Abdulah Al Ameer
Student Research Assistant
Abdulah Al Ameer is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa majoring in Biomedical sciences. This year, Abdulah has participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). Also, he is currently volunteering with Dr. Vivian Welch at the Bruyère Research Institute. Abdulah aspires to have a future career in the medical field, either as a physician or a researcher.
Victoria Barbeau
Research Assistant
Victoria Barbeau is a full-time CO-OP student working as a research assistant at the Bruyère Research Institute. She is currently in her fourth year of a BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa. Her areas of interest include global health, health equity and ageing.
Nour Elmestekawy
Nour Elmestekawy
Student Research Assistant
Nour Elmestekawy is a pre-medical student at the University of Ottawa. Passionate about social medicine, health equity, and eliminating systemic inequities, Nour is an active advocate for various human rights issues using an intersectional approach. She is currently working on an Evidence for Equity (E4E) project that focuses on digital interventions for social isolation and loneliness amongst the older population.
Taylor Griffith
Project Assistant
Taylor Griffith is a fourth-year student attending the University of Ottawa completing her undergraduate degree in International Development and Globalization. At the Bruyère Research Institute, Taylor is working in the role of Project Assistant and will be assisting with evidence and gap maps for the Campbell Collaboration. Previously, Taylor worked as a Communications Officer for World University Service Canada on an internship in Malawi. In the future, she aspires to work in the field of international development with a focus on gender studies. In her free time, Taylor enjoys creating visual artwork, camping, and doing agility training with her dog!
Tarranum Hussain
Tarranum Hussain
Research Assistant
Tarannum is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa in the Biomedical Science program. She is currently working as a research assistant at the Bruyère Research Institute under the supervision of Dr. Vivian Welch.
Shawn Kuria
Research Assistant
Shawn Kuria is a 3rd Year international student at the University of Ottawa majoring in Biochemistry. He is currently working as COOP student under Jordi Pardo Pardo at the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group, under whom he hopes to grow in the field of systematic reviews. Previously, Shawn spearheaded humanitarian activities in Kenya and South Africa. Shawn is passionate about rugby, cooking and expanding his palate to cuisine unfamiliar to him.
Alex Lee
MD / PhD Student
I grew up in Vancouver and completed my undergraduate degree in Health Sciences at McMaster University. During my studies, I worked at the Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton where I loved working with patients to understand the genetics and epigenetics of mental health and addictions. Conducting research in a clinical setting gave me an appreciation of the intersection between medicine and research. During my studies and work, I had the privilege of working closely with experts such as Dr. James MacKillop in medicinal cannabis research, and Dr. Patricia Rosebush in neuropsychiatric disorders, and Dr. Bernice Downey in Indigenous Health. My past work experiences and relationship with my mentors have inspired me to become an attentive clinician, scientist, and advocate, and this is why I wanted to pursue higher education in the MD/Ph.D. Program. I chose to study at the University of Ottawa because of the institution’s exceptional dedication to student’s wellbeing, commitment to academic excellence, and institutional reputation.
Leen Madani
Student Research Assistant
Leen Madani is in her second year of her undergraduate program in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Leen is volunteering as a student research assistant for Dr. Vivian Welch at the Bruyère Research Institute. She looks forward to pursue a career in the healthcare industry in the future.
Mohamad Tarek Madani
Student Research Assistant
Mohamad Tarek Madani is a third-year Translational and Molecular Medicine (TMM) student at the University of Ottawa. Tarek is currently working as Student Research Assistant at the Bruyère Research Institute, under the supervision of Dr. Vivian Welch. He aspires to serve others through a career in medicine.
Olivia Magwood
Research Associate
PhD Candidate
Olivia Magwood, MPH is a Research Associate at the C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Centre of the Bruyère Research Institute and PhD. student at the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Her research focuses on issues of health inequity with a focus on migrant and homeless populations. Additionally, she advances research methodology specific to systematic reviews and guideline development, including stakeholder engagement.
Alison Riddle
PhD Candidate
Alison Riddle, PhD(c), MSc, is a PhD candidate in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa (Canada) and a Research Associate at the Bruyère Research Institute (Ottawa, Canada). Her research focuses on the design and measurement of empowerment-based health and nutrition interventions for women and adolescent girls. Alison has 20+ years of experience in the fields of gender equality, women’s empowerment, and global health. She is a former diplomat with the Canadian International Development Agency (now Global Affairs Canada) and has worked as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Public Health Agency of Canada, and a Senior Country Manager at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. In addition to her PhD studies, Alison works as an independent gender equality and global health consultant with Canadian and international organizations, including Gavi, USAID, Nutrition International, World Vision Canada, and Stanford University.
Rosiane Simeon
Researcher in Population Health
I am a PhD Candidate in Population Health at the University of Ottawa. In 2011, I obtained a Fulbright scholarship to complete a Master of Public Health from the Southern Illinois University, with a specialization in health behaviour and health education. I also hold a Doctor of Medicine from the Université d’Etat d’Haiti.
My research focuses on the use of digital technologies for diverse and inclusive patient engagement to produce equity-sensitive health technology assessment (HTA) recommendations. My work is rooted in meaningful engagement with patients, stakeholders and partners to foster mutual learning for advancing knowledge and practice in public health and healthcare.
Areas of expertise: Health equity in drugs' life cycle; Stigma and health outcomes; Culturally responsive knowledge translation; Sex and gender data analysis in health interventions; Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) and digital technologies in public health; Reporting and accountability structures on advancing equity in global health.
My story:
I have extensive experience working in the field of global health, including leading a private practice in family medicine in Haiti for six years. Over the years, I have advanced my competencies and skills in health promotion interventions in resources-limited settings, qualitative and quantitative research methods and evaluation of health equity-oriented policies. I am also interested in the application of systems thinking approaches to developing health policies and health equity methods.
Since moving to Canada in 2013, I have been involved in several health-related policy and research projects in various Canadian organizations, including the Bruyere Research Institute (BRI), Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), The Ottawa Hospital (TOH). I have been working with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) since September 2018. More specifically, I worked with the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO)’s Report Unit, where I contributed to the 2019 CPHO’s report “Addressing Stigma: Towards a More Inclusive Health System'', and with the Social Determinants of Health Division where I worked on implementing the Mental Health of Black Canadians (MHBC) program and reviewing COVID-19 related guidelines to ensure that the SGBA+ framework was incorporated. I am currently working as a Program Evaluation Officer in the Office of Audit and Evaluation at PHAC. For more details about my research and work experience, visit my LinkedIn profile.
Arpana Wadhwani
Research Assistant
Hi! My name is Arpana Wadhwani and I'm currently an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa. I'm currently working under Dr. Vivian Welch and Dr. Elizabeth Ghogomu, and I'm super excited and grateful to be a part of this team!
Caitlin Shyng
Caitlin Shyng
Student Research Assistant
Caitlin Shyng is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa in the Biomedical Science program. As a Co-Op student, she is currently working as a research assistant for the Bruyère Research Institute under Dr. Jennifer Petkovic, Oliva Magwood, and Dr. Peter Tugwell. She is excited to enter the world of research and learn more about the field of systematic reviews while assisting with the MuSE Guidelines and MuSe Systematic reviews projects. In the future, she hopes to take on her own projects to tackle inequities in healthcare. In her free time, Caitlin can be found playing volleyball, hiking with her dog, or volunteering as a First Responder for the University of Ottawa.
Gabriela Suka-Seignoret
Gabriela Suka-Seignoret
Student Research Assistant
Gabriela Suka-Seignoret is currently a CO-OP student working as a research assistant under Dr. Jennifer Petkovic, Olivia Magwood and Dr. Peter Tugwell assisting with MuSE Guideline and other projects. She is currently in her third year of study at the University of Ottawa in the Biomedical Science Program.
Vamika Kaushal
Vamika Kaushal
Student Research Assistant
Vamika Kaushal is a 3rd year Honours Biopharmaceutical student at the University of Ottawa. Currently, she serves as a COOP student under the guidance of Jordi Pardo Pardo at Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group, gaining practical experience in her field of study. As an aspiring researcher, she aims to carve a promising career path in medicinal research.