Alumni profiles

Stephanie Austin chose the Health Studies program because it seemed like the “ideal pre-med program,” combining natural and social science courses.

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.

Julia Man (MPH ’15) has worked for organizations like the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Office of the Auditor General and the Ministry of Health. In her roles, she has explored health issues from a variety of perspectives. Now, she is working for the Office of the Chief Coroner as an Executive Officer.

As a midwife, Gaby Sabados (Health Studies '99) requires a diverse set of skills. A strong clinical background is necessary in order to provide the best evidence-based care for clients, but she also requires the communication skills and the capacity to build relationships in order to become a trusted partner in care.

Dr. Doris Winfield (MD, Health Studies '89) didn’t always know what she wanted to do with her career, but with the support of friends and professors who she met in Health Studies she found her fit by pursuing a career as a physician.

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.

Social entrepreneur Christina Marchand (BSc ’14, HEALTH, MPH '16) launched FullSoul to raise money for mothers and babies in Uganda.

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. 

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. 

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.

People interested in health-care careers are often faced with choice overload. In a field that is so vast, with so many different pathways ranging from hospital work to dissecting health data, how does one choose the right direction? For Hoang Tang (MPH ’20), experiential education was her compass. Her practicum placement she experienced as part of her Master of Public Health program led her to where she is today.