Who We Are

Dr. Kellie Thiessen is a midwife Clinician Scientist who has an extensive clinical background in maternal/child health. She is a registered midwife and a registered nurse, for the last ten years she’s been an Associate Professor at the College of Nursing, University of Manitoba, but recently has taken on a new position as the Director of Midwifery at the University of British Columbia. She is also a Research Scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and the Women’s Health Research Institute at BC Women’s Hospital.   She has worked as a midwife in the United States, Brazilian, and Canadian health care systems and is committed to developing innovative collaborative models of midwifery practice that will increase choices for persons and their families, as well as provide comprehensive maternity care.  Her more recent work involves clinical practice and patient-engaged research with pregnant persons who use substances and have complex care needs.  

Dr. Rania Alkhadragy, MHPE, PhD.  A consultant of Medical Education with expertise in technology enhanced learning, online courses deign, curriculum planning and assessment. She has been awarded her PhD by the Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt. She had a post-doctoral fellowship at Leeds Institute of Medical education, Leeds, UK. She has been involved as online tutor at the Centre of Medical Education, Dundee University, UK. Her research is mainly focused on using mixed methods approaches. She is interested in Community based and oriented studies.

Dr. Nadra Ansari, is an OB/GYN trained in Pakistan, who has worked for many years in Saudi Arabia.

Alan Creighton-Kelly is a retired Adult Educator and Counsellor, and former faculty member at Capilano University (2009). His practice has been informed largely by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire and has focused on Indigenous Education, Prison Education, and outreach college and university programs for marginalized students and recent immigrants.

His work with native and non-native communities spans the Arctic to the US border and across most of Canada. He has also conducted community development projects in various parts of the Americas, from the Yukon to Chile.

Cathy Ellis (BFA, RM, MSc. PhD) is a Senior Instructor in UBC’s Midwifery Program (Department of Family Practice). Cathy has worked in Uganda since 2005 and Nepal since 2007 with midwifery students as part of a global health course. She completed her PhD at Simon Fraser University in Health Sciences (Global Health) focussing on access to midwifery care in a remote area of Nepal. She continues to work with nurses and midwives in urban and rural areas of Nepal and Uganda, and more recently, health care providers in South Sudan.

Dr. Tania Das Gupta, PhD, is a sociologist and professor at York University who specializes in equity and social justice. Her work focuses on the South Asian diaspora, race and racism, anti-racism, immigration and refugee issues, state policies, and women, work and families.

Arun Garg, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Consultant Medical Biochemist, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Fraser Health
Clinical Professor, Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Program Medical Director South Asian Health Inst; Fraser Health
Office: 604-520-4330
Cell: 604-897-3171
arun.garg@fraserhealth.ca ; https://pathology.ubc.ca/faculty/arun-garg/
Twitter: @DrArunGarg

Dr. Derek Gladwin, Assistant Professor in Language & Literacy Education at University of British Columbia, has authored many books on narrative, media, eco-literacy, and well-being education, including Rewriting our stories: Education, empowerment and well-being (2021). As a long-time yoga and qigong practitioner, he supports alternative approaches to health and well-being. He also works with individuals and groups on narrative coaching -- changing practices and patterns through affirmative storytelling.

Dr. Nazrul Islam, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the United International College, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University where he teaches public health and sociology courses. Currently he is a Visiting Associate Professor in the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia.

Dr. Patti Janssen, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC where she specializes in Maternal/Fetal/Newborn Health, Women’s Health, Population Health, Clinical Epidemiology/Clinical Trials. She has received many awards and accolades for research and teaching excellence.

Dr. Nané Jordan has a PhD in education from the University of British Columbia. She has degrees in photography/visual arts (University of Ottawa) and women’s spirituality (New College of California). Her practice integrates writing, art making, and scholarship with women’s health: mothering, ecological living, and cultivating spirit.

Dr. Harshavardhan Ashok Kale (MD, MPH), has a passion and drive for preventive health. His journey into the field of medicine, though started as a hardcore clinician, eventually the "lightening" of Public Health and Preventive Medicine struck him! Dr. Kale is a Public Health Consultant and Policy advisor with combined 10 years of Medicine and Public Health. He was a senior consultant and subject matter expert in my previous avatar, being responsible to introduce innovative and industry driven healthcare courses.

Dr. Videsh Kapoor, MD, is a family physician and the director of the Division of Global Health in the Department of Family Practice and co-founder of the Global Health Initiative.  She leads several initiatives nationally and at UBC to improve global health education within medical schools.  She currently is coordinating several projects in India, Kenya, Uganda, Peru, and is assisting with a new project in Nepal.

Sevena Khunkhun was a family physician in an urban practice for 20 years. Additionally, her work with BC Women’s Hospital Sexual Assault service, established an appreciation of the value of multidisciplinary collaborations that span the healthcare, police, judicial, and social services professions.

Dr. Jude Kornelsen, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Practice at UBC where she leads research on rural maternity care. She has published dozens of papers and held millions of dollars in research funding.

Dr. Brenda Leung, ND, PhD, is the Director of Research at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Leung has conducted studies in children’s use of naturopathic medicine, on mentoring within networks to increase research capacity & literacy in CAM practitioners, the effects of a homeopathic remedy on lymph edema in breast cancer patients, and on Chinese and Caucasian population use of healthcare services and complementary medicine in the Calgary Health Region.

Nastaran Moh, MPH, has worked in the area of global public health as a consultant, project manager, program assistant, health officer, and research associate in various countries including Canada (Vancouver NGO, UVic and UBC), Malawi (Global Affairs Canada), Tunisia (WHO), Ethiopia (UNFPA), Tanzania (WHO), and Ghana (NGO). Her work has focused on indigenous health, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, Maternal Mortality Prevention, Reproductive Health, Malaria Intervention, and Improving Health Systems.

Dr. Fatima Mohamedali, MBChB, MPH, is family physician and a public health specialist, who has worked in maternal and child health in Eastern and Southern Africa. She spends part of every year in Canada where she has also worked in women’s health as a researcher.

Dr. Ashnoor Nagji, MD, is a family physician with expertise in maternal and child health. She has worked in many countries including Afghanistan, Uganda, Pakistan and elsewhere.

Professor Nashon was born and raised in Kenya; attended Chekombero and Vokoli primary schools in Western Kenya. He graduated with a BEd in physics and methematica from Nairobi University in 1984. He later obtained a post-graduate Diploma in Educational Studies (DES) and an MEd degree in Science Education (Sep 1987 – Aug 1989) and Doctor of Education (2001) from the University of Leeds and University of Toronto (OISE/UT) respectively, and was subsequently hired as an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) starting July 1, 2001 and now a Full Professor and Department head. Besides the academic obligations of engaging in reasearch, publishing and teaching, Professor Nashon has also engaged in humanitarian work that often has educational implications. He has supervised many PhD, masters and undergraduate students across the globe some of whom are now serving in academic positions at various world class universities while others have taken up key public service engagements in their respective home countries. Professor Nashon’s research focuses on ways of teaching and learning the sciences. Currently he collaborates on a research as well as educative project, Educating About Hazards of Choking in Children, with colleagues from BC Children’s Hospital led by Professor Jeffrey Ludemann (https://dontchoke.ubc.ca/). As well, Professor Nashon has also been involved in education based humanitarian projects including serving as UBC Coordinator of “Daadab Refugee Camp Teacher Education Program”, which brought together a collaborative of Kenyatta, York, UBC and Moi Universities to develop and implement a two-year university based Diptloma in Teacher Education by recruiting student teachers from refugee and host communities under the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) (https://www.bher.org/ubc-team/). See also  https://international.educ.ubc.ca/dadaab-kenya-refugee-camp/ and https://dadaab.educ.ubc.ca/. To date the program has graduated over 400 Diploma teachers.

Judy Norsigian is a co-founder of Our Bodies Ourselves who served as executive director of the organization from 2001 to 2015. She is currently chair of the OBOS board of directors. An internationally renowned speaker and author on a range of women’s health concerns, her areas of focus include women and health care reform, abortion and contraception, childbirth (especially the role of midwifery), genetics and reproductive technologies, and drug and device safety. She has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs, including NBC Nightly News, Al Jazeera, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, Oprah, Fox News and The Current. Judy has been an author and editor for each of the nine editions of “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” the organization’s landmark book on sexuality and reproductive health. A new and revised edition published by Simon & Schuster in 2011 — 40 years after the book’s initial publication — received critical acclaim, including being named one of the best consumer health books of that year by Library Journal. Personal recognitions include an honorary doctorate from Boston University (2007). Additional honors include: being named one of “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s eNews; Public Service Award from the Massachusetts Public Health Association; Radcliffe College Alumnae Association Annual Recognition Award; Boston YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers; and the Massachusetts Health Council Award. Judy graduated from Radcliffe College in 1970. She lives in Newton, Mass.

Dr. Gina Ogilvie, MD, MSc, is the Medical Director of Clinical Prevention Services at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Family Practice, Obstetrics & Gynecology and the School of Population and Public Health.

Manuel Pina B is a Cuban-Canadian visual artist and educator. His research investigates the relation between technology, spirituality and justice with a focus on emerging forms of visual communication and culture. Through the use of photography, video and emerging media media, his work fosters visual and online literacy as vital means for individual and community emancipation. He is a faculty member in the department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory at UBC; Associate Faculty Member of the Institute for Social Justice; Faculty in-residence at the Emerging Media Lab, and member of the Maternal and Infant Health Canada

Shirley Ross, BSN, is a longtime global health organizer and leader, as well as a fundraising and health communications expert. She has extensive multicultural experience both in North America and abroad.

Dr. Emilie Salomons, Dr. TCM, is a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is the president of the Canadian Association of Oriental Obstetrical Medicine and co-created the first Obstetrical Acupuncture course for Midwives in North America. She has taught and worked in Nepal and Uganda.

Dr. Hasina Samji is an infectious disease epidemiologist. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she also undertook Masters’ training. She has worked with a number of local and national organizations, including the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, and the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Her research examines barriers to access to care for marginalized populations. She received a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Association for HIV Research in 2011 and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2015. She joined the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2015 as a Lecturer.

Arunima Sharma, MEd, is a community development specialist with a great deal of experience in India. She is a psychotherapist who has studied holistic systems of healing.

Vidhu Sharma, PhD is a biochemist and molecular biologist by training with specialization in medicinal chemistry in her Master’s program. Her PhD thesis focused on molecular characterization of serine proteases (respiratory fungal allergens) to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Her postdoctoral research further looked into role of proteases in osteoporosis and atherosclerosis and developing strategies for substrate specific enzyme inhibition targeting non-active site to avoid off-target effects. She comes with diverse experience in academic, private biotech and healthcare sector. She is currently working at BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, managing advanced scientific technology platforms to help facilitate research. She is a science enthusiast and participates in outreach activities such as STEM mentor for youth in science.

Dr. Dorothy Shaw, MD, is Canada's spokesperson for the G8/G20 for The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), past president of FIGO and the SOGC. She is a faculty member at UBC and VP of Medical Affairs at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre.

Farah M Shroff, PhD is the Founder and Lead of Maternal and Infant Health Canada. She is a public health educator and researcher who has worked in global women’s health for many years. She teaches in UBC's Department of Family Medicine and School of Population and Public Health.

Doris Sommer is Ira and Jewell Williams Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures and of African and African American Studies. She is founder of "Cultural Agents," an Initiative at Harvard and an NGO dedicated to reviving the civic mission of the Humanities. Her academic and outreach work promotes development through arts and humanities, specifically through “Pre-Texts” in the USA, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Pre-Texts is an arts-based training program for teachers of literacy, critical thinking, and citizenship. Among her books are Foundational Fictions: The National Romances of Latin America (1991) about novels that helped to consolidate new republics; Proceed with Caution when Engaged by Minority Literature (1999) on a rhetoric of particularism; Bilingual Aesthetics: A New Sentimental Education (2004) for our times of contested immigration; and The Work of Art in the World: Civic Agency and Public Humanities (2014). Sommer has enjoyed and is dedicated to developing good public school education. She has a B.A. from New Jersey's Douglass College for Women, and Ph.D. from Rutgers University.

Eva Sullivan is a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from UBC. Her interests include midwifery & women's health, migration & mobility, and holistic medicine. She has spent several years volunteering with health and gender related NGOs in Canada, Israel, India and elsewhere.

Dr. Marie Tarrant ((RN, MPH, PhD) is a leading researcher in the area of maternal and child health with more than seventy peer-reviewed publications on a range of related subjects, including breastfeeding and maternal and childhood vaccinations. Study methodologies have included large longitudinal cohort studies, population-based cross-sectional studies and intervention studies designed to inform and influence public health policies and perinatal health-care services. Her research has put a much-needed global spotlight on maternal health and has received more than $2M (CAD) in funding. Most recently, she has completed a study investigating the effect of breastfeeding on postpartum glycemic control in pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Dr. Tarrant is the lead investigator at the UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing Maternal and Child Health Lab and is a frequently cited UBC expert on maternal and child health, breastfeeding, influenza vaccine in pregnancy, and childhood vaccinations. In addition to her maternal health research, Dr. Tarrant is the Director of the School of Nursing in the Faculty of Health and Social Development on the UBC Okanagan campus.

Prof. Saraswathi Vedam is an Associate Professor at the Division of Midwifery in the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and founder of the UBC Midwifery Faculty Practice, Birth & Beyond. Over the last 27 years, she has cared for families in the U.S., the Netherlands, India, and Canada in a variety of private and public health care settings.

Dr. Dzung Vo is Head of the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine, and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, at BC Children's Hospital and the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in Pediatrics and fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Vo sees health from a "whole person" perspective, which involves the body, the mind, and the social environment. He is also the Founding Director of the BC Children’s Hospital Centre for Mindfulness.

Dr. Ellen Wiebe is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia. After 30 years of full-service family practice, she now restricts her practice to women’s health and assisted death. She is the Medical Director of Willow Women’s Clinic in Vancouver and provides medical and surgical abortions and contraception. She developed Hemlock AID to provide consultations for doctors and patients about aid in dying and provides assisted death. She has published widely on women’s health and now is researching the experience of assisted dying in Canada.

Dr. Mei-ling Wiedmeyer is a staff physician at the Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-operative, Willow Women's Clinic and Elizabeth Bagshaw Women's Clinic in Vancouver. She completed medical school at McGill University, and did a family medicine residency and fellowship in Women's Health at the University of Toronto, with a special concentration in refugee health.

Robert Woollard, MD, CCFP, FCFP, is Professor of Family Practice at UBC. He has extensive national and international experience in the fields of medical education, the social accountability of medical schools, ecosystem approaches to health, and sustainable development. He is actively involved in Nepal with a new national medical school, school of public health, and nursing school founded on the principles of social accountability, and also works in East Africa on matters of social accountability, primary care, and accreditation systems. He co-chairs the Global Consensus on Social Accountability for Medical Schools (GCSA) and does extensive work in this area with many international bodies. He was a lead organizer for the World Summit on Social Accountability that led to the Tunis Declaration < https://thenetworktufh.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Tunis-Declaration-FINAL-2.pdf> His primary research focus is the study of complex adaptive systems as they apply to the intersection between human and environmental health. His book, “Fatal Consumption: Rethinking Sustainable Development” details some of his work in this regard. He is Associate Director of Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc). He also provides central leadership in the development of a Canadian national strategy for addressing educational and service needs for surgical and obstetrical services in rural Canada—in particular Aboriginal service access for birthing. He was instrumental in establishing the mobile clinic for agricultural workers. Above all he is a husband, father and grandfather.

Robyn Wyman is a holistic healer, focusing on supporting people who are going through the two most important phases of life: the beginning and the end. Robyn Wyman is also  currently serving as the Ambassador of Advancement for MIH Can.

Dr. Kate Levett is a researcher, educator and practitioner of Chinese Medicine specialising in maternal health research and epidemiology. She has over 20 years’ experience in clinical trials, public health research and epidemiology, education and a clinical acupuncture practice. She is involved with international collaborative research networks in maternal health, complementary therapies, and obstetrical acupuncture with a focus on promoting physiological birth practices.

She is an NHMRC ECR Fellow and Senior Research Fellow, at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney School of Medicine, and an adjunct Fellow at the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University and an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health University of Technology Sydney. She has received a recent Ministerial appointment to the Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of NSW.

Kate completed her PhD at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, examining an antenatal education program utilising non-pharmacological techniques for managing physiological birth to reduce interventions in labour. She has a Masters Degree in Public Health (Epidemiology) from the University of Sydney, and an undergraduate degree in Education (University of Sydney) and Health Sciences (Acupuncture) at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences, Brisbane.

Dr. Damaris Seleina Parsitau holds a Ph.D. degree in Religion and Gender Studies from Kenyatta University and is Associate Professor of Religion and Gender Studies at Egerton University in Kenya, with many years of experience in teaching, research, community engagement, girls education and leadership development. She is also the President of the African Association for the Study of Religion in Africa. Dr. Parsitau has also served as the Director of the Institute of Women Gender and Development Studies. Her research interests include African Pentecostalism, Religion and health, Religion and women leadership and Religion, Gender and Sexuality in Kenya. In 2018-2019, she was appointed a Research Associate at Harvard University’s Women Studies in Religion Programme (WSRP) and carried out research on Pentecostalism and Women Bodies in Kenya. In 2017, Damaris served as an Echidna Global Scholar at the Brookings Institutions, Centre for Universal Education (CUE), Washington DC, where she spend her sabbatical leave researching Maasai Girls education in Kenya and creating a non-profit organization, the Let Maasai Girls learn Initiative, her non-profit organization whose central aim is to inspire Maasai girls to go to school and become agents of change in their society. Damaris previously held Visiting Research Fellowships at the University of Cambridge in England and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She is also a project advisor for the Nagel Institute/John Templeton Africa Theological Advice Projects where she advises research teams in East Africa. She is also a beneficiary of many research grants and awards and is the author of over 70 publications in book chapters, journal articles, policy blogs and opinion pieces with 3 forthcoming bookings. She is also a community mobilizer and leader a social influencer and policy blogger and an advocate for social justice and gender equality. In 2018 she was named 1 of 20 influencial Kenya Scientists in the Africa in the Next Einstein Forum and Mawazo Institute’s Africa science week. She has also been named as one of 100 most influential Kenyans by the Kenya for Kenyan campaigns 2019.

Dr. Suresh Jungari is Assistant Professor in Department of Public Health & Mortality Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, He has Master and PhD in (Population studies) from same institute. His areas of research interest are maternal health, public health, gender issues in reproductive health, violence during pregnancy, health inequities and maternal mental health. He has been working with tribal communities in Maharashtra for last seven years. He has five years of teaching and seven years of research experience. He is currently exploring the various dimensions of maternal mental health issues affecting reproductive age women in India. He has published 35 research papers in national and international peer reviewed scientific journals.

Dr. Shilpa Karvande, Phd, MSc, has been in Public Health related research since 1995. She is working in rural and urban settings in various states of India.  She has worked in various subjects under reproductive health such as induced abortion, domestic violence and reproductive health of rural communities.   She was involved in various collaborative research projects with International organizations such as London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, UK, Target TB, UK, etc.

Sudha Nagavarapu studied engineering and worked for a few years in the medical device industry in the US. During that time, she volunteered with various organizations and began to think about the politics of development, especially in health and health care. She subsequently returned to India and began working with grassroots organizations and networks. In Bangalore city, she worked with women in slum areas to improve their access to health care, advocated for urban health (and allied) policies and researched the privatization of health services, urban referral systems etc. In Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh state (in North India), she works with a collective of farmer-labourers, both women and men, called Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (SKMS), supporting their initiatives in agriculture and health care. She is currently collaborating on mixed-method research in this region with an economist and sociologist - the goal is to study current and historical links between farming and food (along with gender, caste and class relations) and to investigate how it has impacted nutritional intake and health.

Dr. Sumona Karjee Mishra, PhD, is a biotechnologist and social entrepreneur working on the aspect of health care through biotechnological interventions. Presently, she is working on miRNA based pre-symptomatic detection of pregnancy disorder Preeclampsia with pregnant women from Indian sub -population.

Dr. Nerges Mistry, PhD, BSc is the joint director of the Forum for Medical Research. His research studies include Basic and public health aspects of tuberculosis and leprosy with a current focus on multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, Community immune-epidemiology of water borne diseases and Operation research into community based healthcare systems for rural areas.

Ms. Pallavi Patel is a Founding member and Director of Centre for Health, Education and Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA). She is a trained nutritionist who has showcased various innovative approaches and strategies to empower adolescent girls and women to take control of their own health.

Dr. Kranti Suresh Vora is MD (ObGyn) from Gujarat University, MPH from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, USA and PhD from University of Maryland, USA. Dr. Vora started her public health career as a consultant in SEWA, Ahmedabad and has worked as a faculty at IIPH, Gandhinagar since October, 2012. She has managed various projects in maternal health area with international partners such as Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and University of Aberdeen, UK and Unicef Afghanistan. Dr.Vora has been instrumental in developing demographic surveillance sites to gather evidence for improving maternal child health in India. She has worked in tribal areas to establish a cohort of more than 1000 pregnant mothers to examine impact of maternal infections and maternal stress on birth outcomes and early childhood. Dr. Vora has published more than 50 peer reviewed publications to improve reproductive and child health in India and neighbouring countries.

Rachel is a second-year undergraduate in Behavioural Neuroscience at UBC. She is interested in public health and policy, science communication, developmental neuroscience, and is very excited to be working as a research assistant with MIH Can this year. When she isn’t studying, Rachel loves to ski, bike, and run outside.

Tarini is a second year Behavioural Neuroscience student at UBC. Her research interests include public health and neurology. In her free time she likes to go on runs, spend time with her dog and paint. She looks forward to helping women and children all around the globe through MIHCan!

Jaya completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Integrated Sciences at the University of British Columbia, and she is entering medical school at the University of British Columbia in August 2023. At MIH Can, Jaya creates art pieces for research projects and campaigns. In her free time, Jaya enjoys drawing and painting, reading fiction novels, and composing music.

Maryann has been the MIHCan Social Media Team lead since 2022. She is currently pursuing her MSc in Population and Public Health at UBC. She loves volunteering for the MIHCan Social Media Team because she’s able to help educate on Women and Children’s Health Issues and share the amazing work MIHCan is doing to combat these issues.

Rishika Selvakumar is the Human Resources Lead for MIHCan. Rishika joined the HR team in August 2022, and took on the HR Lead position in March 2023. She supports volunteer management, recruitment, and coordination for the organization.

Jacob is an undergraduate student at UBC studying Political Science and Law & Society. His research interests involve international development and the intersections of activism and legal theory on public policy outcomes. He has volunteered for organizations such as Students for Partners in Health and Results Canada, which explains his interest in environmentalism and global health equity. Jacob is working alongside another volunteer on a research project to rename MIHCan. This task involves thoroughly researching the organization's background, work & values and collecting data via focus groups and surveys to gauge interest.

Mabell is a grade 10 IB student at Port Moody Secondary School. She joined the MIH Social Media team in 2022 and loves to spread awareness and educate people on the inequalities that women face in healthcare. From the pain gap to male research bias, these issues are incredibly prevalent in healthcare systems all around the world which is why she is so excited to work with MIH! When she isn’t volunteering, she spends her time on debate, speed skating, competitive swimming and violin.

sonalishar98@gmail.com

pulomakaushal@hotmail.com

MP Don Davies, is a Canadian member of Parliament. He has served on numerous public bodies to improve occupational health and safety.

Senator Mobina Jaffer, was born in Uganda and educated in both England and Canada.

Senator Jaffer’s record of achievement is extensive. She has been noted for her work in the areas of equality and justice for visible minorities and women.

Senator Jaffer sat as Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights for 8 years. She works tirelessly to improve equality both in Canada and abroad. Most notably, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to UN Resolution 1325 that seeks to stress the importance of women’s involvement in peacemaking processes. Due to her relentless commitment to this mandate, she was successful in integrating women in the Darfur peace process.

Dr. Asha Seth (MD, PhD) is a Canadian politician and doctor. She is an ambassador for maternal, newborn and child health.

Mr. Varshney has been a principal of Varshney Capital Corp., a Vancouver based venture capital, merchant bank and corporate advisory services firm, since 1991, a Founding Director of Pyfera Growth Capital social impact fund and a Founding Director of Humanitas Smart Planet Fund.  Mr. Varshney obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia in 1987 and is a FCPA, FCA.

He has been a director or officer of many publicly traded companies over the years including Mogo (Co-Founder) and BetterU Education Corp.  He is also a Co-Founder of G-PAK, Co-Founder of Little Kitchen Academy, CFO of The Plastic Bank and former CFO of Carmanah Technologies which became Canada's largest solar company.  He also was Co-Founder of a predecessor of Mountain Province Diamonds who’s Gahcho Kué in September 2016 became the world’s largest new diamond mine since 2003 & De Beers’ second-largest producer behind its Jwaneng mine in Botswana.

Mr. Varshney is a Toniic member and a long-time member of EO Entrepreneurs Organization – Vancouver Chapter, TiE Vancouver (Founding Director) and Silicon Valley Blockchain Society – Vancouver Chapter (Founding Director).  He’s also on a number of non-profit boards such as The Varshney Family Charitable Foundation, Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education and a Founding Member of instrumentbeyondborders.org.  He's also an SVP Vancouver Partner, a Vancouver Police Foundation Trustee, and on the Advisory boards of Room to Read - Vancouver and The Thomas Edison Innovation Foundation in New Jersey, USA.  He also Co-Founded with his daughter, Jaiya, Down to the Last Straw, a global movement to reduce plastic waste with a major focus on single-use plastic straws. Mr. Varshney is also a past recipient of Business in Vancouver's 40 Under 40 Awards. Mr. Varshney is passionate about utilizing his business savvy for the benefit of women and children in Canada and around the world so he's pleased to work with Maternal and Infant Health Canada.

In 2018, MIH Can, UBC, and the members of our community lost a wonderful member. Despite being a busy resident in Family Medicine, Dr. Rajak Randawa found the time to work with MIH Can, using his aptitude for technology to create media presentations and build this website. We miss Rajak and his warm presence; we honor his life and contributions to the world. He died too soon.

The following are some of Dr. Rajak Randawa's contributions:

Please click here to read The Province article with Dr. Rajak Randawa.