The University of Cape Town (UCT) proudly hosted the inaugural Health Collaborative Convening from October 15th to 17th, 2023, at the scenic Protea Hotel by Marriott, Waterfront Breakwater Lodge in Cape Town, South Africa.
News and Events
Discover the latest developments and upcoming events of the Collaborative.
Read about how Jemila Abdulai's internship at UCT’s MedTech Lab strengthened her commitment to human-centered engineering, demonstrating how affordable innovations like the ADL Arm can expand access, restore dignity, and transform lives in underserved communities.
Dr. Ferenbok is an Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and the founder & faculty member of the Translational Research Program, a professional master’s that trains students to harness creative problem-solving for health sciences innovation. He is the Course Director for Projects in Translational Research and Methods in Practices and Contexts and the Instructor for the Translational Thinking module.
He also co-founded the Health Innovation Hub (H2i), an initiative that fosters translation, innovation, and commercialization of “Health Matters,” and founded the Ideation Clinic, which helps people across disciplines generate and refine innovative ideas. Dr. Ferenbok additionally serves as the UofT’s Academic Director and Instructor for the MSc in Health Entrepreneurship at KNUST in Ghana.
Driven by collaborative problem-solving, he seeks to systematically mobilize knowledge to design more effective, person-centric interventions spanning diagnostics, therapeutics, procedures, and behaviour change. Dr. Ferenbok aims to enhance health outcomes for individuals and communities by embracing diverse perspectives and unconventional approaches.
Kim is a healthcare innovator, researcher, and mentor dedicated to improving access and equity for underserved communities. She holds a Master of Health Science in Translational Research and a Public Health Policy certification from the University of Toronto (U of T), blending policy and clinical insights to address health system inefficiencies. At Toronto General Hospital, Kim co-leads projects to optimize clinic flow and resource allocation, using electronic health records to enhance patient care and support frontline teams.
A passionate traveller, Kim has visited more than 40 countries across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia—immersing herself in local communities and embracing their diverse cultures, traditions, and histories. These global experiences shape her commitment to health equity and drive her collaborative work in Africa.
Kim also co-leads the summer bootcamp for healthcare venture founders in the African Impact Challenge and serves as the UofT’s program officer and instructor for the MSc in Health Entrepreneurship at KNUST in Ghana.
Erica Di Ruggiero (she/her), PhD is an Associate Professor of Global Health, Social and Behavioural Health Sciences Division, and the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.
She is also the Director of the Centre for Global Health and Collaborative Specialization in Global Health and is the inaugural research director for the Sustainable Development Goals at U of T institutional strategic initiative. She leads and is engaged in MCF-funded programs such as the Women in Global Health Leadership Program in close collaboration with partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Moi University and UCT. Her program of research draws upon different theories and mixed methods to evaluate the population health, gender and equity impacts of policy and program interventions addressing health and social issues (e.g. precarious work) in diverse global settings. She studies the role of governance in global, national, and sub-national public health and health system policy agendas in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. She teaches courses in global health, global health policy and population health intervention research, and supervises and mentors several graduate and postdoctoral fellows in health and social science disciplines. She is editor in chief for Global Health Promotion. Di Ruggiero holds a PhD in public health sciences from the University of Toronto.
Canada
Ethiopia
Ghana
Mauritius
Rwanda
South Africa
