Before joining the team as a Research Coordinator, Cassandra (she/her) received a BSc Microbiology (Honours) from the University of Victoria and an MSc Epidemiology from McGill University. Her MSc work involved assessing the efficacy of a carrageenan-based gel against human papillomavirus (HPV). Other projects following graduation involved several knowledge syntheses, including reviews on the association between HPV and cervical cancer prognosis and the ethical and legal implications of gender-neutral HPV vaccination. Cassandra’s primary research interests lie in infectious and vaccine-preventable diseases, with a particular focus on vaccines and vaccine uptake. Currently, she is involved in projects related to assessing risk of bias in vaccine effectiveness studies, promoting vaccination among older adults, and to exploring and better understanding healthcare workers’ experiences with vaccines.

Nawal Maredia is a clinical researcher and healthcare professional with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Health Policy and Management. She has three years of experience in clinical research, during which she has contributed to studies on evaluating effective treatments for malaria, assessing the impact of the rotavirus vaccine, and contributing to an adaptive platform trial to identify treatments for COVID-19. Her primary research interest lies in infectious diseases, and she is particularly passionate about exploring solutions to global health challenges. Currently, she works as a Research Coordinator, mainly involved in projects related to vaccine uptake and healthcare providers' knowledge and practices towards vaccinations for older adults.

Sarah Pascale (she/her) is deeply committed to public health and epidemiology, holding a Master of Science in Public Health, where she focused on evaluating the nutritional status of infants born to HIV-infected mothers. At the Bruyère Research Institute, she has worked on various research projects, including the development of the Born Fyne prenatal management system, a digital health initiative designed to enhance maternal and child health outcomes. She is dedicated to research epidemiology by addressing the challenges posed by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and the disproportionate burden these diseases place on diverse populations. Through her work, Sarah strives to contribute to public health preparedness and equity, ensuring that advancements in prevention and treatment benefit those who need them most. She is currently working on Antimicrobial Resistance related projects which involves enhancing antibiotic stewardship program in LMICs through implementation research and interventions.

Angela (she/her) is a second-year medical student at the University of Ottawa. She completed her Bachelor of Health Sciences with a specialization in Global and Population Health at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. During her undergraduate degree, she was involved in public health research involving disability, mental health, and bullying, specifically in the adolescent population. Her current research interests focus on communicable diseases including population-based preventive medicine and outbreak management. She hopes to integrate research and clinical medicine in a public health setting to contribute to the health of Canadians at a population level. At the Sulis Lab, Angela is assisting with a scoping review addressing risk-of-bias concepts in vaccine effectiveness studies. In her free time, Angela enjoys travelling, playing badminton, and spending time outdoors.

Zahra is a second-year MSc candidate in Epidemiology. She holds a BSc in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University, where she completed an honours thesis on the effects of Greek yogurt supplementation and resistance training on biomarkers of inflammation. Currently, she is working with Drs. Brouwers and Sulis on RoB-VE, a CIHR-funded project aimed at developing a risk-of-bias tool for vaccine effectiveness studies. As part of this work, she has contributed to two scoping reviews, gaining insight into existing risk-of-bias tools and concepts in this field. Additionally, she has designed and launched a pilot survey to gather expert opinions on this topic.

Yashi is currently pursuing an MSc in Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa. She holds a BSc. Honours in Biology with a Life Sciences Specialization from the University of Prince Edward Island. She previously served as a Team Lead at the Chief Public Health Office (CPHO) of Prince Edward Island where she assisted in coordinating and managing point-of-care COVID-19 testing while liaising with Health PEI and CPHO. Her most recent work in the biotechnology industry has focused on advancing and streamlining pharmacokinetic assays and establishing robust cell-based assays for clinical trials of various biosimilars. This work spans multiple key areas including assay development, validation, sample testing, and troubleshooting. Her master’s research focuses on assessing family doctors’ perspectives toward respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcal vaccination among older adults in Ontario.

Aaya is currently an Honours student in her fourth year of the Translational and Molecular Medicine program at the University of Ottawa in the French Immersion stream. Her research project focuses on identifying barriers and facilitators for antimicrobial stewardship in Nigeria’s private healthcare sector. Aaya has also conducted a systematic review and policy research on evaluating social prescribing interventions for caregivers of older adults. Beyond research, Aaya is deeply engaged in science communication, serving as President of the University of Ottawa Global Health Journal and a research assistant in creating bilingual Open Educational Resources (OERs) for upper-year bioscience courses at uOttawa. Her broader academic interests lie in health equity and evidence-based policy, with a particular focus on strengthening healthcare systems through interdisciplinary collaboration.