TOPHC 2026 Regional Speaker Spotlight
From Intention to Co-creation: Centering Black and Indigenous Communities in Public Health Practice
Regional Workshop 3
DR. ONYE NNOROM, MDCM, CCFP, MPH, FRCPC
Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Province of Ontario
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Dr. Onye Nnorom, MDCM, CCFP, MPH, FRCPC, is a distinguished physician, advocate, public speaker and leader in the field of public health and equity. She is a family doctor and public health and preventive medicine specialist. She is Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Province of Ontario; the Chief and Medical Director of Health Equity and Population Health at Lakeridge Health; and the Black Health Faculty Lead in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is also a medical consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Dr. Nnorom has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes for marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Black populations. Dr. Nnorom is the co-founder of the Black Health Education Collaborative, which was established to provide online educational resources on anti-Black racism and Black health for health professional students, clinicians and public health practitioners.
Recently, she launched a social media outreach initiative called Healthcaring Differently to encourage diverse youth to explore careers in medicine. Dr. Nnorom’s expertise lies at the intersection of anti-racism, community health and healthcare transformation.
Executive Director and Assistant Professor, Black Health Education Collaborative and Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto
SUME NDUMBE-EYOH
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Sume Ndumbe-Eyoh is the Executive Director of the Black Health Education Collaborative and an Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. A catalytic leader, she mobilizes knowledge and networks to advance policy and practice on addressing anti-Black racism and the structural and social determinants of health and equity. She spent a decade with the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health where she provided leadership to public health practice on health equity and the social determinants of health in partnership with institutions across Canada. A sought-after speaker, writer and leader, she has advised numerous community and governmental organizations. Hailing from Cameroon, she is committed to decolonial futures.
NICOLE VISSCHEDYK
Director of Capacity Building and Indigenous Engagement at Public Health Ontario
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Nicole Visschedyk is the Director of Capacity Building and Indigenous Engagement at Public Health Ontario.
Nicole has more than 15 years of experience in public service, holding progressive positions in a number of Ontario ministries, including her most recent position as a Senior Manager, of the Indigenous Equity Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat. Prior to entering the Ontario Public Service, she worked as a journalist writting for media outlets such as The Hamilton Spectator and The National Post.
Nicole is Métis and was fortunate enough to grow up with many cultural traditions of the Métis people. Her Métis community is near Penetanguishene, Ontario.
Nicole holds a BSc. from the University of Guelph that included several years of work in a biochemistry laboratory. She completed her Master’s degree in Journalism.
In her spare time, Nicole has volunteered as board member on several boards, including Chair of the Ontario Cycling Association.
PRABHJOT SANGHA, BPH, MSc
Senior Advisor, Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
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Prabhjot Sangha is a health policy and strategy professional working at the intersection of public health, equity, and community-centered systems transformation. She currently serves as Senior Advisor, Policy and Strategic Initiatives at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC), where she supports provincial initiatives related to primary care transformation, health equity, and Indigenous health system strengthening across Ontario. Prabhjot holds a Bachelor of Public Health from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Science in Global Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Her experience spans Indigenous health, government and stakeholder engagement, and international development, including work with UNICEF Zimbabwe and Engineers Without Borders Canada. She brings a collaborative and globally informed perspective to advancing equitable public health practice.
OLIVIA SARDINE
Practicum Student, Indigenous Engagement and Strategy Team, Public Health Ontario
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Olivia Sardine is a practicum student on the Indigenous Engagement and Strategy Team at Public Health Ontario, working alongside Nicole Visschedyk.
She is currently completing a Master of Public Health graduate degree at Brock University and is a recent graduate of the University of Waterloo, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a minor in Indigenous Studies.
Olivia is Anishinaabe from Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) and has grown up as an active member of her community. She previously worked with MCFN’s Department of Consultation and Accommodation as a Field Liaison Representative, where she oversaw archeological sites to ensure Indigenous rights were being respected.
In addition to her professional experience, Olivia’s main volunteer role is with MCFN’s Pet Wellness, where she coordinates and works alongside veterinarians to provide subsidized veterinary care to MCFN members.
Manager, Indigenous and Intergovernmental Unit, Accountability and Liaison Branch Office of Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health, Ministry of Health
LEONOR TAVARES
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Leonor Tavares, MSc., is currently a Manager with the Indigenous and Intergovernmental Unit with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Ministry of Health. She holds a Master’s degree from the School of Public Health in Alberta (formally known as the Centre for Health Promotion Studies). Leonor has worked to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous and intergovernmental partners to collaborate in the areas of policy and program development/implementation, research and evaluation to support the delivery of public health services with/by Indigenous communities and organizations in Ontario.
MODERATOR
SAMIYA ABDI, MPH, G.D. Social Innovation
Senior Program Specialist at Public Health Ontario
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Samiya Abdi, MPH, G.D. Social Innovation, is the Senior Program Specialist leading the Health Equity portfolio at Public Health Ontario. Over the past 18 years, Samiya has been working towards making the public health system more equitable by challenging intersecting forms of oppression and understanding marginalization in knowledge production, research and practice. Prior to returning to her home position with PHO, Samiya served as the Executive Director of the Black Health Education Collaborative (BHEC), a first of its kind Black-Led organization that transforms medical and public health academic and professional education. Samiya also possesses extensive experience in community engagement work, has co-founded international movements such as the Somali Gender Equity Movement and Famine Resisters alongside local initiatives such as Aspire2Lead and the Toronto Muslim Youth Political fellowship.
From Sequencing to Surveillance: Interpreting Genomic Data for Public Health
Regional Workshop 2
VENKATA DUVVURI, Ph.D., MPH
Scientist (Machine Learning), Public Health Ontario & Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
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Venkata R. Duvvuri Ph.D., MPH. is an independent scientist (genomic epidemiology and machine learning) at Public Health Ontario and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. He leads a multidisciplinary research program focused on translating public health microbiology and genomics into actionable insights to support surveillance and decision-making. His research advances applied genomic epidemiology, with a focus on respiratory viruses (SARS-CoV-2, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, enterovirus-D68), sexually transmitted infections (syphilis), and foodborne diseases (shigellosis). His interests include knowledge translation to support public health professionals in interpreting genomic, phylogenetic, and modelling outputs.
ANGELA MA, Ph.D., D(ABMM), FCCM
Clinical Microbiologist, Public Health Ontario & Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
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Angela Ma, Ph.D., D(ABMM), FCCM is a Clinical Microbiologist at Public Health Ontario where she oversees laboratory testing for Mycobacteriology and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. She completed a CPEP fellowship at the University of Utah and ARUP Laboratories and is a diplomat of the American Board of Medical Microbiology and Fellow of the Canadian College of Microbiologists. Her research interests include molecular diagnostics and epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance, and applications for next generation sequencing to support microbiology diagnostics and public health.
TOM BRAUKMANN, Ph.D.
Scientist (Genomics), Public Health Ontario & Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
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Thomas Braukmann Ph.D. is a scientist (genomics) at Public Health Ontario and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. His research includes both experimental and bioinformatics approaches that focuses on the streamlining laboratory bioinformatic pipelines to investigate the molecular and genomic evolution of emerging infectious pathogens. He currently working on projects investigating the genomic epidemiology of measles and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He is also interested in the evolution of zoonoses and emerging pathogens such as mpox, Lyme disease, and highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Every Step Matters: A Practical Look at Medical Device Reprocessing in Community Settings
Regional Workshop 1
DIANE DURK, B.Sc., BASc., CPHI (C), CIC
Certified Public Health Inspector, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
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Diane Durk is a Certified Public Health Inspector with more than 20 years of experience in Public Health and Infection Prevention and Control at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. She has held her CIC certification since 2016 and has completed additional certifications in Medical Device Reprocessing. Diane is passionate about helping teams translate reprocessing standards into everyday practice and brings a practical, real-world approach to complex IPAC challenges. She is excited to facilitate this TOPHC workshop alongside her colleague Crystal and Public Health Ontario.
CATHERINE KERR
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Specialist, Public Health Ontario
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Catherine Kerr is an IPAC Specialist with the Infection Lapse and System Support Team, within Health Protection at Public Health Ontario. Catherine has been an Infection Control Practitioner for more than 15 years and was the IPAC lead in various acute care settings including the emergency department, operating room and medical device reprocessing, and the surgical, trauma and critical care programs, at large teaching hospitals. Catherine earned a Master’s Degree in Microbiology and Immunology from Western University and has continually held Certification in Infection Control and Epidemiology (CIC) since 2013.
CRYSTAL HENDRY
Certified Public Health Inspector, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
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Crystal Hendry is a member of the IPAC Hub team at Wellington-Dufferin Guelph Public Health and is a certified Public Health Inspector. She has over 15 years of experience in Infection Prevention and Control and has been certified in Infection Control since 2020. Crystal has been involved in many infection prevention and control investigations and brings her knowledge and expertise when troubleshooting complicated IPAC scenarios. She is looking forward to contributing her real-world experience at TOPHC alongside Diane and Public Health Ontario.
RAYMOND GULLEKSON
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Specialist, Public Health Ontario
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Raymond Gullekson is an Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Specialist with the IPAC Lapse and System Support team at Public Health Ontario. He began his career as a certified public health inspector and spent over a decade working for local public health units before joining PHO in 2022. Ray has held his Certificate in Infection Control since 2019. His work includes the Environmental Cleaning Toolkit, personal service settings resources, and the update of CSA Z7001. He is currently co leading the update of the Guide to Infection Prevention and Control in Personal Service Settings.
MODERATOR
Team Lead, IPAC Lapse and System Support, Infection Prevention and Control, Public Health Ontario
ANNE AUGUSTIN
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Anne has extensive experience in Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), holding leadership positions across diverse health care environments such as long-term care, large tertiary care center, small rural community hospital, and public health. Currently, Anne leads a team responsible for supporting public health units that are conducting IPAC lapses risk assessments in community health care settings and serves as the Subject Matter Lead for medical device reprocessing.
She began her career as a medical laboratory technologist and maintains her CIC© certification through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology. Most recently, Anne earned an MSc in IPAC, completing a thesis titled "Barriers and Facilitators to Compliance in Infection Prevention and Control in Ontario Community Healthcare Settings Operated by Regulated Health Professionals: An Implementation Science Informed Qualitative Study." Additionally, Anne is an active member of the CSA’s Technical Committee on Medical Device Reprocessing and regularly lectures on IPAC topics at Centennial College.