Julienne is passionate about advancing public health and health equity, with extensive experience in global health, national health program strengthening, and clinical research. She has contributed to health initiatives across low-, middle-, and high-income countries, supporting the design and implementation of studies that inform policy and promote equitable access to care.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Rwanda (2012) and a Master’s in Public Health, specializing in Health Economics, from the University of Gothenburg (2015). Julienne has coordinated pan-Canadian clinical studies in primary care, national research on Hepatitis B vaccination and Hepatitis C treatment in Rwanda, and on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and other African countries.

At the THREADS Lab, Julienne serves as a Research Coordinator, fostering collaboration among researchers and partners, overseeing financial and programmatic management, and contributing to the qualitative analysis of ongoing studies. 

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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He is currently a consultant for the FGS Accelerated Scale Together (FAST) package project with Dr. Alison Krentel’s team at the Bruyère Health Research Institute. Funded by the END Fund, this project is currently being implemented in Ethiopia and Madagascar.

Claudia Duguay is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Threads Lab, where she applies her expertise in epidemiology and spatial analysis to address challenges in the elimination of neglected tropical diseases. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Ottawa (2024), building on her MPH in Epidemiology (2020) and BSc in Biomedical Engineering (2018) from Drexel University. Claudia's current research is centered on evaluating the acceptability of a novel treatment for onchocerciasis in Ghana and Angola. Her prior work has been instrumental in identifying overlapping risk factors for malaria and schistosomiasis, as well as identifying never-treated populations for mass drug administrations targeting neglected tropical diseases and improving participation in these programs.

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).

Varsa is the Community of Practice Manager for iCHORDS. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and is completing an MSc in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Varsa's interests include sexual and reproductive health, disability, and science communication. Her current focus is on knowledge translation and dissemination to improve the lives of individuals at risk for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Varsa is enthusiastic about expanding her expertise in NTDs and building connections with professionals in the field.

Dr. Carol Vlassoff (PhD, Pune, India) is an Adjunct Professor with the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa and the Bruyère Health 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.

Deborah Akurang completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Social Sciences of Health at the University of Ottawa. During her undergraduate years, Deborah conducted qualitative research on physician attribute prioritization in patient care and real-world evidence research focused on thoracic malignancies and carcinomas of unknown primary. She is passionate about health education and the management of chronic diseases, particularly among marginalized communities. She is currently completing an internship at the THREADS Lab, where she contributed to a scoping review on never treatment for PC-NTDs and a qualitative analysis for the FAST Package.