The Executive Committee is comprised of Western faculty representatives and community organization representatives. The Committee meets four times a year and is responsible for the oversight and governance of the Centre.
Daniel Lizotte
Dr. Dan Lizotte is Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western. His research aims to support health decision-making by developing and applying machine learning and statistical tools to new sources of data including electronic health records and social media to better support patients and health professionals, particularly in public health and primary health care. His methodological research combines machine learning, optimal sequential decision-making, and multiple objective optimization. Dr. Lizotte has been formally teaching AI methods to a diverse set of students for over ten years, and he teaches the Public Health Informatics course for in the Schulich Interfaculty Program in Public Health at Western. He is also a member of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy at Western, and he has a strong interest in intersectionality and other critical social theory and how they should inform the development and deployment of AI tools that support health equity. He is currently working with the Alliance for Healthier Communities to develop tools for research and decision support.
Sukhveer (Sukhi) Bains
Dr. Sukhveer (Sukhi) Bains is a highly qualified physician, certified in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Addiction Medicine. She currently serves as the Acting Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID) at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Dr. Bains is renowned for her work in social medicine, health equity, and addiction medicine, with a strong background in medical education and community healthcare enhancement.
In her role as Acting Associate Dean of EDID, Dr. Bains plays a pivotal role in fostering inclusivity, equity, and decolonization within the academic and healthcare community. Her leadership and dedication to these principles are crucial to the institution’s mission of advancing health and addressing pressing societal health needs.
Carl Cadogan
Carl Cadogan has a long history of community involvement and volunteering; he has served on numerous boards, committees, and task forces, including the Premier’s Council on the Voluntary Sector, and the Provincial Work Group on Gaming (that redesigned the Ontario Trillium Foundation). He is currently on a number of local, national and international boards including The Grand Theatre, Aya Afrika Foundation, Thames Talbot Land Trust, Fanshawe Pioneer Village and the London Black Heritage Council.
Carl has held senior and executive roles in the not-for-profit sector and is currently the Senior Regional Manager, Southwestern Ontario for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. He lives in London with his wife Cynthia and in his spare time, loves to travel, and has been to every province and one territory and to thirty US states, and sixteen African countries. He is an avid cyclist, reader, and kite flyer.
https://lfpress.com/opinion/columnists/cadogan-until-black-history-is-acknowledged-included-known-black-history-month-events-will-continue
2023 Mayor’s List Honouree Carl Cadogan: Celebrating Diversity in London, Canada
https://londonblackheritagecouncil.ca/
Shokoufeh Modanloo
Dr. Modanloo is a nurse scientist and Assistant Professor at the Western University, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing. Through her community-based participatory research, she co-creates knowledge with community members and partner organizations to address the professional mandate of health justice by bringing the voices of marginalized people forward to inform programs, practices, and policies in Public Health to advance healthcare delivery. Particularly, her research program is titled “Health Justice Research in Global Context” and builds capacity within the community and brings healthcare, legal and social services together to address migrant women’s and families’ needs in Maternal-Newborn Nursing care and create actions for current and future healthcare initiatives.”
Roula Hawa
Roula Hawa, PhD, MSc, MPH, BEd, OCT, PHEc, is an Assistant Professor in Family Studies and Human Development, School of Behavioural and Social Sciences at Brescia University College at Western University. An Ontario certified teacher by training, Roula brings a unique interdisciplinary lens in education, health sciences, and human ecology, providing her with a strong background in application of social science theories to public health scholarship. Dr. Hawa’s research is community-engaged with a focus on health equity of vulnerable populations, using arts-based and arts-informed inquiry methodologies and critical feminist, anti-colonial frameworks. A mixed-methods researcher, she brings vast experience in community-based participatory research and intervention research and has worked with racialized and immigrant women and youth communities in Canada in the area of HIV prevention, resilience, stigma reduction, gender-based violence, and sexual health. Her research program is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN). Roula also serves as an Associate Editor at Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, Johns Hopkins University Press since 2019.
Pastor Sandie Thomas
Pastor Sandie Thomas is a remarkable figure dedicated to community development and social justice. She serves as the founder and pastor of the Where We Are Now Community Centre, a vibrant hub. Pastor Thomas also holds significant roles on the London Police Service and Middlesex-London Health Unit panels for anti-racism. In addition to her community work, she has co-authored two books and has been featured in two documentary films, one of which received over 21 awards. Her commitment to empowering marginalized communities is evident in her 2020 establishment of the Where We Are Now (WEAN) Community Centre, which strives to promote well-being, spiritual health, and economic prosperity, ensuring equal access for all members of the London community. One notable accomplishment under her guidance is the launch of London’s first Black public library, created in partnership with the London Public Library, which features a diverse collection of books by Black and Indigenous authors, with a strong focus on Canadian contributions.
Sandie’s dedication to community service extends beyond her professional roles, as she views it as a way of life. She draws inspiration from her family’s strong support system and, notably, her grandmother’s legacy, which she aims to carry forward. Her holistic approach to community leadership is guided by a profound belief in nurturing individuals on multiple levels. In her ongoing commitment to growth and support for her community, Sandie is exploring new avenues, such as the upcoming launch of a podcast for the community center. With a deep understanding of London’s rich Black history and a wealth of life experiences, Sandie Thomas seeks to use educational media to highlight the enduring presence of Black communities in Canada. Her ultimate mission across all her endeavors is to foster understanding, love, and unity among all members of the human race, transcending creed and gender, and recognizing the shared spirit that unites us all.
Glorieuse Uwizeye
Dr. Glorieuse Uwizeye is Assistant Professor in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western University, where she leads an interdisciplinary research agenda on the health impacts of socio-political and racial violence. With a PhD from the University of Illinois Chicago and prior degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr. Uwizeye’s work probes the intergenerational effects of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and applies epigenetic, global health, and nursing science lenses to questions of health equity and structural trauma.
As an Executive Committee member at CRHESI, she brings her expertise in trauma-informed and equity-centered research to support the Centre’s mandate to advance inclusive, community-engaged scholarship and evidence-based policy. Her work spans global and Indigenous health, women’s health, and violence, and she is deeply committed to translating rigorous research into transformative change for marginalized and equity-seeking communities.
Berman Family Graduate Award Winner
Tara Lundy
Tara is a Registered Nurse and PhD Student at Western University whose work is rooted in supporting community-based responses to gender-based violence, women’s health, and advancing health equity. She joined CRHESI after receiving the Berman Family Graduate Award and completing a one-year volunteer residency, furthering her commitment to community-driven research. Tara’s clinical experience spans sexual assault and domestic violence care, mental health, substance sue, and community health. Her doctoral research focuses on frontline workers supporting women impacted by intimate partner violence, mental health, and substance use.