Our team
Dr. Erica Di Ruggiero is an Associate Professor of Global Health, Division of Social and Behavioural Health Sciences & Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She is also the Director of the Centre for Global Health and the Collaborative Specialization in Global Health, and co-director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Health Promotion. Her program of research examines how evidence affects global policy agendas related to employment, other determinants of health equity in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. She also studies population health interventions, using novel conceptual and methodological tools to conduct international comparative policy research on global social and health inequities. Prior to joining the DLSPH, she was the inaugural Deputy Scientific Director with the CIHR-Institute of Population and Public Health. She holds a PhD in public health sciences from University of Toronto.
Nicoda Foster is strongly committed to addressing the social determinants of health and advocates for the removal of barriers to improving the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in society. She has demonstrated her passion for health equity through her career, working in sustainability, and her research that focuses on the health and wellbeing of minority women in Canada. Over the years, Nicoda has held several progressive administrative roles with organizations such as Toronto Metropolitan University’s Future Skills Centre where she managed funding agreements with over 70 project partners, Sinai Health System where she lead the development of the Geriatrics program’s evaluation and research infrastructure, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario where she supported the uptake of their world renowned best practice guidelines in nursing practice as well as Cancer Care Ontario where she provided leadership in the publication of their yearly report, the Cancer System Quality Index. She received her Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs and Policy Management at Carleton University, her Masters of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and completed her Ph.D. at McMaster University.
Areej is a BA (Hons) graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University. She has 7+ years of experience working with and successfully advocating for marginalized groups, such as: women, children, 2SLGBTQIA+ populations, immigrants and newcomers to Canada, people with short and long-term physical and mental disabilities, and racialized groups. Areej also has extensive knowledge in project coordination, and has used qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and processes throughout her academic and professional career. With a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, she looks forward to contributing to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and driving impactful outcomes.
Roukia (Kia, she/her) is a fourth-year Dean's List scholar and HBA candidate at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), studying English literature and creative writing. She is the recipient of her campus' Humanities Excellence Award and is an award-winning 66x published writer in fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and poetry. Her most notable publications are in Scarborough Fair, Young Writers Journal, Toronto Young Voices, Petal Projections, DreamWorldGirl Magazine, Aster Lit, and UTSC's publication, The Underground. Roukia's other work experience outside of publishing spans roles in communications and marketing (currently with SDGs@UofT at the Office of the Vice-Principal Research and Innovation and previously with the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean's Experiential Learning Portfolio), tutoring and mentoring (private/independent), mental health advocacy (with the Family Resource Network in Alberta), and French-English language translation at Imanesya Concierge in France. She is currently Vice President of Creative Writing for the Students of English Literature and Film Departmental Student Association (SELF DSA UTSC) and Head of Staff of an online literary magazine, The Infinite Blues Review. Roukia's love of traveling and interest in social justice and international politics have brought her into this sustainability role, where she hopes to contribute a unique perspective to SDGs derived from her atypical educational background.
Jennifer is an MPH Health Promotion 2nd year student at Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She has 4+ years of experience in community-engaged, mixed-methods and qualitative research, working alongside diverse communities including BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ youth, at-risk mothers, newcomers, and sexual and reproductive health and rights grassroots. With her strong interests in health equity, the social determinants of health, community engagement, mental health and climate change, she looks forward to contributing to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at UofT through transdisciplinary knowledge co-production.