Emma Apatu is part-time faculty in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University, where she previously directed the Master of Public Health Program and Graduate Diploma in Community and Public Health. She holds a DrPH from East Tennessee State University and an MPH from Emory University.
Her most recent interdisciplinary research centers on the social and economic determinants of health, with particular interest in exploring Bitcoin as a tool for health and social wellbeing. With over 1 billion people globally lacking access to traditional banking and monetary uncertainty shaping the current economic landscape, she examines Bitcoin's promise to create more equitable access to financial systems and its potential to address socioeconomic barriers to health. This work bridges traditional public health domains—health promotion, health education, community development, and economics.
Driven by this research direction, Emma founded Dream Grad Academy in 2024, an educational platform partnering with leading organizations in the Bitcoin space such as My First Bitcoin and Bitcoin Mentor to deliver beginner focussed education. She mentors graduate and undergraduate students exploring the intersection of bitcoin, health, and decentralized technologies like Nostr. Her recent article, "The Invisible Health Tax: How Our Money Impacts Health and Why Sound Money Could Transform Well-Being," explores this emerging field and is available for those interested in this novel perspective on economic justice and health.
