Leo Rutherford

Leo Rutherford is a trans activist, and PhD candidate currently studying at the University of Victoria, on the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples. Leo’s work is focused on transgender health and gender-affirming care. He has worked on a number of research projects, including as a Research assistant for TransPulse Canada, and a Mitacs fellow for the Community-Based Research Centre’s Sex Now project. PROGRESS (Patient-Reported Outcomes of Genital Reconstruction and Experiences of Surgical Satisfaction) for metoidioplasty and phalloplasty is Leo’s dissertation project and the first of many more community-focused research project on the topic. Leo hopes his work creates much-needed and invaluable knowledge for the trans community about gender-affirming surgeries. Leo’s work is supported by CIHR’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research Transition to Leadership award.