impacts of separation on migrant families. She is co-founder of the Migrant Worker Health Project, www.migrantworkerhealth.ca, which promotes accessible health care for migrant workers. Dr. McLaughlin is currently researching autism policy and family impacts in Ontario.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of people connecting basic science.

Bringing basic biology back to INSAR

As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.

By Diana Kwon
28 May 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of scale balancing Petri dish and test tubes.

Every neuroscience lab needs an ethicist

The ethics issues that arise in neuroscience research are usually novel, unresolved and understudied. Embedding ethicists in labs helps scientists navigate these challenges and develop strategies in real time to prevent harm.

By Timothy E. Brown
27 May 2026 | 5 min read
Myelin research image.

Beyond glucose: The brain may feed itself

Myelin may serve as an energy reserve for the brain, according to recent findings, prompting neuroscientists to rethink how the brain stores, shares and protects energy.

By Carlos Matute
26 May 2026 | 6 min read