2026 Panellists
Dr. Fatimah Jackson-Best, PhD (she/her)
Dr. Fatimah Jackson-Best is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, where she specializes in mental health, Black health, and qualitative research focused on children, youth, women, and equity-seeking populations. She earned her PhD in Public Health from the University of Toronto and previously completed postdoctoral research at the University of Ottawa examining stigma and intersectionality in mental health contexts. Dr. Jackson-Best has over 15 years of experience in health research, knowledge translation, project development, and project management, and has held academic and teaching roles internationally. She also served as Project Manager for Black Health Alliance, leading the Pathways to Care initiative to improve access to culturally responsive mental health and addictions services for Black families across Ontario. Her scholarly work is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and reflects her commitment to advancing equity, community-engaged research, and systemic change in public health. Her current research explores the impact of Islamophobia on the mental health of Black Muslims, Muslims, and Muslim women in Canada.
Ashlyn Simpson, BSc Biomedical Toxicology, MSc Public Health
Ashlyn Simpson is the Project Manager for the Yellowknife Health Effects Monitoring Program, a biomonitoring program led by the University of Waterloo and the University of Ottawa. In this role, she supports all study aspects, including public communications, stakeholder engagement, and building community connections. She holds a BSc in Biomedical Toxicology and a MSc in Public Health. She also has experience in toxicology consulting and other environmental health research programs based in Canada.
Kimberly D'Mello, MSc Public Health (she/her)
Kimberly D’Mello is a Health Promoter with the Region of Peel on the Tobacco, Cannabis and Vaping team. In this role, she supports evidenceinformed initiatives focused on youth substance use prevention, adult smoking cessation, and broad protection of public health through smokefree environments. Before joining Peel, she worked at Health Canada’s Tobacco Directorate, contributing to national projects in policy, surveillance, and regulatory science. Kimberly is an alumna of the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences and completed her MSc under the supervision of Dr. Hammond in 2024, specializing in tobacco control and population health research. She is committed to strengthening community partnerships and translating research into practical, impactful public health action.
Visit Research and Practice in Health Sciences Conference for full conference details.