Dr. Kazeem Arogundade is a public health enthusiast with progressive experience in clinical practice, research and  in the design, coordination, implementation of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), Family Planning, HIV/AIDS and Neglected Tropical Disease (Female Genital Schistosomiasis) programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. He graduated with a Master of Public Health Degree (MPH) degree from Staffordshire University, United Kingdom, medical degree from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Clinical Research at McMaster University, Canada.  Kazeem is passionate about utilizing evidence-based interventions to improve the lives of people, specifically women, young girls and children in resource-constrained settings.  

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Currently, he works as the Research Project Coordinator at the Bruyere Research Institute, Ottawa (under Dr. Alison Krentel’s team) for the FGS Accelerated Scale Together (FAST) package project in Ghana and Madagascar, funded by Grand Challenges Canada.

Kiflom is a public health research enthusiast who is passionate about creating impactful connections between communities, health program implementers, and research. With a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, he started his career as an environmental health program head and progressed into managerial roles, coordinating programs for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Maternal and Child Health (MCH) surveillance programs. In his previous role as a research officer, he formulated operational research proposals for development across various public health programs in Ethiopia.

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Currently, Kiflom serves as a Research Coordinator at the Bruyère Research Institute, overseeing the Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) Accelerated Scale Together (FAST) package project in Madagascar and Ethiopia. This project is funded by the End Fund.

Tina has worked within the non-profit sector for more than 20 years, with nearly 10 years of proposal development & design experience including with international agencies such as Plan International Canada, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), among others. She has worked in Kenya and Zambia, conducted training in Djibouti and Uganda and has visited many other countries in South America, Africa and Europe. She has experience developing multi-country programs, primarily in health and education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tina loves the intersection between gender, health and human rights; knowledge translation in health; and learning from others in the global health community. Tina holds an Honours B.A in Political Science and Human Rights from Carleton University, and a post-graduate degree in International Project Management from Humber College, and is completing an MSc in Global Public Health from Queen Mary University London. Tina is really excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with a bright, passionate and diverse team to advance the policy and advocacy agenda of the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (CNNTD).

Dr. Dukharmel Nazaire received his medical degree from Université Notre Dame d’Haiti (Haiti). Later, he obtained his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and a Post Graduate Certificate in Global Health from University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA. In November 2023, he also completed a master's degree in Program Evaluation with École Nationale d'Administration Publique (ÉNAP) in Gatineau, Quebec.  

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As a professional, he worked for several years as a Clinician, Program Supervisor and Care and Treatment Coordinator alternately for NGOs and the Ministry of Public Health in Haiti in various programs, such as Prevention, Care and Treatment of HIV / AIDS, Tuberculosis and Sexually transmitted diseases. He has relevant experience in research, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of Global Health projects in resource-limited settings. At the Bruyere Research Institute, he works as a Research Project Coordinator for the project aiming to implement a new approach to improve ivermectin mass treatment coverage in onchocerciasis transmission zones in Mali.

Dr. Aashka Sood has a bachelor's degree in dentistry and a master's degree in oral pathology and microbiology. She has extensive experience in both academic and research settings. During her master's program, Aashka developed a keen interest in teaching and mentoring students, which led her to pursue a career in academia. During her time as a Senior Lecturer in the department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology in India, she guided undergraduate and graduate students in their academic and professional pursuits and worked on multiple academic research projects. Later, she transitioned to public health, working as a research coordinator for a maternal and child health project led by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in collaboration with Maulana Azad Medical College in India. After moving to Canada, she worked as a Research Assistant at Sunnybrook Research Institute in Ontario. Currently, Aashka is responsible for managing multiple multi-country NTD research projects at the Bruyère Research Institute.

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Aashka is passionate about the health policy development cycle, starting from designing policies to implementation and monitoring. Aashka's interests in health policy stem from her experience working on the ground level in public health projects. She is keen on ensuring that the policies developed are relevant and effective in addressing the health needs of the community.

Rachel is the Community of Practice Manager for iCHORDS. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Sciences at the University of Guelph. She then completed a Master of Occupational Therapy at McMaster University and worked as an occupational therapist in multiple community and hospital settings primarily with older adults experiencing a variety of mental health, cognitive and physical diagnoses. She then returned to the University of Guelph to complete her Master of Public Health. Rachel’s interests focus on knowledge translation strategies particularly for those who are most impacted by the social determinants of health. 

Dr. Carol Vlassoff (PhD, Pune, India) is an Adjunct Professor with the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa and the Bruyère Research Institute, where she conducts research and teaching activities in the field of global health, gender, human rights and equity. Formerly, she worked with the World Health Organization for 17 years, including as Chief, HIV/AIDS (PAHO) in Washington, D.C., WHO Representative in Suriname, and Deputy Director, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, WHO in Geneva, Switzerland. She has also held key posts in the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, and the Canadian International Development Research Centre (now Global Affairs Canada). Dr. Vlassoff has more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of gender, health systems, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, tropical diseases and human rights. She currently divides her time between Canada and Costa Rica.