An event to showcase, connect, and strengthen health research excellence.
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Conference Day
Unlocking opportunities for professional growth and networking
Gain valuable insights from experts, stay updated on advancements, and boost your career through our plenary and concurrent sessions.
with fellow professionals and potential collaborators during our poster session, lunch, and network mixer!
your health research and share it with the community.
your conference abstracts through the Scholarship at UWindsor Institutional Repository.
Discover our carefully curated program, designed to provide maximum opportunity to learn, network, present, and address key issues and advancements in health research.
Presentation reserved for research leads to showcase and discuss ongoing and completed research.
An opportunity to visually showcase important research and is open to all participants.
Presentations reserved for research leads to showcase and discuss important ongoing or completed research.
An opportunity reserved for students and trainees to present current or completed research projects.
our distinguished lineup of speakers includes thought leaders, researchers, and innovators from
various fields in health research.
MD, PhD
Dr. Paul Kurdyak is a psychiatrist and Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at CAMH. He is also a Core Senior Scientist and Lead of the Mental Health and Addiction Program at ICES. He holds the position of Vice President (Clinical), Mental Health and Addictions at Ontario Health. He is Professor and Chair, Addictions and Mental Health Policy Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.
PhD
Dr. Rama Khokha is a Senior Scientist, and Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics. She received her MSc from Delhi University (India), PhD from Western University, and was awarded von Humboldt Fellowship for postdoctoral training at EMBL (Germany). She began her independent program at the London Regional Cancer Centre, moved to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, was the Vice Chair Biology for MBP and Interim Director of PMCC. Her lab studies tissue homeostasis and adult stem cell niches. Her work was recognized by the Robert L Noble Prize from the Canadian Cancer Society in 2014. She is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and currently holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.
PhD
Zayna is the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada's Healthcare and Life Sciences practice. She is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where she instructs course sin healthcare innovation and partnerships in the health MBA program. Zayna is a Growth Advisor at Teladoc Health in Canada, and advises a few emerging health startups. Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands. Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She currently resides in Toronto with her husband and three children and is proficient in French and Arabic languages (and a bit of Dutch!).
Panel themed session about "Engaging People with Lived-Experience in Research Projects"
Kemi S. Anazodo, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. Raised in Cambridge, Ontario, Kemi comes from a diverse heritage, with roots in Nigeria and Jamaica. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management and a minor in French studies from Brock University. Kemi furthered her education with a Master's in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management from the University of Toronto's Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, followed by a Ph.D. in Human Resource Management from York University.
Since joining the Odette School of Business in July 2021, Dr. Anazodo has focused her research on amplifying the voices of marginalized and stigmatized individuals navigating the workforce. Her work, which has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and WE-SPARK, employs mixed methodologies to investigate social phenomena such as identity, equity, and stigma in employment contexts.
Dr. Anazodo takes a holistic approach to studying diversity, particularly the employment experiences of justice-involved individuals. Her research captures the complexities of employment reintegration for justice-involved individuals and explores employers' perspectives on integrating them into the workforce. Through her innovative research, Dr. Anazodo aims to foster greater understanding and support for marginalized communities in the workplace.
RN MN PhD (Student)
Sara Williams is an Anishinaabe Kwe from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation. She currently serves as a sessional instructor at the University of Windsor and holds the position of Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy Advisor for the Faculty of Nursing. A proud double alumna of the University of Windsor, she has recently embarked on her PhD journey. With over a decade of experience in Indigenous Health, Sara's recent projects have focused on significant initiatives, such as adapting the Kairos Blanket Exercise to emphasize health care, establishing the first off-reserve COVID vaccination clinic that received Federal recognition, and developing an exclusive Indigenous Health course for the Faculty of Nursing, which she currently teaches.
PhD
Dr. Nathan Dawthorne is a committed advocate for caregivers and marginalized communities, drawing on his personal experiences and academic background. He currently works as a Program Engagement Facilitator and Caregiver Advisor at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. In this role, he participates in various advisory committees and research projects, including co-developing and co-leading a virtual peer support program for caregivers of neurodivergent adults. Nathan earned his PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Western Ontario and actively engages in community service with the Bothwell Optimists and as the President of Chatham Kent Pride.
November 4th, 2023
Caesars Windsor
Connect with accomplished researchers and professionals, fostering potential collaborations and expanding your network.
Immerse yourself in informative sessions and speaker series, deepening your knowledge of the latest research advancements.
We are grateful to our sponsors for their support and commitment to advancing health research. Their contributions help make the WE-SPARK Health Conference an amazing event for all attendees.
We provide regular content on conference-related updates and previous conference.
More than 300 people networked and discussed the latest health
The Windsor-Essex health research community will come together over two
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