Event Agenda
8:30 - 10:30 am
Introductions and Key Note
Celina Caesar-Chavannes
Book Author and Senior Advisor at Queens University
10:30 - 12 pm
Health Equity Speakers Series
Dr. Naheed Dosani - Palliative Care Physician
Samiya Abdi - Senior Program Specialist, Public Health Ontario
Dr. Elisa Levi - Resident Physician
Lunch Break
1:00 - 2:30 pm
Private Sector and Innovation Panel
Dr. Rohit Ramchandani - Chief Innovation Officer, Huxley Health
Dr. Diane Gutiw - VP Analytics, AI and Machine learning for CGI
Malcolm Eade - CEO Specta
3:00 - 4:00 pm
Entrepreneur Workshop
Min Basadur - Professor of Innovation & Organizational Behaviour
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Networking and Closing Remarks
Keynote
Celina Caesar Chavannes
Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a business consultant, coach and international speaker, who currently serves part time as the Sr. Advisor, EDI Initiatives and Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University. Her new memoir, “Can You Hear Me Now?” was published by Penguin Random House Canada, in February 2021 and was selected as a finalist for the 2021 Shaughnessy Cohen prize for political writing and a book award finalist for the Speaker of Ontario Legislature. She was the former Member of Parliament for Whitby, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development. During her term as a Member of Parliament, Celina was awarded several distinctions including a feature in the April 2018 edition of O (Oprah Winfrey) Magazine entitled, “What would you stand up for" and named Chatelaine Magazine’s Woman of the Year (2019).
She has a Bachelor of Science, an MBA in Healthcare Management, an Executive MBA from the Rotman School of Management, and is currently enrolled in a neuroscience PhD program at Queen’s University. Prior to politics, Celina founded Resolve Research Solutions, Inc. - a research management consulting firm with the aim to provide research, consulting and education services to organizations seeking equity and advancing progress for those with multiple intersecting identities.
Private Innovation Panel
Dr. Rohit Ramchandani
Chief Innovation Officer, Huxley Health
Dr. Rohit Ramchandani is currently Chief Innovation Officer of Huxley Health, a mental health company focused on delivering the benefits of psychedelics. As CIO, Dr. Ramchandani is charged with embedding innovation and the innovation process across Huxley Health’s 3 pillars: R&D, Clinics & Nutraceuticals.Dr. Ramchandani is a seasoned global health professional with 20 years of experience in health systems and implementation science. He is a doctor of public health from Johns Hopkins, where he now serves as Associate Faculty, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Waterloo, and a Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.Prior to joining Huxley Health, Dr. Ramchandani held positions as a Management Consultant, leading his own practice as Founder & CEO of Antara Global Health Advisors, and with Accenture's Healthcare and Life Sciences practice. He was also a Senior Health Advisor to the Government of Canada at the Canadian International Development Agency (now Global Affairs Canada). He has dedicated his career to developing expertise in the application and execution of innovation processes to address various population health challenges. This has included the development and implementation of complex interventions to address leading global causes of death, such as tuberculosis, malaria, and childhood diarrhea. His work has been highlighted on the CBC, BBC, Business Week, Development Asia Magazine, TED, & with a Transformational Business Award in Health from the Financial Times & IFC.
Dr. Diane Gutiw
VP Analytics, AI, and Machine Learning CGI
Dr. Diane Gutiw holds a PhD in Medical Information Technology Management where she conducted doctoral research on medical AI/expert system solution modeling and adoption. Diane is the Vice President of Analytics, AI, and Machine Learning for CGI in Canada and leads a team of data scientists and data architects in supporting organizations implementing big data solutions. Diane has been serving as a visiting lecturer at Simon Fraser University and is currently engaged in designing and co-delivering a course on Data Science in Medicine for the UBC Medical School. As well as an academic career, Diane has over 30 years of experience in the design, development, and delivery of highly integrated big data solutions including public health surveillance in the US and Canada. Diane designed the enterprise analytic and research solution for the University of California, San Francisco including the integrated design of research, medical school, and clinical data.Health Equity Panel
Samiya Abdi
Senior Program Specialist Public Health Ontario
Samiya Abdi is a Senior Program Specialist at Public Health Ontario and a PhD student in the field of Health Professional Education at Western University. Samiya is passionate about making the public health systems more equitable, challenging intersecting forms of oppression, and understanding marginalization in knowledge production, research, and practice. She holds a Master's degree in Public Health from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation and Systems Thinking. Samiya possesses extensive experience in community engagement work, has co-founded international movements such as the Somali Gender Equity Movement and Famine Resisters alongside local initiatives such as Aspire2Lead and the Toronto Muslim Youth Political fellowship.
Dr. Naheed Dosani
Palliative Care Physician and Health Justice Advocate
As a palliative care physician and health justice activist, Dr. Naheed Dosani is dedicated to advancing equitable access to health care for people experiencing homelessness and marginalization. These efforts include founding and leading Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) at the Inner City Health Associates and serving as Medical Director for a regional COVID-19 Isolation/Housing Program in the Toronto area. He also serves as the Health Equity Lead at Kensington Health in downtown Toronto.Dr. Dosani shares his passion for health equity through education and advocacy efforts that include media, public speaking, social media and faculty appointments at the University of Toronto and McMaster University. Dr. Dosani's research interests include care models for people experiencing homelessness and access to palliative care among culturally diverse communities.
Dr. Elisa Levi
Resident Physician
Elisa Levi is passionate about lifelong learning and supporting innovative causes that work towards positive change at an individual and population health level. After spending several years advising a number of non-profits on food and health strategies working with Indigenous peoples, she reset. Elisa is currently completing rural family medicine training at Grey Bruce Health Services - Owen Sound, following graduation from Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in 2021. She is also a registered dietitian, a graduate of Ryerson, and holds a Master of Public Health from Lakehead University. Committed to reciprocity, she sits on the boards of the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund and the Anishnawbe Health Foundation. She is a proud Anishinaabe, mother of two, and member of the Chippewas of Nawash in Ontario.Entrepreneurship Workshop
Dr. Min Basadur
Founder
Basadur Applied Creativity Inc.
Educated in Engineering Physics (University of Toronto), Min Basadur began developing his insights about problem solving and innovation "on the ground" at Procter & Gamble. He received three U.S. patents and created a corporate-wide "deliberate change" consulting practice which he integrated into an award-winning doctoral dissertation at the University of Cincinnati. Min became a professor of organizational behavior in the DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University) and founded Basadur Applied Creativity. Applied globally, his work has achieved an enviable record of tangible results. Client organizations include eBay, Goodrich, Frito Lay, Microsoft, Pfizer, John Deere, BASF, Aera, NASA, and numerous healthcare and academic institutions. Min is a pioneer in emphasizing that innovation is a disciplined people-centered collaborative process that is energized by individuals with contrasting thinking and problem-solving styles.
The Team
Fadi Bahodi
Co-Chair - Medicine
Fadi is passionate about creating innovative solutions to complex healthcare problems and increasing collaboration and education about healthcare leadership. He wants to create a unique experience for all individuals in Canada interested in the multiple aspects of healthcare.
Clayton Roenspiess
Co-Chair - MBA
With a BA in psychology and now completing his MBA studies, Clayton is experienced in public health, policy development, and advocacy. He has interests in corporate strategy, medical innovation, pharmacology, and policy development. He looks forward to bringing the best DIHLC yet to the deserving DeGroote community!
Abhinav Bhatnagar
VP Marketing - MBA
Abhinav is passionate about healthcare innovation, technology, and policy. Bringing together interdisciplinary teams to bring value to the healthcare system. He wants to create a unique opportunity for the DeGroote community to learn about the healthcare industry post-pandemic
Niya Vanganur
VP Marketing - Global Health
Niya has experience in multiple project initiatives that explore
careers and professional development in healthcare.
Now she is aiming to explore healthcare policy development and implementation to make medicine more accessible. This year, she aims to build a platform that connects the diverse community of healthcare professionals, students, and leaders at the DIHLC
Brandon Kober
VP Programming - MBA
Brandon has experience in bridging the gap between frontline healthcare service delivery helping those in most need with the management and leadership required to serve such people better. He wants to deliver participants a diversity of experience, leaving them wondering how they can do more to help their communities through health leadership.
Jerome Aaron Mejia
VP Programming - MBA
Jerome has extensive frontline experience in acute care aspects of healthcare. He aims to have a conference that brings unique value to participants and meaningful learning through exposure to the healthcare system
Raha Mahmoudi
VP Programming - MPH
Raha is passionate about equitable access to healthcare, capacity building, and the social determinants of health. She
looks forward to bringing an engaging program and empowering voices to take the next steps to improve the health system
Aoife Cummins
VP Logistics - Global Health
Aoife is interested in the potential for creative and holistic health innovations within a globalized and technological industry. She hopes to help create an open and safe environment that allows meaningful connections to form between participants of all professions and backgrounds.
Peter Malik
VP Logistics - MSc Health Research Methodology
Peter is passionate about improving access to healthcare interventions through rigorous research methodologies, knowledge translation strategies, and careful evaluation of healthcare policy to inform evidence-based practices in medicine. He looks for
to facilitate an avenue that connects students, researchers, and interdisciplinary business and health professionals to participate in knowledge exchange and to find areas of overlap between interests and initiatives.
Jasmine Parmar
VP Sponsorship - Global Health
Jasmine has experience in knowledge translation and outreach. She hopes to contribute to building a unique and meaningful conference from which students and attendees are able to benefit in terms of their future aspirations
Gurveer Bains
VP Finance - MBA
Gurveer Bains is currently pursuing an MBA with a Health Services Management specialization at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University. She is currently pursuing the MBA on leave from her PhD in Health/Medical Geography with a specialization in Global Health at the University of Toronto. As VP of Finance, Gurveer leads the financial management for the conference and budgetary considerations to ensure a great experience for all organizers, presenters, and attendees of the 2021 DeGroote Interprofessional Health Leadership Conference!
Justin Lee
VP Sponsorship - MBA
Justin is a passionate individual that believes that opportunities are forged by the networking of like-minded people working towards making a difference. He would love to connect with as many individuals as possible and to leave behind a legacy for other great initiatives to be achieved.
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