Download the Postdoctoral Fellows Guide
| Name | Education | Research & Professional Interests |
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Renzo Calderon Anyosa
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MD (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia) MSc – Biomedical informatics in Global Health (Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia) PhD – Epidemiology (McGill University) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Geoff Anderson |
My research focuses on advancing health equity through the integration of data science, implementation science, and public health policy. I am particularly interested in using machine learning, causal inference, and clustering approaches to better understand how structural determinants—such as socioeconomic disparities, race, and migration—shape child and population health outcomes. My work combines quantitative methods with stakeholder and community engagement to design and evaluate interventions that address inequities, from hypertension management in community settings to the use of natural language processing for identifying health and social needs through services like Ontario 211. By bridging academic, clinical, and community contexts, I aim to generate actionable evidence that informs sustainable policies and improves health outcomes for marginalized populations in Canada and globally. My professional interests lie in applying data-driven approaches to improve health systems, strengthen equity-focused policies, and support community-based solutions. I am committed to building collaborations across academia, healthcare, government, and non-profit sectors to translate evidence into practice. This includes developing innovative digital tools, dashboards, and decision-support systems that make complex data accessible to policymakers and frontline providers. I am also passionate about mentoring students and early-career researchers, fostering interdisciplinary teamwork, and contributing to capacity building in both Canadian and international contexts. Ultimately, my goal is to advance initiatives that bridge research, practice, and policy to create measurable impact on population health and health equity.
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Cyndirela Chadambuka
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BSW (University of Zimbabwe) MA (University of the Witwatersrand) PhD (University of the Witwatersrand) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Beverley Essue |
Health equity, Gender based violence, Social justice, Women’s and migrants’ health, Human trafficking, Social determinants of health, intersectionality My professional interests include teaching and mentoring students and trainees, interdisciplinary collaborations, community engagement, and translating research into policy and practice. |
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Christoffer (Chris) Dharma
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PhD, Epidemiology, Specialization in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (University of Toronto) MSc, Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Western University) BSc, Statistics and Psychology (Simon Fraser University) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Zahra Shakeri |
Dr. Dharma is a postdoctoral fellow funded by the Data Science Institute (DSI) and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME). He was a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar during his doctoral studies. He has worked, collaborated, and studied at numerous institutions such as ICES, Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Western University, University of Toronto, and Columbia University. With a background in epidemiology and applied biostatistics, he has a wealth of experience working with large administrative datasets, longitudinal primary data, and survey data. He has had up to 50 publications across diverse methodologies and applied topics, utilizing techniques from artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, psychometrics, propensity scores, multiple imputation, and quantitative bias analysis. His research spans critical areas such as mental health, sexual health, psychiatry, cardiovascular disease, and health services delivery. He has worked with numerous marginalized communities, including sexual and gender minorities, unhoused individuals, and people with severe mental illness. Passionate about enhancing statistical methods, AI, and mental health, Chris aims to focus on harnessing generative AI and Natural Language Processing to leverage existing structured and unstructured data and promote health across all communities.
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Nadha Hassen
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HBSc – Architectural Studies (Design Concentration), Environment & Science, Biology (University of Toronto) MPH – Health Promotion (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto) PhD – Environmental Studies (York University) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Kate Mulligan |
Built environment and health, Health equity and intersectional anti-racism, Urban greenspaces, Healthy cities and communities, Nature prescribing, Community-engaged research, Participatory approaches Dr. Nadha Hassen is a public health and environmental studies scholar focused on healthy, sustainable, and equitable built and natural environments. Dr. Hassen’s research explores health and social equity across places and takes an interdisciplinary approach with a focus on intersectional anti-racism. Her research and evaluation work is community-engaged and participatory where she collaborates with marginalized communities to address the social, structural, and environmental determinants of health. As a Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellow, she collaborated with Park People, working on a community-engaged evaluation to understand the health, social, and environmental impacts of their work with communities. Her current research focuses on community-led nature prescribing. Dr. Hassen has a PhD from the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University and a Master of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences. Her doctoral research examined the experiences of racialized residents in public urban greenspaces in Toronto and the links to mental health and wellbeing, exploring concepts of social access, safety, and belonging. (Park Perceptions & Racialized Realities Project)
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Omowamiwa Kolawole
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LLB (University of Lagos) B.L (Nigerian Law School) LLM (University of Cape Town) PhD (University of Cape Town) MPH (University of Cape Town) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Lisa Forman |
International Human rights, Global health governance, Decolonization, Public Health, Health systems responsiveness, Health equity. My work is at the intersections of law and health and examines the operationalization of human rights, particularly the right to health, by health systems at the global, regional, and national levels. Through a decolonization approach, I examine the continuations of colonial logics in the funding and operationalization of health policies and explore avenues for reform in principles and praxis of health care delivery for more just and equitable outcomes, particularly for the most vulnerable. Through my work as a legal practitioner, I am interested in public interest litigation, particularly for addressing human rights violations, ensuring the respect and fulfillment of health rights, as well as compelling health systems accountability and reform. the judicialization of socio-economic rights, as well as health systems |
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Sabina Mirza
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Ph.D. Faculty of Education (York University)
Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Suzanne Stewart |
Dr. Sabina Mirza holds a PhD in Education from York University, with her research interests focusing on youth homelessness, education, mental health, and community-based research. Sabina has taught courses with an interdisciplinary lens on topics related to ethics, education, youth, families, mental health, social advocacy, and community engagement. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Through her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Mirza will use an anti-racist lens to focus on research that aims to decolonize Indigenous homelessness and mental health. Sabina loves to read, write and laugh – she practices daily mindfulness meditation and is passionate about using mindfulness as a way of helping others improve their health.
Course instructor CHL8010H: Justice for the Next Generation: Global Climate Health, Youth Homelessness, Diversity and Equity – Winter 2026 semester. |
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Jean Pierre Ndayisenga
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PhD in Nursing, Emphasis in Health Promotion (University of Western Ontario) MScN, in Nursing, (University of Western Ontario) BScN (University of Rwanda) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Dionne Gesink
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Interests: Addressing Sexual Health Challenges and Disparities Among Rwandan Adolescents and Young Adults Through Equity-Oriented Care Lens My research program focuses on Global Health, with an emphasis on the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHRs) for vulnerable populations. I joined Prof. Dionne Gesink’s research team at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, in September 2023 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, co-leading our ongoing research project on “Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention for Sexual Minority Men in Suburban Cities”. Prior to joining Prof. Dionne Gesink, I earned my Ph.D. (2019-2023) in Nursing with an emphasis on Health Promotion from the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, where my doctoral research focused on the culturally rooted meanings and consequences of unintended adolescent pregnancy in Rwanda. My commitment to addressing sexual health disparities and promoting social justice is evident in my other global health research projects, including a critical ethnography study on unintended adolescent pregnancies in Rwanda and a phenomenological study that explored the lived experiences of young women who have had unsafe abortions in rural Rwanda. The results of these research projects led to changes by providing crucial insight to Rwandan society, especially policymakers and stakeholders, regarding the cultural nuances and repercussions of unintended adolescent pregnancy. Being awarded the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, will help me to address sexual health disparities through an equity-oriented care lens by conducting an exploratory sequential mixed methods study to explore how Rwandan adolescents and young adults living in rural areas navigate their sexual lives and utilize sexual health care services, including HIV and STI prevention, pregnancy prevention, diagnostics, testing, and treatment, to inform stakeholders, policy, programs and practice in this area. After completing the Provost Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, my professional goal is to advance as a leading researcher and faculty member within a university or college, where I can continue to develop innovative and equity-oriented global health research. I am equally committed to working collaboratively with policymakers and NGOs to translate my findings into evidence-informed programs and policies that address sexual health disparities, strengthen social determinants of health, and promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights of vulnerable populations globally. |
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Bamidele Emmanuel Ola
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Ph.D., Sociology (Hong Kong Baptist University) Candidate of Science/Ph.D., Sociology, Concentration in Economic Sociology and Demography (Higher School of Economics) Master, Population and Development, with Distinction, Magna Cum Laude (Higher School of Economics) M.Sc., Sociology (University of Lagos) B.Sc., Sociology, (University of Ado-Ekiti) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Peter Smith & Erica Di Ruggiero |
Dr. Bamidele Ola is a Provost Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Public Health Sciences at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), University of Toronto, under the supervision of Professor Peter Smith. As a mixed-methods researcher, Dr. Ola’s interdisciplinary work bridges public health, sociology, social demography and development studies. His research focuses on preventing gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) and advancing equity health, and human development across populations. Some of his works have examined timewise changes in societal attitudes, behaviors and responses to GBV across time and space, and explores how changes in factors such as female (dis) empowerment, substance abuse, gender inequality, and institutional preparedness shape violence, influence victims’/survivors’ help-seeking behaviors, their public health, and general wellbeing. Dr. Ola’s work strongly aligns with several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Dr. Ola’s work has appeared in leading journals including Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Family Violence and Violence Against Women, among others. He has also presented his findings at over 25 international conferences and forums and has received more than 20 awards and recognitions both locally and internationally. At DLSPH, Dr. Ola is working with Professor Peter Smith (President and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Work and Health who also doubles as a U of T’s Professor of Epidemiology) to advance evidence-based interventions and policy-relevant research to prevent gender-based violence and promote gender equity, health system responses and public health outcomes among victims and survivors of gender-based violence globally. · Global health and population dynamics · Trends and determinants of gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) · Gender inequality, couples’ power relations, and societal dynamics · Public health systems and state response to family and interpersonal violence · Women’s empowerment and rights-based health policy · Cross-national and comparative violence research across low-, middle-, and high-income countries · Mixed-methods (Quantitative methods including decomposition techniques, survey analysis, trend modeling; Qualitative methods including Ethnography, FGDs, In-depth Interviews, etc.) |
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Jad Sinno
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PhD, Public Health (University of Toronto) MSc, Psychiatry Research (Dalhousie University) BSc(H), Neuroscience and Statistics (Dalhousie University) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Daniel Grace |
Jad is a social epidemiologist and critical mixed methodologist with research interests including the social and cultural determinants of health marginalized communities, virtual socio-sexual spaces, and human-technology interactions. Jad’s academic and professional experiences have been long accompanied by their involvement in community activism. They have held leadership positions in various organizations including, Queer Arabs Halifax, Halifax Pride, and FlyWithMe Animal Rescue. Community-based organizing and 2S/LGBTQ+ Health |
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Sarah Smith
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PhD, Gender Studies (Queen’s University) MA, Political Studies (University of Ottawa) BA, Hons Political Science (Concordia University) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Daniel Grace
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Dr. Sarah Smith (PhD) is a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow in the Centre for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Drawing on critical, qualitative methods, such as institutional ethnography, her work explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, race and mental health. Dr. Smith’s current research examines the experiences of 2S/LGBTQ+ students with postsecondary mental health care services and works closely with students to produce research for actionable change. Working from a variety of perspectives, including gender studies, queer studies, mad studies, and critical disability studies, Dr. Smith is interested in challenging sanism and other forms of stigma in their work, including their doctoral research on the experiences of people who self-harm and their relationship with mental health care systems. Above all, Dr. Smith’s work seeks to take on harmful manifestations of power within mental health care institutions, especially for marginalized people, and lays bare the ways in which mental health care systems can produce conditions of inequality and violence. |
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Yang Xu
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Ph.D., Mining Engineering (The University of British Columbia) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Jude Kong |
Dr. Xu is a postdoctoral research fellow at the AIMMLab, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. With a Ph.D. in Mining Engineering from the University of British Columbia, he brings cross-disciplinary expertise in artificial intelligence, mineral processing, and environmental modeling. Currently working under the supervision of Prof. Jude Kong, Yang is leading research on methane emission modeling in Canada’s Athabasca oil sands region. His work develops multimodal spatiotemporal fusion models that integrate ground-based observations with satellite data, incorporating physics-informed neural networks to create transparent and interpretable AI systems for environmental monitoring. He is also developing hybrid deep learning frameworks for computational epidemiology, applying explainable AI to model pandemic dynamics. His research interests include multimodal data fusion, physics-informed neural networks, explainable AI, environmental modeling, and sustainable mining technologies. Yang is passionate about advancing interdisciplinary collaborations that apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to diverse fields. His professional interests encompass AI-driven solutions across environmental science, mining engineering, public health, and beyond. He is particularly committed to developing interpretable and physics-informed AI methodologies that bridge theoretical innovation with practical applications. Yang values industry-academic partnerships and knowledge translation, aiming to deliver AI tools that address complex real-world challenges in climate monitoring, sustainable resource extraction, epidemic modeling, and other emerging domains. |
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Abbas Yazdinejad
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PhD, Computational Sciences – AI in Cybersecurity MSc, Computer Engineering BSc, Computer Engineering Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Jude Kong
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Dr. Yazdinejad holds a Ph.D. in Computational Sciences from the University of Guelph, ON, Canada, where his research focused on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Cybersecurity for protecting critical infrastructures. His expertise spans autonomous cybersecurity, privacy-preserving and federated learning, blockchain security, industrial IoT, and software-defined networking (SDN). His research has been published in research starts venues and has earned over 5,200 citations (h-index: 39, i10-index: 56, Google Scholar- Sep 2025). He has been recognized among the World’s Top 2% Scientists in the Stanford University/Elsevier Science ranking (2025 update), marking his fourth consecutive year of recognition (2022–2025). Dr. Yazdinejad has also held a postdoctoral position at the Cyber Science Lab and Canada Cyber Foundry at the University of Guelph, where he led projects on AI-driven threat hunting and autonomous cybersecurity. His academic collaborations include work with the Decentralized Science Lab at Kennesaw State University and the Smart Cyber-Physical Systems Lab at the University of Calgary, alongside partnerships with industry. As an educator, Dr. Yazdinejad has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses—particularly in cybersecurity—at institutions including the University of Guelph, McMaster University, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Windsor, and the University of Niagara Falls, Canada. His teaching portfolio covers computer engineering, cybersecurity and privacy, machine learning, and predictive analytics. Beyond academia, he serves as a reviewer for leading journals, contributes as a program committee member and publications chair for conferences in AI and cybersecurity, and holds roles as an AI Scientist with the Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network (AI4PEP) and the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC). |
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Mehreen Zaman
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HBSc (McMaster University) MHI (University of Toronto)
Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Emily Seto |
Dr. Mehreen Zaman’s research focuses on advancing health equity through digital health innovations, particularly in the design, implementation, and evaluation of remote patient monitoring (RPM) programs. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and the Centre for Digital Therapeutics at University Health Network. Her research investigates the use of RPM to improve continuity of care for patients with complex chronic conditions in Canada through the Medly program and explores international applications such as Raabta, a smartphone-based telemonitoring intervention for high-risk pregnant women in Pakistan. Her doctoral training in Health Services Research (University of Toronto), examined care at the end of life and the needs of the aging population, while her Master’s in Health Informatics provided expertise in leveraging information technologies to enhance patient and caregiver experiences. Her work emphasizes patient and caregiver engagement and equity-focused design of digital health tools. |
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Gelan Ayana Zewdie
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PhD (Kumoh National Institute of Technology) MSc (Jimma University) BSc (Jimma University) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Jude Kong
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My research integrates computational, engineering, and health-systems frameworks to advance artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that perform reliably across diverse clinical and public health environments. I focus on understanding how technical conditions such as data sparsity, multimodal inputs, low-resource languages, and limited computational capacity interact with real-world operational contexts, including community reporting practices, clinical workflows, and variable field infrastructures. This combined perspective helps reveal the factors that influence the robustness, scalability, and practical usefulness of AI systems. I investigate how these elements shape the performance of AI-enabled tools for disease surveillance, diagnostic support, and medical image analysis, with an emphasis on developing models designed for consistent reliability in resource-constrained and dynamic settings. A complementary dimension of my work examines the ethical, sociotechnical, and governance considerations of health AI, foregrounding decolonized design principles, regulatory preparedness, and meaningful community participation to ensure trustworthy and context-appropriate adoption. Recognizing that sustainable implementation requires more than algorithmic advancement, I also prioritize workforce development and institutional capacity building research as essential foundations for responsible and durable integration of AI into health systems. Through this integrated approach, I aim to advance AI technologies that are technically rigorous, operationally resilient, ethically grounded, and capable of strengthening health systems and empowering communities at scale. Community-centered innovation and responsible health technologies are central to my professional interests. I am particularly focused on how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance disease surveillance, strengthen clinical decision support systems, and expand access to high-quality care, especially in environments with constrained resources. I view AI as a transformative tool capable of bridging gaps across communities, health facilities, and regions, enabling more timely reporting, improved coordination, and responsive public health action. My goal is to design and deploy AI solutions that are technically robust, contextually grounded, and aligned with the priorities of the communities they serve. My experience across research, public health, and engineering has reinforced the importance of ethical governance, cross-sector collaboration, and sustained community engagement. I am also deeply committed to mentorship and workforce development to build the skills and institutional capacity required for responsible and enduring health AI implementation. Through these combined efforts, I aim to contribute to initiatives that empower communities, strengthen health systems, and generate meaningful and scalable improvements in health. |
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Jenny Ni Zhang
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PhD (Shandong University) MBA (Fordham University / Peking University) BEng (Shandong University) Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor: Peter C. Coyte |
Dr. Jenny Ni Zhang is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the economic evaluation of psychological interventions, with particular attention to cost-effectiveness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes associated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Trained in computer engineering, business management, and health economics, and drawing on extensive industry experience and professional networks, Dr. Zhang applies interdisciplinary and data-driven approaches to the assessment of mental-health interventions and the design of cost-effective care models. Her current work integrates quantitative health economics, implementation research, and digital methodologies to advance evidence-based practice and policy translation for equitable and sustainable mental-health systems in China and Canada. Research Interests: health economics, psychological interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and cross-cultural health policy. Professional Interests: public health leadership, international research collaboration, interdisciplinary coordination, and evidence-based practice and policy translation. |
