People profiles

Research interests: interventions in occupational health; evaluation and measurement of health and safety management systems; risk assessment and standard setting in occupational health

Research interests: health behaviour change, disease prevention, tobacco, population level intervention, evidence-based practice

Research interests: health informatics, translational research in healthcare and medicine, health system integration, semantic interoperability, healthcare decision making and decision support, health data analytics, Machine Learning and AI in Public Health; Real World Evidence, patient safety

Research interests: about and for change, emphasizing social science tools (e.g., ethnographic and mixed methods, social marketing, photovoice, training) for knowledge translation, health communication, quality improvement, and community-based participatory action, and health promotion

Research interests: migration, food security, poverty, climate change, healthcare and social service access.

Research interests: longitudinal data methodology and analysis, survival methodology and analysis, graphical methods, prediction models. Application areas include nephrology, cancer, smoking cessation, aging, and the environment.

Research interests: epidemiology of child psychopathology, measurement of child psychopathology and quality of life, determinants and mechanisms of child multimorbidity, mental health service use

Research interests: population-based chronic disease prevention, health of Nunavummiut, knowledge exchange, capacity building, implementation, practice-based evidence, public health policy and systems, qualitative and mixed methods, realistic evaluation

Research interests: social neuroscience of primary prevention; health neuroscience; lifestyle behaviours and brain health; behaviour change

Research interests: population health, health behaviour, health policy, tobacco, smoking, health communication, media, nutrition, diet, public health, e-cigarettes, nicotine, caffeine, energy drinks, global health, international health, cannabis and harm reduction

Health informatics may not be a term you’re familiar with – but if you’ve visited a hospital or clinic lately you have likely seen it in action. People like Rose Harrison are using information technology to better manage the health care you receive.

Research interests: community and public health, health information systems, health policies, caregiving, aging, home care, mental health, long-term care, palliative care, quality of life, pharmacoepidemiology, knowledge translation.

Nnenna's MSc research investigated the role of resilience on university students' use of mental health services while on campus. 

Research interests: economics of public health, economics of nutrition, development economics, poverty

Research interests: molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of communicable bacterial infectious diseases, public health prevention of infectious diseases through immunizations, appropriate health and hygiene practices, harm reduction programs

Teaching interests: Social development, social psychology, health promotion across the lifespan.

Research interests: dietary assessment, measurement error, equity, household food security, environmental sustainability, food and nutrition policy, dietary guidance, systems thinking

Research interests: contaminants; risk assessment; risk communication; hazard; environmental health; exposure; country food; aboriginal; First Nations; Inuit; mercury; arsenic; selenium; diet; mixtures; nutrient-toxicant interaction; toxicology; soil; bioaccessibility; bioavailability; contaminated sites; Dehcho region

Research interests: health behaviour surveillance (physical activity, obesity, alcohol and drug use, tobacco use, eating behaviour, sedentary behaviour); built environment and behaviour; impact of policies / programs on behaviour; co-morbid health behaviours; internet gambling and problem gambling; knowledge translation and exchange systems; cancer epidemiology; social epidemiology

Jerrica's PhD research examined the clinical mental health needs and service access of emerging adults aged 18-29.

Alex's MSc research examined the impact of adverse childhood experiences on Indigenous children, and the nature of coping or resilience strategies to overcome these adversities. 

Research interests: infectious diseases, particularly foodborne, waterborne and enteric diseases; surveillance and burden of illness methods; survey research methods; epidemiology and epidemiologic methods; public health practice; systems approaches to food-related health outcomes; knowledge synthesis methods; knowledge brokering

Research interests: dementia care, culture change, long-term care, retirement living

Sara's PhD research examines mercury exposure in First Nations communities in northern Canada. 

Research interests: trust and risk in medical decision making; access to and uptake of preventative services in Canada and Australia (specifically vaccination and cancer screening); access to and social determinants of bariatric surgery; food regulation and policy; and trust in food.

Research interests: mHealth and wearable technology design, ubiquitous sensors for smart homes, usage data and health data analytics, technology for aging.

Research interests: health human resources, work-life balance, retention of midwives in Canada, women’s experiences of pregnancy, international students in Canada, and technology use in academic classroom.

Research interests: epidemiology, population and public health, chronic diseases, aging, dementia, caregiving, knowledge translation, systematic reviews, health economics, health policy

If you asked Phuc-Nhi Phuong (Health Studies ’04, Master of Public Health ’08) to create a job description based on her university experience, her current position as a Public Health Planner for the Region of Waterloo would be it!

Emily's MSc research investigated the relationship between social support availability and cognitive function in Canadian adults between the ages of 45 and 85.

For Patrick Seliske (Health Studies '78), the decision to attend Waterloo was simple – it was the Canadian leader in health studies and health promotion. Now working as an Epidemiologist for the Child and Family Health Division (CFHD) of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH), he also credits the program for providing him with the unique opportunity to study epidemiology.

Francesco Sijinardo (Masters of Health Evaluation, '17) is the Lead for Performance Improvement for a mental health, addictions, and seniors’ health service provider in Toronto. In this role, he is responsible for monitoring and improving the clinical and operational performance of the organization, and overseeing all evaluation related activities including reporting to funders and partners, quality improvement, implementing and monitoring service and care standards, and leading digital health initiatives.

Research interests: Geriatrics, health care systems, rehabilitation, patient and citizen engagement, health information systems and databases, health outcome measurement, and knowledge translation

Research interests: aging, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic diseases, cognitive reserve, dementia, epidemiology, healthy aging, multimorbidity.

Research interests: human-computer interaction, computer-supported cooperative work

Research interests: cellular and molecular biology of the inner ear, age-related hearing loss and prevention, neuroprotection, biocomplexity, systems approaches to studying health and disease

When AHS graduates and current PhD students Lana Vanderlee and Andrew Mitchell went to Nepal as volunteers, it didn’t take long for them to discover a serious problem.

Using simple technology, Master's of Public Health Student, Timothy Muttoo created a water filtration system that is transforming thousands of lives in the Dominican Republic.

Inspired by her time as a resident of Northern Ontario, Danielle Brandow focuses her Master's research on the health of indegenous people, and the disparities that many face when living in northern communities.

Erika McMullin is passionate about making a change in Canadian Health Systems. Going through the Master of Health Evaluation (MHE) program has helped her take a step closer to achieving that goal, as she now applies her knowledge of health evaluation to improve government initiatives and health programs. Currently working with a dedicated team at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Erika hopes to continue collaborating with stakeholders and conduct creative interventions to improve patient care for the community.

As an Internal Medicine Physician, Babak Rashidi takes on various roles to contribute toward improved patient health care at two of the biggest hospitals in Canada's capital city. Completing University of Waterloo's Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program has connected him to the rising field of health technology, as he has contributed to projects such as CANImmunize, a user-friendly app that's helping Canadians keep track of their immunizations. 

Working in a pediatric clinic after graduating from her bachelor's degree provided the inspiration for Denise Ng's graduate research. Now a Master's student, she focuses on health informatics and health service research, and explores the level of risk perceived by patients when they are asked to provide feedback via smart-phone technology.

Merryn Maynard works at Meal Exchange, a national charitable organization that advocates for student food security in postsecondary institutions around the country. Her experiences both with pursuing an MSc in Public Health and Health Systems and becoming a finalist in the 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) competition have helped her successfully transition into her role as a Program and Operations Coordinator, working passionately to making a change to improve ’good food for all’ on Canadian campuses.

Madeline's MSc research compared health-related quality of life in parents of children with mental illness with what you would typically see in the Canadian adult population.

While juggling full-time work, part-time online studies, volunteering with the Canadian Evaluation Society, and networking with health professionals, Eden Amare created a peer network of connections and resources that has opened doors to opportunities that have launched her new career. Eden credits the Master of Health Evaluation (MHE) program for giving her the confidence and knowledge she needs to truly make a difference for diverse populations in her role as Program Evaluator at Toronto Public Health.

When he discovered that the University of Waterloo offered remote courses for its Master of Public Health program, Wilfrid Ntiamoah (MPH '12) was keen to apply. Living community in Canada's northern Qikiqtaaluk region (also known as the Baffin region) and working as an environmental health officer it was a good fit. Today, Wilfrid credits graduating from the program as a having a direct impact on his current role as director of population health.

For his PhD, Robert is studying how machine learning can be used by researchers to assist with thematic analysis of online communities that are discussing public health topics such as addiction recovery and vaccination.

Kirti's research explores the use of NexGen data sources for public health surveillance. This includes the use of data from the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time monitoring of behavioural risk factors for chronic diseases in Canada.

Gustavo Betini's PhD Public Health and Health Systems research took a turn when the global pandemic hit in 2020. His longitudinal study looks at the long-term affects of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadians.