The Dalla Lana School of Public Health is pleased to present the 15th Annual Student-Led Conference, What’s Next for Public Health?: Looking to the Future. This multi-day in-person event will be held from November 17 to 19, 2022.
COVID-19 has changed the face of public health. As our world progresses through the pandemic and its inevitable consequences, we are likely to face a future of public health that is much different from the one we once knew. As public health professionals, we must work together to navigate changed principles and our new and developing roles.
Perceptions of public health have expanded in the mainstream to constitute more than simply lifestyle paradigms and the avoidance of preventable diseases. The pandemic has brought to light the multifaceted nature of health, shifting to a greater focus on the social, political, economic, environmental, and geographic determinants of health and their intersecting nature.
The world is now, more than ever, aware of the importance of public health. Thus, this year’s SLC conference theme begs the question, “what’s next for public health?”. This includes considering the aftermath of COVID-19, knowledge translation, new and upcoming methods, and the impacts of the ever changing environment on public health practice
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the land on which the University of Toronto operates has been the home of Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial including the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. This territory is the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
The City of Toronto is the subject of the Toronto Purchase (Treaty 13) and the Gunshot Treaty of 1792 which was later negotiated into the Williams Treaty in 1923. These are important nation-to-nation agreements that detail the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples to live upon their lands and of the responsibilities of the Canadian government and all of us residing here as Treaty peoples. Many treaty promises were negotiated under coercive or deceptive means and their obligations have not been upheld by the Canadian governments and many Canadian government policies have actively harmed Indigenous peoples.
Today, Toronto is home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island. As public health students, we are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on this land and committed to learning about what it means for us to be Treaty peoples and covered under the agreements of these territories. We express our solidarity and allyship with Indigenous Peoples here and across Turtle Island as we continue to work to rectify past and ongoing injustices and work to build right and lasting relations with Indigenous Peoples and with the land itself.
We would like to invite and encourage everyone, whether you are attending Moving Beyond Repair virtually from Toronto or wherever you may be, to take some time to situate yourself and learn more about the land you are on and the Indigenous Peoples of whose territory it is. This is particularly important because in many cases, there are still many places in what is currently called Canada where territories remain unceded, which means they are not covered by treaty.
To learn more about Indigenous nations, languages, and treaties where you live, please visit: https://native-land.ca/ and/or https://www.whose.land/
Meet the Team: Student Executive Committee Co-Leads, 15th Annual DLSPH Student-Led Conference
Amrit Tiwana, Finance Co-Lead
“I am a first year Master of Public Health student specializing in Epidemiology. My research interests include GIS/disease mapping; sexual and reproductive health; and plastic pollution. I am very excited to serve on the committee as the Finance Co-Chair and work with community sponsors to help execute this year’s conference!”
Annelise Perron, Internal Co-Lead
“I am a second year Master of Public Health student in Indigenous Health with a Collaborative Specialization in Global Health. I am passionate about how notions of community, relationships, and structural factors are intertwined with the health of a population, and the importance of cultural safety and humility being put at the forefront of all public health interventions. As the Internal Lead for this year’s conference, I am enthused by the opportunity to work towards making this year’s conference a memorable experience for all of our attendees alongside an exceptional team of dedicated students!”
Arina Laura Bogdan, Evaluation Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health: Social and Behavioural Sciences (Health Promotion) graduate, with a specialization in addiction studies. I am interested in mental health, harm reduction, health equity, planetary health, knowledge translation, and clinical/hospital policy. I am excited to serve as an Evaluation Co-Lead on the committee and to support the delivery of this year’s conference!”
Atiya Iqbal, Logistics Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion). My research interests include youth homelessness, queer + trans health, newcomer health, and gender-based violence. As one of the Logistics Co-Leads, I’m excited to work alongside Danica and Hannah to execute an organized event.”
Danica Fitzsimmons, Logistics Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion). My research interests include rural health and men’s health promotion, while I am currently doing research on key reproductive justice laws and policy issues concerning child welfare, pay equity, reproductive services, and parental rights in queer relationships in Alberta and Manitoba. As one of the Logistics Co-Leads, I’m excited to work with passionate humans that will shine different lights on pressing public health issues.”
Esther Kim, Research and Practice Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Indigenous Health, with a collaborative specialization in Environment & Health. My research interests include applying ecological frameworks of health for health equity, and increasing accessibility to culturally safe care. Outside of school, I enjoy reading and going on hikes! This year, I’m excited to co-chair the Research & Practice team with Melina and Joanna, and look forward to learning about all the research happening at DLSPH!”
Hannah Gray, Logistics Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health Student specializing in Indigenous Health. My interests include health sovereignty, as well as equitable access to health care for all Canadians. Indigenous knowledge and collaboration is an important part of health equity and needs to be represented in all health public policy. As the Logistics Co-Lead I am excited to support the conference experience and helping the conference run as smooth as possible!”
Joanna Dos Santos, Research and Practice Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health Student specializing in Epidemiology. I am interested in mental health, addictions, and the SDOH. My undergraduate thesis was on the relationship between food insecurity and self-perceived mental health and it flourished my love for research. As the Co-Chair for research and practice, I am most excited to see the unique and interesting research projects everyone is working on and to meet other people at DLSPH!”
Joonsoo Sean Lyeo, Communications Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Epidemiology. My research interests are in environmental epidemiology, specifically looking at how human health is impacted by the availability of transportation and the way we design our cities. I’m very proud of the work everyone on this team has put into making this conference happen. I hope everyone who attends is able to gain something from the experience!”
Katie Fajber, Evaluation Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion). My interests include human rights, substance use and harm reduction, and community-based research. I’m thrilled to be supporting the evaluation of this year’s conference and look forward to new connections and interesting discussions!”
Martine Steiner, Finance Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Indigenous Health. My interests include physical activity and health, women’s health, health equity and community engagement for health promotion. As a Finance Co-Lead, I am excited to engage with our local community to support this year’s conference.”
Melina Albanese, Research and Practice Co-Lead
“I am a second year PhD student in the Epidemiology specialization at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. My interests include understanding the impact of chronic conditions, including migraine, on quality of life and health outcomes. My thesis work examines the impact of maternal migraine and comorbidities on maternal and perinatal outcomes, as well as the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to mothers with migraine. I am excited to be Research & Practice Chair at this year’s conference!”
Mu Yang, Content Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Science student specializing in Biostatistics. My current research
interest are in the area of cognitive aging and neurodegenerative conditions
(Alzheimer’s Disease for example), and my future thesis work will focus on
developing predictable individual cognition and mood co-trajectories. As a content
Co-chair, I am excited to see participants bringing their unique perspective to current
public health issues and ready to be inspired by everybody who will be a part of the
conference.”
Nitya Kuruvila, Workshop Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences. My research interests are in environmental health, specifically looking at health inequities in disadvantaged communities. As a Workshop Co-Lead, I’m looking forward to developing an engaging and interactive experience at this year’s conference!”
Sabrina Chiodo, Content Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology student, and a Research Analyst at the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Center. My research work includes analyzing mortality and morbidity trends, to report significant geographic, socioeconomic, sex, and genetic differences in death and disease within populations. I am very excited to work alongside my content co-chairs in creating a unique and memorable theme for the first hybrid SLC!”
Savannah Torres-Salbach, Workshop Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion) stream and the Public Health Policy Collaborative Specialization program. My research interests include health inequity, healthy public policy, intersectionality, and knowledge translation, with a focus on youth and underserved communities in Canada.”
Sadiya Baiyat, Communications Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion). My interests lie at the intersection of disease prevention, health equity, and healthy public policy with a focus on improving access to health care among socially disadvantaged communities.”
Subrana Rahman, Workshop Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion). I have interests in health inequities and building community resilience in low-income and marginalized communities. As one of the Workshop Co-Chairs, I’m excited for participants to gain hands-on experience and interact with experts in the field!”
Xin Ang (Leo) Zhou, Communications Co-Lead
“Hi, my name is Leo and I am a Master of Public Health student specializing in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (Health Promotion)! I have a strong interest for the intersection between overall healthcare structure and policies and their impact on minority populations/immigrants. I’m very excited to serve on the committee as communication co-lead. I hope to improve the overall awareness and experience of this year’s conference!”
Zahra Hasan, Evaluation Co-Lead
“I am a Master of Health Science in Bioethics student with specific interests in mental health, chronic pain, and cultural safety in psychiatry. My current work focuses on the evaluation of clinical ethics services and educational frameworks to reduce structural stigma in mental health and substance use services. I’m looking forward to fostering a positive conference experience as an Evaluation Co-Chair this year!”
Contact information:
For questions and feedback regarding the Dalla Lana School of Public Health’s Student-Led Conference, please contact: slc.dlsph@utoronto.ca