Dr. Nadia Akseer is an Epidemiologist-Biostatistician with 10+ years experience leading research and analyses of clinical and population health datasets. She is currently part of the Scientist faculty at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Akseer is also Scientific Advisor to the Exemplars in Global Health Program at Gates Ventures (private office of Mr. Bill Gates [Kirkland, WA]), and Associate Editor of Nutrition Reviews journal.
Dr. Akseer is the Founder, Scientist and Director of Research at Modern Scientist Global. Dr. Akseer’s research interests and publications generally span reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) and nutrition in Afghanistan and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers, with the majority in high profile medical journals such as The Lancet, The Lancet Global Health, The BMJ, JAMA, and the Annals of the New York Academy of Science. Nadia was identified as a Canadian Women Leader in Global Health jointly by The Lancet, Government of Canada and Canadian Society for International Health in 2018. She was subsequently awarded the 2019 Emerging Public Health Leader Alumni Award from the Public Health Alumni Association of the University of Toronto. The CEO Publication recognized Dr. Akseer as one of the top 20 Dynamic CEOs in Canada in 2021.
Dr. Akseer completed her Masters in Science (focused on Biostatistics and Epidemiology) from Brock University (St. Catharines, Canada) and her PhD in Epidemiology from University of Toronto (Toronto, Canada).
Outside of work, Nadia enjoys spending time with her family especially her 21 nieces and nephews (!), traveling to faraway destinations like the Brazilian Amazon rain forest and super hot places on earth (Dallol, Ethiopia). She also enjoys eating diverse cuisine, listening to hip-hop music and rapping about public health 🙂
contact: nakseer@modernscientistglobal.com
Hana Tasic graduated from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto with a Global Health Emphasis. Hana has since worked on numerous projects in the global public health field related to maternal, child and newborn health and nutrition. Past projects Hana has worked on include the stunting exemplars project spanning five country case studies in Phase I, and the 2019 Model Disability Survey in Afghanistan. Hana's skills include hierarchical model building, working with large household datasets, and excellent teamwork. Hana’s research interests include maternal and child health with a particular focus in reduction of inequalities.
Outside of work, Hana loves to spend time outdoors, practices yoga, and is an avid reader. She volunteers at organizations in Toronto providing assistance to young pregnant and parenting girls and women, as well as those in need of mental health support.
contact: htasic@modernscientistglobal.com
Ramraj Rajakumar is a Data Scientist and Researcher with a graduate certificate in Data Science & ML and possesses a post-graduate diploma in quantitative methods. Ramraj is also a Software developer with over 8 years of experience in the industry. In addition, Ramraj has worked on numerous projects at the University Health Network related to machine learning and has delivered innovative and cutting-edge ML solutions to the organization.
Ramraj's skills include the design, development and deployment of several AI/ML models into existing production/cloud environment. He loves working in a challenging environment with high functional teams. Ramraj’s research interests include ensemble learning, prediction, and pattern recognition among the transplant population.
Outside of work, Ramraj loves to spend time hiking, going to music festivals, and weight training.
Xue Luo is a geospatial data scientist with more than 10 years experience providing full-stack data solutions including data management, statistical analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) consulting services. Xue holds a BCs and MSc in Geography with Geomatics specialization from the University of Waterloo. Xue's interests include using GIS and data analysis to support equity and social justice and she has conducted a wide range of research projects on issues related to food access, urban environments, public health, indigenous population, and higher education. The results of her past research have been published through peer-reviewed articles, web applications, online dashboards, and story maps.
Outside of work, Xue enjoys running, kick-boxing, mountain climbing and travelling.
Sabah Husain graduated with a Master of Science from the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto with a focus on genetics and childhood-onset psychiatric disorders. Sabah’s research interests have evolved into maternal and child global health and she has since worked on studies involving maternal, newborn and childhood health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Muslim majority countries. Sabah is passionate about girls/women’s empowerment and has worked with initiatives that promote female leadership and education.
In her spare time, Sabah enjoys hiking, baking and spending time with family and friends.
Adebisi Akande recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology, Immunology & Disease and Mental Health Studies at the University of Toronto. Throughout his undergraduate studies, Adebisi embarked on a wide range of research projects within the fields of public and global health. Such projects include exploring community based-participatory research within the HIV/AIDS community; working with UofT’s BRICS and G7 research groups to analyze global health commitments made by various countries; developing agent-based models to measure the efficacy of COVID-19 social-distancing policies; assessing Canada’s initial response to COVID-19; and exploring COVID-19’s effects on HIV care delivery in both high-income countries (HICs) and low and middle-income countries (LMICs). In addition, Adebisi dedicated a considerable amount of his time to exploring the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy amongst healthcare providers – an endeavour that led to the publication of two manuscripts and one that is currently under review.
Adebisi enjoys watching soccer, boxing, MMA, and going out for an occasional jog in his spare time.
Sahil Gambhir is a resourceful, motivated, and detail-oriented Research Specialist with an advanced academic background in Environmental Biology. Sahil graduated from York university with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Biology and graduated with a Masters of Science degree from The University of Western Ontario in Environment and Sustainability. He has over 10 years of experience coordinating team members, conducting biological inventories, and driving research projects for leading public institutions. Sahil is recognized as a talented researcher who consolidates findings into high-impact reports and presentations. He has proven history in contributing to all aspects of research project development – initial design, planning, execution and evaluation. He is a confident and multilingual communicator who builds strong working relationships, translates complicated information into meaningful terms, and effectively collaborates with diverse stakeholders on a daily basis.
Outside of work, Sahil spends most of his time hiking with his dog, reading as many fantasy/sci-fi novels he can get his hands on, caring way too much about his sports teams and playing competitive video games on his PC into the late hours of the night.
Neethu Pavithran recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science and will be pursuing a Masters in Science with a focus on eHealth and digital health informatics at McMaster university. Neethu's research interests heavily lie within public health work and addressing disparities in healthcare. In the past, Neethu has worked on developing a multivariate regression model to analyze COVID-19 spread across several African, South American and Middle Eastern countries. She also received a conference award for her original research in exploring causal factors for vaccine hesitancy in Canadian Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Neethu has developed two successful and international research-based fellowship programs with the URNCST Journal. These fellowship programs provide undergraduate science students with an in-depth opportunity to learn about methodologies used in scientific research, the scientific publishing process and the chance to meaningfully contribute to research literature under the guidance of a researcher in their field.
Outside of work, Neethu enjoys going on obscenely long walks with her friends, solving puzzle games, and trying out new recipes she finds online.
Idris Akseer is an Honors graduate from Brock University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Sciences. He also went on to obtain a diploma in Police Foundations from Niagara College. Idris has done various volunteering and internships abroad. He completed a summer internship in Kabul, Afghanistan, at The American University of Afghanistan where he worked within each department to understand and gain knowledge regarding the functioning and difficulties of a western funded university in extreme conflict zones. Idris has also completed an internship with The Asia Foundation, Kabul chapter, where he assisted in the development, implementation and interpretation of survey results from their National Disability Survey for Afghanistan. His goal is to be part of the force that helps restructure conflict nations to achieve a more sustainable level of security, gender equality and healthcare as we’ve achieved here, in western nations.
In his spare time, Idris enjoys spending time with his nieces and nephews, going on nature filled excursions and going to amusement parks.
Jacob Mardian obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Waterloo and his Master’s degree from the University of Guelph where he is currently pursuing his PhD. His research focuses on hydrology and climate science, especially modelling the impact of climate extremes on agriculture. His work has been published in peer-reviewed articles and presented at international conferences. He is also a geospatial data scientist specializing in remote sensing (satellite image analysis) and machine learning with extensive experience in government and industry.
Outside of work, Jacob enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and playing sports.