Vol. 28 - May 2022 Asian Heritage Month, Alumni Reunion, School Prizes, and more!
Celebrating Asian Heritage Month
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. This is a time to celebrate our Asian communities and cultures, but it’s also an opportunity to consider how we can all support our Asian friends, family members, and colleagues in the face of rising racism and discrimination.
Tragically, levels of anti-Asian racism have increased since the start of COVID – a “shadow pandemic” according to U of T political scientist Diana Fu. In this excellent podcast, Prof. Fu points out that the problem shouldn’t be seen in a vacuum – its roots were always there, in the long history of anti-Asian racism and discrimination in Canada.
It's your last chance to register for Alumni Reunion 2022!
Don't miss the DLSPH's double-header panel events: Policed to Death andInfoWars at Alumni Reunion 2022! We have a phenomenal line-up of speakers for both events, with experts in mental health, community engagement, social and public health sciences, journalism and science communication, who will bring their varied perspectives to discuss solutions to these important issues.
These are conversations you don’t want to miss - register today to save your virtual spot and receive Zoom access to these events.
Dr. Akwatu Khenti currently serves as the Director of Transformative Global Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and as an Assistant Professor with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He is involved in a wide variety of international efforts to strengthen mental health and addiction in primary care, including having previously led CAMH’s development of a cutting-edge training centre (the Eli Lilly Canada Learning Centre) and its specialized drug treatment and prevention programs for Black youth in Toronto, the Substance Abuse Program for African and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY).
Liben Gebremickael is the first Executive Director of TAIBU Community Health Centre. He has over 25 years of experience in the primary healthcare sector, social services, mental health and community capacity building and development field. He has worked as a Social Worker, Child & Family Therapist, Project Coordinator and Therapeutic Group Facilitator.
Dexter Voisin is the Dean of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. His research examines how structural, racial violence and interpersonal forms of violence impacts health behaviors and outcomes among minority populations. His findings demonstrate the problems of neighborhood and racial violence exposures are correlated with youth mental health problems, school failure and negative peer networks, which are interconnected outcomes in the lives of adolescents, particularly those who live in low-resourced communities.
Paulysha De Gannes is a DLSPH alumnus and Senior Policy Advisor at Addictions and Mental Health Ontario where she leads equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression, diversity, and inclusion initiatives across the entire addiction and mental health section. She has held various health equity, policy and stakeholder engagement roles at prominent organizations including Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario Ministry of Labour and the Durham Region Health Department.
Sabina Vohra-Miller is a UofT alumnus and friend of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Sabina is passionate about science education and advocacy, and focuses much of her efforts on combatting the avalanche of mis- and dis-information on social media. She co-founded the Vohra-Miller Foundation with her husband Craig, which aims to improve the health of the planet and its people.
Robert Steiner is Director of the Dalla Lana Fellowship in Global Journalism at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. The Fellowship is the first journalism program designed specifically to teach outstanding specialists with graduate degrees or professional experience in a field how to cover their own disciplines as freelance reporters for media around the world.
Robert Cribb is founder and director of the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the DLSPH and an investigative reporter at the Toronto Star. He has received national and international reporting awards for investigations into offshore tax evasion, child exploitation, human trafficking, dangerous doctors, environmental threats and public safety and now teaches investigative reporting at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism and UofT.
Stress-Free Degree Lecture: Building Health by Building Community Professor Kate Mulligan will discuss social prescribing - using the power of community to improve health outside of the health-care system.
Saturday May 28, 2022
2:30PM - 3:30PM St.
George Campus
Raj Sharda Alumnus
MHSc '92
Chief Operating Officer
University of Toronto Division of University Advancement
Tell us about yourself; your current work at DUA, and your career thus far.
I recently joined the division of University Advancement in mid-February as the Chief Operating Officer. In this role I have the privilege of leading a diverse team responsible for the sound management of advancement operations providing strategic direction to support transformational growth and achieve the goals of the Defy Gravity campaign. Before coming to UofT I held various leadership positions within the Ontario Public Service, within the Ministry of Health and Treasury Board and prior to that I was a consultant on international health sector reform projects with the World Health Organization based in Washington D.C.
Tell us about your experiences as a student and how your time at the DLSPH had an impact on your career.
As a M.H.Sc student I benefitted in learning from world class professors and pioneers who led the newly created Centre for Health Promotion and the Centre for Aging. I enjoyed collaborating with fellow students across the M.H.Sc. disciplines. I was able to combine both my areas of interest in health promotion and aging in my final work-term with the “Victoria Health Project” in B.C., a demonstration project that implemented health promotion programs for the elderly. This led to my first job as a policy and program consultant in continuing care at the B.C. Ministry of Health.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the professional work that you do, and what are your key observations about the ways it has affected communities, organizations, institutions, or systems?
I feel the pandemic although having very negative impacts also influenced positive change. It necessitated a more rapid adoption of technology and remote/hybrid work that is here to stay. Communities and institutions have proven to be resilient, innovative, flexible and responsive to changing needs in the face of the pandemic. My hope is that all of us have taken some time to be mindful and reflect on what is really important in our lives, our physical and mental health, loving relationships, acknowledging and understanding our biases and how we can learn to be better, be more empathetic, humble and kind.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with the alumni community?
I have fond memories of my time at UofT, the M.H.Sc. program provided a solid practical foundation, it opened doors to many opportunities in my career journey. I’m grateful for the experience and continued connection with UofT.
Historic gift to Transform Maternal Health Care in Ontario
Thanks to a $5-million investment from the Vohra Miller Foundation, the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health is launching a groundbreaking network dedicated to maternal, reproductive and early child health. First Exposure will support research, education and knowledge generation, as well as synthesis and translation activities—helping parents, children, and their families.
First Exposure will remove barriers to access and provide parents with crucial health information. It will focus in particular on fetal, neonatal and infantile exposures to various medications, non-medicinal substances, maternal diseases, the rapidly changing ecosystem in our environment, and the social determinants of health. Read more.
Public Health Sciences School Prizes - Nominations due May 26, 2022
We are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for two 2022 Public Health Sciences School Prizes available to recent graduates:
Randall Coates Epidemiology Prize
Awarded to a MPH or PhD student or a graduate (June 2015 and later) in the Epidemiology Division in the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences, studying in the area of communicable disease and demonstrating academic excellence. Nomination: Faculty can submit nominations here. Value of award: Up to $1,500
Robert Remis Award
To be awarded to a graduate student or recent graduate (up to 3 years since their graduation) in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health who had an excellent peer-reviewed research paper accepted for publication in the previous 12 months, for which they were a lead author. Preference will be given to Master’s level papers in infectious disease epidemiology, and those that could be described as foresightful, original, unorthodox or willing to challenge conventional wisdom within society or academia. Application Procedure: Submit a copy of a peer-reviewed paper published within the past 12 months, or soon to be published, where the applicant was a lead author along with correspondence with the publisher showing confirmation of publication, pending or provisional publication, and a cover letter stating how they see their paper as being foresightful, original, unorthodox or willing to challenge conventional wisdom within society or academia. Applications are to be emailed to awards.dlsph@utoronto.ca. Value of award: Approx. $2,500
The Toronto Medical Historical Club (TMHC) marked the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin with a historical symposium, Banting, Bliss, and Beyond: A Century of Science and Care, on May 3, 2022 followed by a half-day historical workshop on J.J.R. Macleod on May 4, 2022. All recordings are now available online!
Get to Know the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases
The Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases has developed a membership across many disciplines of the University of Toronto, including public health, medicine, pharmacy, biostatistics, nursing, social work, chemistry, bioethics, and the social sciences.
Each month, they feature one of their members, to highlight our ongoing work. This month, meet Dr. Christopher J. Rutty, a professional historian with special expertise on the history of medicine, public health, infectious diseases and biotechnology, especially vaccines.
Upcoming Opportunities
Are you connected on Ten Thousand Coffees?
The U of T Hub on Ten Thousand Coffees is a career networking platform for the whole U of T community. With more than 4,000 alumni professionals across a multitude fields, students and fellow alumni can seek out their career advice anytime and from anywhere. Monthly webinars deliver learning around best practices in the workplace.
When you share your time and expertise, you enrich the lives of everyone at the University, becoming central to our vibrant community. And the experience gives you so much back.
Help a current U of T student with their journey, meet fellow alumni in your industry and raise your professional profile.
Are you looking for new opportunities in public health or health systems?
The DLSPH is always actively looking for researchers and public health and health systems experts for masters of public health jobs among many others.
Research Casual (SSHRC)
Dr. Monica Aggarwal, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, is looking for a research assistant to work part-time on various funded projects. Learn More.
Research Casual
Dr. Monica Aggarwal, Assistant Professor in the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, is looking for a research assistant to work part-time on various funded projects. Learn More.
After three years of ardent work, the Public Health & Preventive Medicine Program is taking its first steps in Indigenizing its curriculum. DLSPH News.
Moderna seeks Health Canada approval for COVID-19 vaccine for kids under six. CP24.
Dr. Jeff Brooks discusses the tools at our disposal to reduce air pollution in communities and make them more resilient. TedTalk.
Health Canada lifts ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men. TorontoStar.
Quantum physics, planet formation and wrestling: Three U of T researchers awarded 2022 Guggenheim Fellowships. UofTNews.
Research to Reality: Global Summit on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Medicine
May 27 - 29 | Register
CVPD Seminar with Dr. Mohammed Abdullah May 30 | 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Register
The Health Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution May 30 | 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Register
Share your Story
We want to hear from you!
Submit to be featured in Your Dalla Lana: tell us about your experience as a student or alumnus, your career, and your personal and professional triumphs.
For any questions or inquiries, contact: Lillian Onyido, Development Officer, Alumni & Annual Giving lillian.onyido@utoronto.ca
Vanessa Smith, Advancement Coordinator van.smith@utoronto.ca
