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 a former physician in a small Ontario practice, Miriam Klassen decided to shift her work from one-on-one health care provision to address broader population health issues. Now working as Medical Officer of Health at the Perth District Health unit, her Master of Public Health degree allowed her to focus her knowledge and understanding for the new role.

Pemma Muzumdar credits the University of Waterloo's Master of Public Health (MPH) program for teaching her the importance of maintaining a strong learning network, developing collaborative practices, and sharing knowledge and resources in an online environment. Now working as Communications Coordinator at the National Collaborating Centres for Public Health her experience in the program has positively impacted her career.

Harnoor Rangi gained hands-on experience and technical skills that launched him into a new career even before graduating from the Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program. Now employed as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Canada, he works with big analytical companies to maximize production efficiency for a variety of businesses. 

Ellen Stephanie Reyes' journey has taken her all the way to Vancouver, where she is pursuing a career that aligns perfectly with her research in toxicology and risk assessment during her time at the University of Waterloo. Ellen works at Golder Associates Ltd as a Human Health Risk Assessor, collaborating with scientists and engineers to solve environmental issues using statistical analysis and quality control measures. While completing her MSc in Public Health and Health Systems, Ellen built a strong, supportive network of colleagues and mentors that guided her on a path to success. 

Research interests: implementation science, health evaluation, population health, health promotion, youth health

Nicola Mercer (MPH '10) was already working as a critical care doctor and anesthesiologist when she realized that she wanted to make a bigger impact preventing disease in addition to treating disease. The flexibility of the Master of Public Health program at UWaterloo allowed her to fulfil a lifelong-learning passion, juggle family responsibilities with study and make an impact in health care.

Working with a NGO in the Philippines, Shoshannah pivoted her research plans in response to the global pandemic to understand more about the experience of community volunteers giving up their time to address the emergency food insecurity amongst some of the country's income-poor.

Kathy's MSc research examined the interaction of gender and social networks and how social networks can be a source of assistance for women experiencing poverty when accessing health care services in the Philippines.

Intersectionality reflects the idea that people simultaneously embody multiple social characteristics such as gender, race, and socioeconomic position. Natalie Doan's PhD Public Health and Health Systems research uses intersectionality to advance our understanding of the systemic and structural barriers preventing adults in Canada from eating diets supportive of optimal health and well-being.

Adaora Enumah's MSc Public Health and Health Systems research looks at how stress that is experienced both directly and indirectly can affect the Prefrontal Cortex. Her research hopes to contribute to the little that is currently known about the effects of these types of psychosocial stressors on this part of the brain.

Stella Arthur's PhD Public Health and Health Systems research looks at how we can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to bridge the gap between data that's collected and meaningful standard practice for patient care.

By 2031, immigration is projected to account for 80 percent of Canada’s population growth, making mental health among newcomers an important public health issue. Tasneem's doctoral research investigates the mental health of immigrants to Canada by applying ecological system and life-course perspectives.

Margaret Mutumba's PhD Public Health and Health Systems research investigates the implementation of accessible and affordable fertility services in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

Kelly Gregory's master's research explores the occupational experiences of women first responders, through a comparative analysis of women police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. 

As well as environmental and economic impacts, air pollution is considered a major global health risk. Working toward his PhD Public Health and Health Systems, Shahan Salim has partnered with UNICEF Mongolia to develop a tool that will better predict air pollution patterns and provide early warnings for vulnerable populations.

Nina’s thesis research investigates how the cost barrier to contraception might differentially affect racialized and Indigenous women.

Megan Janeka is doing her practicum as part of her Master of Public Health program. A chance connection through the social network Reddit led Magen to the placement she's doing at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. There she's working on creating a report that will summarize the latest epidemiology studies on the effects of radiation, to inform global radiation protection. 

Megan Janecka is doing her practicum as part of her Master of Public Health program. A chance connection through the social network Reddit led Megan to the placement she's doing at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. There she's working on creating a report that will summarize the latest epidemiology studies on the effects of radiation, to inform global radiation protection. 

During her practicum placement at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Sara Husain contributed to three ongoing evaluations. There she realized the difference between learning about evaluation in the classroom and working in a real-world situation. Being in the workplace, she started to fully appreciate that the process of evaluation is a complex navigation of careful planning, insightful negotiations, teamwork and adaptation to dynamic situations.