Our Leadership Network
Our Structure
The WCHC Hub operates through an interconnected and non-hierarchical leadership network. At the core of the Hub is the Women's Community Leadership Team, which is composed of women and gender diverse people with lived experience of HIV who are integrated in and inform every step of the Hub's operations. The Hub is further composed of the Quad-Leadership Team, made up of a community member, researcher, clinician, and community-based organization (CBO) representative, and the Futures Leadership Team, which directs the training and mentoring of early-career researchers and professionals through the Hub. Operating at a more dedicated, community-level are the 8 sub-hubs (5 regional, 3 population-specific), which each have their own teams and goals.
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Learn more about the leads of each of these groups and their incredible journeys in HIV care and advocacy.
Non-hierarchical hub leadership structure, centering women with lived experience and all of which is guided by Elder Sheila, represented by the leaves branching out and around.
The Hub operates on a co-operative structure involving four major groups: community members, clinicians, researchers, and CBOs.
Meet Our Hub Elder
Elder Sheila Nyman | Sal Uni At Kn
Hub Elder, Knowledge Holder
Sheila carries the name of her four-times great grandmother which was given to her by her great Auntie Doll. She is a Two-Spirit mixed Syilx member of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band in the Okanagan of British Columbia. As a 60s Scoop survivor she has received teachings, initiations and been granted permissions to conduct ceremonies and traditional healing. She has worked alongside her "Elder Many Buffalo Running" since the early 90's conducting Ceremony, Sweat Lodge and has become a respected holder of MoonLodge and Teachings for LifeGivers. Sheila holds space as an Elder in Residence with McMasters Feast Center, CIHR IGH, NWAC program delivery, BCADH and others thereby integrating her Masters Degree in Social Work training.
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QUAD LEADERSHIP TEAM
The Quad Leadership Team is a team of four co-investigors who guide the overarching direction of the WCHC Hub and its activities. The team is made up of a community member, researcher, clinician, and community-based organization (CBO) representative.
Folasade Olaniyan
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Folasade Olaniyan is a dynamic and dedicated professional with extensive experience in Community-Based Research. She is serving on the WCHC Quad Leadership Team as Co-Lead and Community Lead (Women’s College Hospital, ON) and works as a research assistant at Toronto Metropolitan University, ON. Known for her exceptional skills in group facilitation, public speaking, and peer education and mentoring, Folasade consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to excellence and equity. Her ability to navigate complex challenges and deliver outstanding results has earned her a reputation as a reliable and efficient leader. Additionally, she is passionate about advocacy and stigma reduction, making her a well-rounded and inspiring individual.
Melanie Murray
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Melanie Murray is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She is also an infectious disease specialist in HIV care at BC Women’s Oak Tree Clinic, and an Infectious Diseases Specialist and Staff Physician at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver. She earned a Bachelor’s in science, as well as a medical degree and a PhD at the University of Manitoba in Microbiology. She completed an infectious disease fellowship and an internal medicine residency at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include HIV and women, the role of hormones in HIV and aging, viral co-infection, and strategies for the engagement of marginalized populations. In the WCHC Hub, Dr. Murray serves as a co-chair on the Quad Leadership Team, bringing a clinical perspective to the Hub’s major operations, while also co-leading the BC Sub-Hub.
Mona Loutfy
Co-Lead
(she/they)
Dr. Loutfy is a recognized leader in Women's Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and HIV. She is a Professor at the University of Toronto and a Senior Clinician Scientist at Women’s College Hospital, where she founded the Women and HIV Research Program in 2007. Dr. Loutfy was one of the Principal Investigators of the Canadian Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) and she led the development of the original Canadian HIV Pregnancy Planning Guidelines (CHPPGs) with its third update currently in development. With decades of experience in research program administration, she recently secured a CIHR grant to develop the Women-Centred HIV Care (WCHC) Hub, focused on knowledge mobilization, as well as training and mentoring the next generation of researchers and community leaders. Beyond her academic positions, Dr. Loutfy conducts clinics in Toronto and Prince Albert as an Infectious Diseases Specialist, with a dedicated focus on marginalized populations.
Wangari Tharao
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Wangari Tharao is the Director of Research and Programs at Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, as well as a recognized community-based researcher. Her work centres on health and HIV issues relevant to women living in Canada who have migrated from countries with generalized HIV epidemics, especially Africa and the Caribbean. Wangari is also a recognized HIV/health advocate and has co-founded several local, provincial, national and international networks to support the development of effective responses to HIV and AIDS to support ACB women, including The African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO); The Canadian HIV/AIDS African, Black and Caribbean (CHABAC) Network; and the African and Black Diaspora Global Network on HIV and AIDS (ABDGN). From 2018-2020, Wangari served as one of the two North American representatives on the NGO Delegation of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB). Alongside her work with the WCHC Hub, Wangari is currently serving as a member of the Black Expert Working Group whose aim is to provide advice to the Canadian National HIV/AIDS Surveillance System on the collection of comprehensive race-disaggregated data and rebuilding of trust.
Women's Community Leadership Team
The Women's Community Leadership Team is made up of women and gender diverse people who have lived experience with HIV. In the spirit of "nothing about us, without us," community members are at the heart of all WCHC Hub operations.
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Shelly Tognazzini
Co-Chair
(she/her)
Shelly brings 16 years lived and 12 years of employed experience within the HIV community and research sectors to the table. The heart of Shelly’s passion is working amongst a team of people exemplary of community-based research values, principles and equity. She contributes to the Women-Centered HIV Care (WCHC) on multiple sub-committees, including the Trans and Gender Diverse and BC Sub-Hubs, as well as the Futures Leadership Team. Working amongst an amazing team of community members, researchers and allies across the country, Shelly has been an active contributor, bringing her voice and lived experience with curiosity, leadership and passion. Shelly also contributes to women’s research as a Community Research Associate with the British Columbia CARMA CHIWOS Study (BCC3), a 5-year, women-centred, community and clinic-based research project bringing together women living with HIV, researchers, clinicians, and community partners in British Columbia.
Claudette Cardinal | Wâpakwaniy - Flower
Co-Chair
(she/her)
Claudette Cardinal, a Cree Indigenous woman brings thirty years of Living Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and works at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS as an Indigenous Peer Research Associate with multiple community-based research projects. She's dedicated to community-based research, particularly arts-based and with Indigenous Peoples Living with HIV/AIDS, and is passionate about the relationships between community and researchers. Graduating from UBC's Indigenous Health and Administrative Leadership Program, Claudette continues to champion equity, bringing cultural teachings into her work since 2011.
Esther Namalwa
Esther Namalwa is a dedicated Research and Leadership Coordinator with a fervent focus on the intersection of women and HIV. Her key areas of interest include sexual and reproductive health, stigma, disclosure, and access to comprehensive support. Esther actively engages in initiatives designed to educate, advocate for, support, and empower women living with HIV. Her main commitment lies in championing reproductive rights for people living with HIV, which has driven her to launch social media platforms that facilitate informed decision-making regarding family planning within affected communities. The aim is to engage communities in making informed decisions regarding their choices to become parents.
Coordinator
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Muluba Habanyama
Co-Chair
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Muluba is an award-winning storyteller. She specializes in public and community relations, equity and inclusion, and community-based research.
Futures Leadership Team
The Futures Leadership Team leads the training and mentoring of the next generation of researchers and advocates for women-centred HIV care and community-based research.
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V. Logan Kennedy
Co-Lead
(she/her)
V. Logan Kennedy is a Registered Nurse and PhD Candidate in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western Ontario. She has worked at the Women HIV and Health Research Program since 2011, where she is currently a Research Lead. In this role, Logan has strengthened her commitment to serving women and girls through research aimed at sexual and reproductive health promotion and HIV prevention. Logan’s intersectional feminist approach to research is informed by her clinical work as a nurse. These experiences have highlighted how systemic and structural injustices translate into obstacles for women and girls, particularly in the area of sexual heath, rights, and justice.
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Elizabeth Marie King
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Elizabeth King is an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and an Infectious Diseases specialist at the Oak Tree Clinic, a centre for women and children living with HIV in Vancouver, BC. She is the co-lead of the Futures Leadership team of the Women-Centred HIV Care hub and member of the BC sub-hub. Dr. King is passionate about the care for women living with HIV across the life course and dedicates her clinical and research work to understand and diminish health inequities experienced by women living with HIV.
Asha Ulusow
Asha Ulusow is a passionate advocate dedicated to fostering PHA (Persons with HIV/AIDS) engagement in research and programming, especially among Black, Indigenous, and people of colour living with HIV in Canada. Fearlessly addressing taboo topics like mental health and harm reduction, Asha works as the Client and Peer Engagement Coordinator at Casey House, empowering individuals and fostering community connections. Additionally, she serves as a Community Research and Leadership Coordinator at Women's College Hospital where she guides various research projects ensuring community needs are at the forefront.
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Co-Lead
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Sub-Hub Leadership
The WCHC Hub is composed of 8 different sub-hubs, 5 regional and 3 population-specific, with one more on the way! These sub-hubs allow for a more dedicated space to focus on the issues that are most pertinent to that region or population and allow the WCHC Hub to maintain its national reach.
Mona Loutfy
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Loutfy is a recognized leader in Women's Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and HIV. She is a Professor at the University of Toronto and a Senior Clinician Scientist at Women’s College Hospital, where she founded the Women and HIV Research Program in 2007. Dr. Loutfy was one of the Principal Investigators of the Canadian Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) and she led the development of the original Canadian HIV Pregnancy Planning Guidelines (CHPPGs) with its third update currently in development. With decades of experience in research program administration, she recently secured a CIHR grant to develop the Women-Centred HIV Care (WCHC) Hub, focused on knowledge mobilization, as well as training and mentoring the next generation of researchers and community leaders. Beyond her academic positions, Dr. Loutfy conducts clinics in Toronto and Prince Albert as an Infectious Diseases Specialist, with a dedicated focus on marginalized populations.
V. Logan Kennedy
Co-Lead
(she/her)
V Logan Kennedy is a Registered Nurse and PhD Candidate in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western Ontario. She has worked at the Women HIV and Health Research Program since 2011, where she is currently a Research Lead. In this role, Logan has strengthened her commitment to serving women and girls through research aimed at sexual and reproductive health promotion and HIV prevention. Logan’s intersectional feminist approach to research is informed by her clinical work as a nurse. These experiences have highlighted how systemic and structural injustices translate into obstacles for women and girls, particularly in the area of sexual heath, rights, and justice.
Zulma Rueda
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Zulma Rueda is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Sexually Transmitted Infection- Resistance and Control at the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba. Zulma studied medicine and did her PhD in Epidemiology at Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia. She worked at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana until she moved to Canada, studying tuberculosis in Colombian prisons, the etiology and diagnostics of pneumonia in children and adults that required hospitalization, and HIV and tuberculosis among people experiencing houselessness. Currently, she leads the Exposome Lab and the AllTogether4IDEAS team based in Winnipeg. Her main research is focused on HIV, sexually transmitted infections, pneumonia and tuberculosis with a syndemic and intersectional lens rooted in community-based research. She loves epidemiology and strongly believes in “Research into Action: Sharing Evidence for Policy- and Decision-making”.
Julianne Sanguins
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Julianne Sanguins is a Registered Nurse and holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of Calgary. She is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Adjunct Scientist with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, and a sectional instructor for Athabasca University. Julianne has worked with Indigenous peoples throughout most of her career through research interests in Population Health, Equity-denied health issues, Indigenous Peoples’ Health, Aging, Rural Health, Community Health, Nursing, & Community Based Participatory Research.
Margaret Haworth-Brockman
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Margaret Haworth-Brockman, MSc is the Senior Program Manager at the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) and has more than 25 years of experience in population health, public health, and health services research and policy development. Prior to joining the NCCID in 2013, Margaret was Executive Director at Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence for 13 years. There, she led a comprehensive program of new research, policy advice and knowledge translation on issues important to women in the prairies, particularly with First Nations, Métis and Inuit women and organizations. She consulted for the Pan-American Health Organization to lead projects on gender and health indicators, including developing a proposal for core gender and equality health indicators related to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a current project supporting three Caribbean countries to develop gender and health profiles. Margaret has published over 50 manuscripts, reports and book chapters, and has supervised more than 45 graduate and undergraduate students in her career. She has nil appointment to the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Winnipeg.
Lauren J. Mackenzie
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Lauren J. MacKenzie is an adult infectious diseases physician, an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, Associate Director of the Manitoba HIV Program, and an HIV clinician. She holds a Master in Public Health, completed an HIV fellowship at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and is finishing a Ph.D. in Community Health Sciences. She served as the co-creator of the MB HIV Program Report 2018-2021, and co-led the advocacy to share the results in a meaningful and non-stigmatizing way, focusing on the roots of the disproportionate findings that affect some priority groups such as Indigenous Peoples, people who inject drugs, females and people who are experiencing houselessness.I n her role as an Associate Director of the Manitoba HIV Program and as a clinician scientist, Dr. MacKenzie has been working with Drs. Zulma Rueda and Yoav Keynan’s team to understand the epidemiology of HIV in Manitoba.
Kelly Thiessen
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Kellie Thiessen is a midwife Clinician Scientist who has an extensive clinical background in maternal/child health. She is a registered midwife and a registered nurse, and is currently the Director of Midwifery at the University of British Columbia. She is also a Research Scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and the Women’s Health Research Institute at BC Women’s Hospital. She has worked as a midwife in the United States, Brazilian, and Canadian health care systems and is committed to developing innovative collaborative models of midwifery practice that will increase choices for persons and their families, as well as provide comprehensive maternity care. Her more recent work involves clinical practice and patient-engaged research with pregnant persons who use substances and have complex care needs.
Brittany Read
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Lauren J. MacKenzie is an adult infectious diseases physician, an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, Associate Director of the Manitoba HIV Program, and an HIV clinician. She holds a Master in Public Health, completed an HIV fellowship at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and is finishing a Ph.D. in Community Health Sciences. She served as the co-creator of the MB HIV Program Report 2018-2021, and co-led the advocacy to share the results in a meaningful and non-stigmatizing way, focusing on the roots of the disproportionate findings that affect some priority groups such as Indigenous Peoples, people who inject drugs, females and people who are experiencing houselessness.I n her role as an Associate Director of the Manitoba HIV Program and as a clinician scientist, Dr. MacKenzie has been working with Drs. Zulma Rueda and Yoav Keynan’s team to understand the epidemiology of HIV in Manitoba.
JoLee Sasakamoose
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. JoLee Sasakamoose is a member of M’Chigeeng First Nation and an active citizen of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. Holding the position of Professor and Chair in Educational Psychology and Counselling at the University of Regina, she is at the forefront of Indigenous wellness, education, and research initiatives. Dr. Sasakamoose oversees the Indigenous Wellness Research Community Network and directs the Natawihowikamik Healing Lodge and Wellness Clinic. Her current endeavors include establishing the Indigenous Health Innovation Hub and leading the Roots to Wellness Research Collaborative, which focuses on nurturing healing and resilience within Indigenous families. Most recently, Dr. Sasakamoose was awarded a 2024 CIHR Applied Public Health Chair for five years for her work.
Mamata Pandey
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Mamata Pandey is a dedicated Research Scientist at the Saskatchewan Health Authority and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Regina, bringing a wealth of expertise and over a decade of experience in health equity. Dr. Pandey's career is characterized by impressive research strides in a variety of fields, including immigrant and refugee health, maternal health, healthcare access, experimental and applied psychology, as well as in developing evidence-based, evaluative measures for health programs. In the WCHC Hub, Mamata brings her expertise to the Saskatchewan Sub-Hub, supporting women and gender diverse people living in Saskatchewan in achieving better health outcomes and cultivating a sense of community in her local area of expertise.
Folasade Olaniyan
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Folasade Olaniyan is a dynamic and dedicated professional with extensive experience in Community-Based Research. She is serving on the WCHC Quad Leadership Team as Co-Lead and Community Lead (Women’s College Hospital, ON) and works as a research assistant at Toronto Metropolitan University, ON. Known for her exceptional skills in group facilitation, public speaking, and peer education and mentoring, Folasade consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to excellence and equity. Her ability to navigate complex challenges and deliver outstanding results has earned her a reputation as a reliable and efficient leader. Additionally, she is passionate about advocacy and stigma reduction, making her a well-rounded and inspiring individual.
Alberta
Catherine Broomfield
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Catherine Broomfield is the Executive Director of HIV Edmonton, a non-profit organization supporting 40 years of dedicated efforts supporting individuals living with HIV/AIDS and promoting awareness and prevention within the community. She has been advocating for increased and intentional peer-led leadership to guide HIV Edmonton’s accountability to the community. Emphasizing better mental health supports and highlighting the ongoing issues of stigma and discrimination, Catherine’s efforts have also been instrumental in securing funding for various projects aimed at improving access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, particularly for marginalized groups, including from Health Canada to support the Canadian HIV/AIDS Black, African and Caribbean Network’s (CHABAC) SRH campaign, which focuses on reducing barriers to HIV care for underserved African, Caribbean, Black communities. Her work reflects a strong commitment to health equity, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has access to safe and stigma-free health services.
Elizabeth Marie King
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Elizabeth King is an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and an Infectious Diseases specialist at the Oak Tree Clinic, a centre for women and children living with HIV in Vancouver, BC. She is the co-lead of the Futures Leadership team of the Women-Centred HIV Care hub and member of the BC sub-hub. Dr. King is passionate about the care for women living with HIV across the life course and dedicates her clinical and research work to understand and diminish health inequities experienced by women living with HIV.
Melanie Murray
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Melanie Murray is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She is also an infectious disease specialist in HIV care at BC Women’s Oak Tree Clinic, and an Infectious Diseases Specialist and Staff Physician at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver. She earned a Bachelor’s in science, as well as a medical degree and a PhD at the University of Manitoba in Microbiology. She completed an infectious disease fellowship and an internal medicine residency at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include HIV and women, the role of hormones in HIV and aging, viral co-infection, and strategies for the engagement of marginalized populations. In the WCHC Hub, Dr. Murray serves as a co-chair on the Quad Leadership Team, bringing a clinical perspective to the Hub’s major operations, while also co-leading the BC Sub-Hub.
Hélène Côté
Dr. Hélène Côté, a Professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia, has garnered acclaim for her research, including receiving the Michael Smith Research Foundation Scholar Award and a CIHR New Investigator award. Her expertise ranges from antiretroviral drug toxicity to healthy aging in women living with HIV and their children, demonstrated through her leadership in initiatives like the CARMA cohort and the British Columbia CARMA-CHIWOS Collaboration (BCC3).
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Co-Lead
Asya Gunduz
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Asya Gunduz is a community incubator, trans activist and researcher who has an M.A in Gender Studies at the University of Gothenburg. Currently working as policy lead on trans and gender diverse HIV prevention at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, she has had more than 6 years of experience in front-line and administerial roles at sexual health clinics, peer-to-peer navigation programs and NGOs in Turkey, Sweden and Canada. She is one of the initiators of LubunTO, a recently fledging community for LGBTI+ people from Turkey living in Toronto. She is co-chair of Trans Women and Gender Diverse People HIV/STBBI Research Initiative (TWIRI) as well as co-Vice chair at the Board of Maggie's Toronto, sex worker justice organization. Her intersectional endeavors are rooted in anti-colonialism, refugee advocacy and GIPA/MEPA.
Ashley Lacombe-Duncan
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Ashley Lacombe-Duncan is Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan and Adjunct Scientist at Women’s College Hospital, where she co-leads the Trans Women and Gender Diverse People HIV/STBBI and Health Research Initiative. Her research focuses on healthcare access and health equity, with a particular focus on healthcare access for people who experience multiple forms of intersecting oppressions. Specifically, her community-based interdisciplinary research agenda advances two overarching areas: (1) Sexual and reproductive healthcare access among LGBTQ+ people and women living with HIV, with a substantive focus on trans women living with HIV; and, (2) Social ecological, intersectionality and multi-level stigma theoretical approaches applied to understand and address LGBTQ+ and women living with HIV’s health in local and global contexts. Ultimately, Ashley seems to inform interventions to remove multi-level barriers and increase access to intersectionally-affirming healthcare.
Notisha Massaquoi
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. Notisha Massaquoi is a distinguished advocate with over three decades of work advancing women's healthcare in Canada. As an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, Dr. Massaquoi founded the Black Health Equity Lab through which she facilitates the development of advocacy tools, strategies, and programs aimed at enhancing health outcomes, well-being, and success within Canadian systems for Black communities. Her academic journey, including a PhD in Social Justice Education, is complemented by leadership roles in various health service organizations, notably for two decades as the Executive Director of Women's Health in Women's Hands Community Health Centre. Globally consulted by the United Nations Social Development Forum on racism's impact on workforces, Dr. Massaquoi is esteemed as one of Canada's foremost experts in building equity-responsive organizations.
Fanta Ongoiba
Fanta Ongoiba is an advocate for HIV awareness and action across Ontario particularly for Black people and newcomers from Africa and the Carribean. Fanta carries with her an impressive portfolio of work with and for women living with HIV, approaching issues from a dedicated and community-based perspective. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Africans in Partnership Against AIDS (APAA). Fanta is also a community health promotor at the Centre francophone of Toronto and is a member of the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS (OACHA). In the WCHC Hub, she serves as a co-lead of the African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) Women Sub-Hub, continuing to provide her wisdom and expertise inspiring change through the Hub network.
Co-Lead
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Wangari Tharao
Wangari Tharao is the Director of Research and Programs at Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, as well as a recognized community-based researcher. Her work centres on health and HIV issues relevant to women living in Canada who have migrated from countries with generalized HIV epidemics, mainly Africa and the Caribbean. Wangari is also a recognized HIV/health advocate and has co-founded several local, provincial, national and international networks to support the development of effective responses to HIV and AIDS for Black populations, including The African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO); The Canadian HIV/AIDS African, Black and Caribbean (CHABAC) Network; and the African and Black Diaspora Global Network on HIV and AIDS (ABDGN). From 2018-2020, Wangari served as one of the two North American representatives on the NGO Delegation of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB). Alongside her work with the WCHC Hub, Wangari is currently serving as a member of the Black Expert Working Group whose aim is to provide advice to the Canadian National HIV/AIDS Surveillance System (HASS) on the collection of comprehensive race-disaggregated data and rebuilding of community trust.
(she/her)
Co-Lead
Elder Sheila Nyman
Co-Lead
(she/they)
Sheila carries the name of her four-times great grandmother which was given to her by her great Auntie Doll. She is a Two-Spirit mixed Syilx member of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band in the Okanagan of British Columbia. As a 60s Scoop survivor she has received teachings, initiations and been granted permissions to conduct ceremonies and traditional healing. She has worked alongside her "Elder Many Buffalo Running" since the early 90's conducting Ceremony, Sweat Lodge and has become a respected holder of MoonLodge and Teachings for LifeGivers. Sheila holds space as an Elder in Residence with McMasters Feast Center, CIHR IGH, NWAC program delivery, BCADH and others thereby integrating her Masters Degree in Social Work training.
JoLee Sasakamoose
Co-Lead
(she/her)
Dr. JoLee Sasakamoose is a member of M’Chigeeng First Nation and an active citizen of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. Holding the position of Professor and Chair in Educational Psychology and Counselling at the University of Regina, she is at the forefront of Indigenous wellness, education, and research initiatives. Dr. Sasakamoose oversees the Indigenous Wellness Research Community Network and directs the Natawihowikamik Healing Lodge and Wellness Clinic. Her current endeavors include establishing the Indigenous Health Innovation Hub and leading the Roots to Wellness Research Collaborative, which focuses on nurturing healing and resilience within Indigenous families. Most recently, Dr. Sasakamoose was awarded a 2024 CIHR Applied Public Health Chair for five years for her work.