Dalla Lana School of Public Health

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• Buy Tickets for Health Futures

Please join us for a new flagship alumni event designed to celebrate, elevate, and connect the DLSPH Public Health Sciences community.

This special evening brings together PHS alumni, along with students and faculty, for conversation, collaboration, and inspiration. Hear from keynote speaker Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, who will share insights on Pathways to Food Security: Food as a Commons, and spend time connecting and reconnecting with the PHS community.

As our first-ever Health Futures event, we invite you to be part of the launch, shaping a tradition that champions the impact and innovation of PHS at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Details
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm ET
Program begins at 6:00 pm.
Location: Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus
Note: Included with your ticket are two drink tickets, appetizers, and complimentary coat check.

Speakers

Keynote: Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, Associate Vice President, Equity & Inclusion at NOSM University, will speak on “Pathways to Food Security: Food as a Commons.”

Moderator: Dr. Sarah Elton, Assistant Professor, Eakin Chair in Critical Qualitative Health Research Methodology, DLSPH

Program Introduction: Dr. Bernice Yanful, DLSPH alum and Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Toronto Metropolitan University

Please note: photos or video taken at this event may be shared on U of T and/or DLSPH’s website or on social media. We may also choose to use select photos in print media for educational, promotional, and other official purposes. If you do not wish to appear in photos or video taken during this event, please speak to a member of staff at the registration desk or email us at: advancement.dlsph@utoronto.ca.

Refunds: Please note that all refunds issued for this event will not include the processing fee, which is non-refundable. Refund requests will only be considered until Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET, after which point tickets (whether purchased before or after this date) are considered non-refundable.

For any questions, please contact the DLSPH Advancement Office at advancement.dlsph@utoronto.ca.

Learn more about our speakers

Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, PhD (Chi Ishkode Inini)
Associate VP, Equity & Inclusion, NOSM University | VP, Social Accountability, AFMC

Dr. Joseph LeBlanc is an Anishinaabe scholar and health equity leader working at the intersection of Indigenous food systems, community health, and education. His research and advocacy focus on food sovereignty, decolonizing health practices, and equity in medical education. He has delivered national and international presentations and serves on multiple boards advancing Indigenous-led food and health initiatives across Canada.

Dr. Sarah Elton

Dr. Sarah Elton is an Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences and Eakin Chair in Critical Qualitative Health Research Methodology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Her transdisciplinary research investigates food system impacts on human health and ecosystems drawing on critical qualitative health research methodologies. She works across the food system studying: produce supply chains in the context of climate change and food access; socio-ecological food systems of urban gardens; and the human gut microbiome from a social science perspective. These research projects have been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Dr. Bernice Yanful

Dr. Bernice Yanful is an alum of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and will be introducing the evening’s program. Dr. Yanful is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University.