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Canadian Public Health Association

Board of Directors

Chair

Jason Cabaj, MD, MSc, FRCPC 

Chair-elect

Caitlin Johnston, BA, MSc-PPH

Directors

Andrea Irwin, BScN, MPH
Foluso Ishola, MD, PhD, CCFP
Pemma Muzumdar, MPH
Amy Nahwegahbow, PhD (c), MPH, BA(Hons)
C’fine Okorochukwu, MBBS, MPH
Alexandre Petiquan, MD
Japteg Singh, MPH, MSc
Bilqis Williams, MPH, DF-FIGHR

Jason Cabaj
Jason Cabaj, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Jason is a Medical Officer of Health with Alberta Health Services and the director of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine (PHPM) residency program at the University of Calgary. His educational background includes a Doctor of Medicine degree from Queen’s University, and both an FRCPC in PHPM and MSc epidemiology from the University of Calgary. His practice has focused on environmental health issues, building healthy communities, and advancing public health education. Current responsibilities include leading Alberta Health Services’ provincial public health surveillance, research and innovation teams that provide evidence to inform action and decision making throughout the organization and in the community.
Caitlin Johnston
Caitlin Johnston,  BA, MSc-PPH

Caitlin has over two decades of experience in community-based health research, programming, and management, complemented by an MSc in Population and Public Health. She is a Director at the Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC). MOSAIC provides comprehensive services to support newcomers to Canada throughout their settlement journey. Caitlin’s portfolio includes a partnership with the Fraser Health Authority, the Burnaby Division of Family Practice, and the Burnaby Primary Care Network to establish a Patient Medical Home - Priority Population Clinic (PMH). The PMH offers essential, longitudinal primary care services to Burnaby's most marginalized communities, including newcomers, new mothers and their babies, individuals with complex mental health issues, and those experiencing homelessness. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by these populations – such as language, cultural, and socio-economic barriers – the clinic is designed to offer accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally safe healthcare. Caitlin is guided by values of inclusion, social justice, and equity. These principles influence her professional work and community involvement. She has volunteered with several community-based organizations in Canada, Kenya, and Guatemala, including the Canadian Red Cross, Co-Development Canada, U-Tena Arts and Education Society, Nuevo Horizonte Cooperative, and the Asociación Payasos Atz’anem K’oj.

Andrea Irwin
Andrea Irwin, BScN, MPH
Andrea Irwin is a Registered Nurse in Whitehorse, Yukon. With over 14 years in healthcare, she manages Yukon Communicable Disease Control, leading a team committed to protecting public health in the Yukon. Her background in nursing, clinical education, and critical care is complemented by experience in knowledge translation and change management. She also serves as an Accreditation Canada volunteer surveyor, evaluating healthcare quality nationwide, and has field experience with Doctors Without Borders in Chad and the DRC. Andrea holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Liverpool and a BScN (bilingual EN/FR) from the University of Alberta. .
Foluso Ishola
Foluso Ishola, MD, PhD, CCFP
Foluso Ishola is a resident physician in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Ottawa, where she also completed her family medicine training. She holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD in Epidemiology from McGill University. Foluso’s experience spans the areas of health policy, health equity, maternal and newborn health, reproductive health and global health governance. She has served in clinical, research and advisory roles for ministries of health, governmental agencies, academia and non-profit organizations in sub-Saharan Africa, US and Canada. She is passionate about reducing health and social inequities through public health practice, research, and education.
Pemma Muzumdar
Pemma Muzumdar, MPH
Pemma Muzumdar (she, her) lives in Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal) on the unceded lands and waters of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation. Pemma completed her Master of Public Health at the University of Waterloo. Currently, she is a Knowledge Translation Specialist with the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. In her everyday work, Pemma supports the public health community to build a culture of equity and address interrelated structural, social, and ecological determinants of health. She has led and contributed to work on anti-racism, intersectionality, environmental and climate justice, migrant health and more. Pemma co-produces Mind the Disruption, a podcast about building a healthier world for everyone.
Amy Nahwegahbow

Amy Nahwegahbow, PhD (c), MPH, BA(Hons)
Amy Nahwegahbow serves as a Senior Research Advisor at the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) in Ottawa. Proudly identifying as Anishinaabe and a member of Whitefish River First Nation in Ontario, Amy holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo and is currently pursuing a PhD. in Epidemiology in their School of Public Health Sciences. Her educational journey reflects her commitment to addressing the unique public health challenges facing Indigenous Peoples through community-led research, health promotion, and culturally relevant interventions.

C’fine Okorochukwu
C’fine Okorochukwu, MBBS, MPH
C’fine Okorochukwu is the Director of Prevention and Health Promotion Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction and a public health professional; his educational background includes a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Nigeria, a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), a diploma in addiction counseling and community health services from ABM College Calgary Alberta, a certificate in prevention, control, and management of malaria, hepatitis and schistosomiasis from Centre of Disease Control, Shanghai China, and a certificate in project management. C’fine is highly interested in the social determinants of health and its intersection with substance use health. He has extensive experience in public health, worked as Director of Community Health Services, T’lazt’en Nation, British Columbia; Manager of Community Health Services Northern Health, Prince George, British Columbia; Director of Global NGO Executive Committee, United Nations, Centre for Public Health; United Nations Representative and Member WHO Civil Society Commission. He is experienced in substance use health and addiction, prevention and health promotion, primary health care, and support services.
Alex Petiquan

Alex Petiquan, MD
Alex Petiquan is Anishinaabe from Wabauskang First Nation. He graduated from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and is currently in residency, specializing in public health. His work spans Indigenous public health, health policy, governance, epidemiology, and data sharing agreements, both as a Senior Analyst in the Federal sector and as a member of the Health Expert Advisory Panel for Grand Council Treaty #3.
 

Japteg Singh

Japteg Singh, MPH, MSc
Japteg Singh is a PhD candidate studying Epidemiology at McGill University. He completed a Master of Public Health and a Master of Science in Global Health from McMaster University. Japteg has over three years of experience as a program evaluator and epidemiologist at Niagara Region Public Health. His areas of interests include mental health, health research methods and strengthening public health systems. As student director, Japteg is looking forward to engaging with the other students and young professionals in the public health community.

Bilqis Williams
Bilqis Williams, MPH, DF-FIGHR
Bilqis Williams is a medical doctor, global and environmental public health practitioner. Dr. Williams possesses over a decade of experience serving in clinical, research, managerial and crisis resolution roles. She is invested in feminine health, mental health, community and policy development, geospatial analysis, health equity, racial justice, inclusive leadership, immigrant/ refugee, and displaced persons’ health. Bilqis also advises independent research institutions on the varying intersections that influence health outcomes. Dr. Williams is the first ever recipient of the Peace Prize for Community Activism and is listed by the Boston University School of Public Health as one of 20 change makers of our century.