Dr. Alex Bigazzi is an Associate Professor and Associate Head (Undergraduate Program) in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), with a joint appointment in the School of Community and Regional Planning. He leads the REACT Lab, focusing on active transportation, micromobility, and sustainable infrastructure design. His research emphasizes the intersection of physics, physiology, and behavior in active travel, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, and addresses emissions reduction and equitable urban mobility. Bigazzi holds a B.M. in Jazz Saxophone from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Portland State University. His career includes academic and practical contributions, such as founding the REACT Lab and leading projects on e-bike incentives, air pollution exposure, and infrastructure design. His work has earned awards like the 2024 Wall Legacy Award for inclusive transport design and the 2023 Climate Action Award. He teaches courses on pedestrian/bicycle facility design and capstone projects, mentoring students through UBC’s Civil Engineering programs.
Adèle Garnier is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography, Université Laval's Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics. She serves as Director of undergraduate geography programs and the certificate in sustainable tourism. Her research focuses on political geography, migration dynamics, and humanitarian governance, particularly examining refugee labor market participation, temporary migration policies, and technological impacts on immigration systems. Education : PhD in Political Science (Macquarie University/Universität Leipzig, 2012), MA in Political Science (Universität Leipzig, 2006), Diploma in Political Science (Paris, 2002) Her research integrates political geography , migration studies , and geographies of inequality , analyzing power structures in migration governance. Recent work explores Canada's digitalization of immigration, multiscalar impacts of refugee policies, and settler-colonial migration frameworks. Current research trends focus on technological governance of migration , refugee resettlement , and marketization of humanitarian services , with interdisciplinary approaches bridging political science and geography. Research Units : Graduate School of International Studies (ESEI), Immigration Research Team (ERIQA), Cultures-Arts-Societies Center (CELAT) Collaborations : Study Group on Ethnic Relations (Flers), Center for Refugee Studies (York University), Peace Research Institute Oslo She supervises graduate students in geography and co-leads multiple funded projects, including Liberating Migrant Labour (2023-2030) and digital migration governance research (2023-2028).
Dr. Anwar Haque is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Western University, Canada, and a Faculty of Science Distinguished Research Professor. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and an M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo. Prior to academia, he was Associate Director at Bell Canada. His research focuses on 5G networks, IoT, cybersecurity, AI, and autonomous systems, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and $15M in collaborative grants. Dr. Haque leads the Western Information & Networking Group (WING) Lab and is the founder/CEO of Bamboo Innovations Inc., a tech startup developing socially responsible smart technologies. Leadership roles include industry expert-in-residence in the Faculty of Science, Undergraduate Chair of the Computer Science Department, and member of Western’s Senate. He has delivered over 30 keynote talks and media features include BBC Earth and The Globe and Mail. Awards include the IEEE CCECE Leadership Award and multiple grants from NSERC, MITACS, and Bell Canada. His work spans network reliability, smart grids, and cybersecurity, with industry partnerships like the Bell-Western 5G Research Centre.
Elmira Hassanzadeh is an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering , Polytechnique Montréal, with a focus on integrated water resource modeling and management under climate and anthropogenic changes. She is affiliated with the Global Institute for Water Security (University of Saskatchewan) and the Experimental and Digital Water Flow Engineering Group (GENIE EAU) . Education: PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Saskatchewan Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University Research interests include climate change impact assessment, socio-hydrological modeling, stakeholder engagement in water management, and sustainable development of water systems in cold regions. Her work emphasizes decision-making under uncertainty and adaptive strategies for ungauged basins. Recent publications (2024–2020) span coastal flood hazard modeling, climate-driven hydrological changes in tropical and Canadian watersheds, evaluation of agricultural practices under warming climates, and integrated approaches to water quality and system dynamics. Keywords include Hydrology , Climate Change , Water Security , and Socio-Hydrology . Supervision: She has mentored 15+ graduate students in projects related to Lake Urmia, Saskatchewan River Basin, and climate adaptation in Africa and the Pacific.
Shauna Brail is Professor and Director at the Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga, with cross-appointments at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. As an economic geographer and urban planner, her research examines urban transformation through economic, social, and technological change, particularly focusing on platform economy impacts, mobility innovation, and governance shifts in 21st-century cities. Education: PhD in Geography (University of Toronto), MA in Urban Planning (University of British Columbia), BA in Urban Studies/Geography (University of Toronto). Leadership Roles: Former Associate Director of Mobility Network, Director of Urban Studies Program, Associate Director of Partnerships & Outreach at School of Cities, and Interim Director of Master of Urban Innovation. Her work appears in top journals across geography, urban planning, and urban studies . Recent publications analyze pandemic impacts on cities, platform economy regulation, public housing finance models, and autonomous vehicle governance. She advises governments and civic organizations on housing, transportation, and digital platform policy while serving on editorial boards for Applied Geography , Progress in Economic Geography , and Canadian Geographies . Academic partnerships include collaborations with researchers like Tara Vinodrai, Ben Donald, and international scholars. Her current projects examine post-pandemic urban recovery, mobility-as-a-service business models, and equitable transportation technology implementation across Canadian cities.
Professor Lisa Strohschein holds dual roles as a Professor in the Sociology Department and Director of Undergraduate Programs at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts. Her research focuses on family dynamics and health inequalities, employing longitudinal methodologies to analyze large datasets. She teaches courses on health sociology, mental illness, and socialization, emphasizing sociological perspectives on health distribution and care systems. Her research interests include the interplay between socioeconomic factors and mental health, gender disparities in marital outcomes, and generational shifts in parenting practices. She has published extensively on topics like teen pregnancy correlates, poverty dynamics, and the mental health implications of family structures. Strohschein has received the 2019-20 Killam Annual Professorship and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Studies in Population, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on demographic research. She also contributes to policy through roles like membership in Statistics Canada's Demographic Statistics Advisory Committee and past presidency of the Canadian Population Society. Her scholarly work bridges theoretical frameworks (life course, stress process theory) with methodological rigor, often using growth curve models and competing risks analysis. Current research trends emphasize cross-national comparisons and applied policy relevance, particularly in understanding how family transitions impact health across the life course.
Kevin Manaugh is an Associate Professor at McGill University, specializing in Urban Planning with a focus on sustainable transportation and spatial justice. His research examines how decision-making processes in urban development balance environmental, economic, and social equity goals, particularly through transport systems. He holds a PhD in Urban Planning from McGill University (2013). His key research interests include integrating social equity into land use policies, analyzing accessibility impacts on socioeconomically diverse populations, and studying behavior change related to sustainable transportation. Current projects explore equitable transit accessibility, responses to local mobility policies, and health/well-being effects of sustainable transport choices. Manaugh has published extensively on transportation equity, urban form analysis, and GIS applications. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical policy implementation, emphasizing participatory approaches to urban planning. Notable contributions include studies on pandemic street reallocation equity and cycling infrastructure prioritization strategies. His research has been supported by interdisciplinary collaborations and applied to Canadian urban contexts. Despite prolific output, Manaugh maintains an active engagement with public discourse on urban mobility challenges and equitable urban futures.
Jino Distasio is a Professor and Acting Dean of Science at The University of Winnipeg, Department of Geography. He teaches Urban Geography, Cultural Geography, and Social Geography, with courses like GEOG-3413 Urban Revitalization and GEOG-3430 Housing and Neighbourhood Planning . His research focuses on housing and neighborhood development, city planning, urban revitalization, homelessness, mental health, and urban transportation. Teaching Areas : Urban Geography, Cultural Geography, Social Geography Key Collaborations : Institute of Urban Studies (U. of Winnipeg), Housing First initiatives, interdisciplinary teams in public health and social policy His recent publications highlight Housing First interventions, urban policy impacts on homelessness, and social determinants of health. Scientific awards and honors were not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Raphaël Fischler is a Full Professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Montreal. He holds dual expertise in urban planning theory, history, and practice, with a focus on North American urban development, land-use regulation, and governance. His academic roles include teaching at McGill University and serving as Dean from 2018–2023, during which he led strategic initiatives like the Quartier de l’Innovation and addressed urban challenges such as housing affordability and metropolitan governance. **Education:** PhD in Urban Planning, UC Berkeley (1993) Master of City Planning, MIT (1987) Master of Science in Architecture, MIT (1987) Bachelor of Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology (1984) **Research Interests:** Fischler’s work explores urban planning’s historical foundations, particularly zoning’s evolution, and integrates reflective practice into pedagogy. He advises on municipal projects and contributes to policy debates on density, public participation, and sustainable urbanism. His research bridges academia and practice, emphasizing ethical planning and community engagement. **Articles Trends:** His recent publications analyze zoning’s historical role, social justice in urban redevelopment, and governance challenges in Montréal. He critiques systemic issues like housing affordability and advocates for equitable urban policies. **Awards & Recognition:** Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners (2020) Émérite Member, Order of Quebec Urban Planners (2014) McGill Principal’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2013) **Grants & Teams:** He collaborates with institutions like the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en études montréalaises (CRIEM) and advises public agencies on metropolitan development. His work spans academic leadership, professional practice, and public advocacy, addressing urban challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. **Labs/Teams:** Affiliated with the CRIEM , focusing on Montréal’s urban history and contemporary planning issues. He mentors students in urban policy and design through studio courses and thesis supervision.
Dr. Daniel Dutton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Medicine, based at the Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick campus in Saint John. His research focuses on how social environments influence health outcomes and the role of government policies in mitigating these impacts, particularly in areas like poverty, homelessness, and health economics. He holds adjunct roles at the University of New Brunswick (Sociology) and is the Scientific Director of APPTA, a hub bridging aging research and policy. He teaches courses in epidemiology, population health, and statistics. Education: PhD in Community Health Sciences (University of Calgary) MA in Economics (University of Calgary) BA Honours in Economics (Queen’s University) Research Interests: Dr. Dutton examines population-level health determinants, government policy effectiveness, and socioeconomic disparities. His work employs large datasets and econometric models to analyze topics such as homelessness incidence, healthcare cost savings through preventive measures, and the distributional impacts of public spending. Key Contributions: Scientific Director of the APPTA aging and technology hub. Co-founder of the IMPART research collaborative. Author of influential studies on Housing First programs, opioid prescribing patterns, and the fiscal benefits of guaranteed annual income policies. Advising & Grants: Supervises multiple MSc students and has collaborated on grants analyzing healthcare utilization in New Brunswick and Alberta. His work often intersects with policy-making, emphasizing actionable insights from quantitative research. Labs & Teams: Leads the Dutton Research Group, which uses mascot Odin the Saint Bernard to foster team cohesion. Active in interdisciplinary collaborations across public health, sociology, and economics.
Stefan Kipfer is a Professor at the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change , York University. He coordinates the Cities, Regions, Planning program and holds a PhD in Political Science from York University. His research focuses on the intersections of spatial organization, social order, and political rule, with particular emphasis on urban politics, racial capitalism, and anti-colonial theory. Education: PhD in Political Science, York University MES in Urban Political Economy and Ecological Politics, York University BA in Political Science and French, York University Kipfer's research spans transnational urban studies, critical theory, and radical political ecology. He explores: Urban social movements in Zurich, Toronto, and Paris State interventions in public housing, transit, and environmental policy The capitalist and racialized dimensions of urbanization Right-wing populism and neo-fascism Connections between Henri Lefebvre, Frantz Fanon, and Antonio Gramsci Recent work analyzes: Urbanization as neocolonial process Anti-racist and decolonial spatial strategies Transit justice and free public services Comparative urban governance Resistances to far-right regimes Articulation theory and political strategy He supervises graduate students in Environmental Studies, Geography, and Political Science, and has contributed to critical urban theory through publications linking Marxist, anti-colonial, and feminist frameworks.
Kora DeBeck is a Distinguished Professor of Substance Use and Drug Policy in the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University, a CIHR Applied Public Health Chair, and Dorothy Killam Fellow. She is also a Research Scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use and Principal Investigator of the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a longitudinal cohort tracking over 1,200 street-involved youth. Her research focuses on substance use policy, health services for marginalized populations, and the structural drivers of drug-related harms. She has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles challenging ineffective drug enforcement models and advocating for policy reforms. Recent publications analyze trends in opioid use, harm reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, drug decriminalization, and youth-focused interventions. Her work consistently addresses social inequities through data-driven approaches to the toxic drug crisis. CIHR Applied Public Health Chair Dorothy Killam Fellow Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar Award Distinguished SFU Professorship She has secured over $50 million in research funding, including $21M as principal investigator for ARYS. Her lab collaborates with healthcare providers, community organizations, and policymakers to translate research into practice.
Professor Alexandra M. Schmidt is a leading academic in Biostatistics at McGill University, holding an endowed University Chair. She specializes in spatial and spatio-temporal modeling, particularly in epidemiology and environmental health. Previously, she served as a Full Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2012–2016). Her research focuses on Bayesian methodologies for analyzing complex processes, including disease spread, environmental hazards, and socio-economic disparities. She has authored influential books such as Spatio-Temporal Methods in Environmental Epidemiology with R (2023) and contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed articles. Key awards include the ISBA Fellowship (2024), ASA Fellowship (2020), and the Abdel El-Shaarawi Award (2008). Education: PhD in Statistics (2001, University of Sheffield, UK), MSc and BSc in Statistics (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Research interests span Bayesian inference, spatial statistics, and environmental epidemiology. She has advised numerous PhD/MSc students and collaborated on projects linking statistical methods to public health challenges, such as modeling dengue outbreaks and air pollution impacts. Active in academic service, she has chaired major conferences (e.g., 2022 ISBA World Meeting) and serves on editorial boards of top journals like Bayesian Analysis and Canadian Journal of Statistics . Teaching includes advanced courses on generalized linear models, spatial epidemiology, and Bayesian analysis. Her work bridges theoretical statistics with practical applications, addressing global health issues through innovative spatio-temporal modeling techniques.
Maher Elshakankiri is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Ain Shams University (Egypt), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Regina. His research focuses on IoT, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), and pedagogical integration of technology and gaming. He has supervised over 100 student projects and authored a book on WSNs. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt M.Eng., B.Eng. in Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Regina, Canada Research Interests: IoT in healthcare, agriculture, and sports Active learning classrooms and technology in education Wireless communication protocols (V2V, UAV, RFID) Leadership & Grants: Director, Bachelor of Information (BI) Program (2024–present) Coordinator, Information Systems and Design (ISD) Concentration (2023) SSHRC Grant: 'Gaming in teaching towards a more inclusive class' (2022–2023) Professional Activities: Member, SCC IoT & Digital Twins Standards Committee Reviewer for journals including Wireless Networks , Telematics and Informatics , and Computational Intelligence Technical Program Committee member at multiple conferences Teaching: Courses include INF1340 (Programming for Data Science), INF1005/1006 (IoT Workshops), and INF452 (Information Design Coding).
Dr. Manisha Kulkarni is a Professor at the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, where she holds the University Research Chair in Climate Change and Emerging Diseases. She is also the Director of the INSIGHT (Interdisciplinary Spatial Informatics for Global Health) research lab and serves as Scientific Director of the Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network (TickNet Canada). Her work spans global public health, with a focus on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. PhD in Medical Entomology, McGill University (2006) BSc in Environmental Biology, McGill University (2001) Dr. Kulkarni's research centers on the socio-ecological determinants of infectious disease emergence, particularly malaria, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus. She applies population surveys, entomological field sampling, molecular diagnostics, and GIS to study spatio-temporal patterns and the impacts of climate change and landscape transformation on disease transmission. Her work emphasizes One Health approaches and capacity building in low-resource settings. Her recent research trends show a strong focus on geospatial modeling of vector-borne diseases, climate change adaptation, urban tick surveillance, and international collaborations in Tanzania, Benin, and Latin America. She leads interdisciplinary projects integrating drone mapping, citizen science (e.g., eTick.ca), and community participation to identify disease risk factors. Scientific awards and recognitions include: University Research Chair in Climate Change and Emerging Diseases Ontario Early Researcher Award Faculty of Medicine Award for Leadership in Global Health (2023) Researcher of the Year, Faculty of Medicine (2019) Member, College of New Scholars, Royal Society of Canada NSERC Discovery Grant and CIHR funding Dr. Kulkarni has successfully advised multiple PhD and Master’s students and leads major funded projects supported by CIHR, PHAC, CFI, IDRC, and NSERC. She has held leadership roles as Associate Dean of Global Health (2021–2024) and currently serves on the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity advisory board. Her lab, INSIGHT, fosters an interdisciplinary training environment combining field, lab, and analytical methods for global health research. Key research teams and collaborations include: INSIGHT Lab, University of Ottawa Pan-African Malaria Vector Research Consortium (PAMVERC) Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network (TickNet Canada) London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) National Microbiology Lab, PHAC Centre de Recherche Entomologique de Cotonou (CREC), Benin
