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.
People Directory
Our team is the heartbeat of our collaborative efforts, comprising diverse experts from various fields. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives, uniting to drive innovation and impact in the health sector. Together, we are more than just a team; we are a community committed to transforming healthcare across Africa.
Regional Lead (Health Networks), International Research Officer
University of Toronto, Office of the Vice-President International
, PhD
Professor & Baxter Chair in Health Technology & Commercialization (UHN)
Director of the Health Innovation Hub
University of Toronto
, M.Ed., PhD Candidate
Regional Lead (Health Employment), International Research Officer
University of Toronto, Office of the Vice-President International
Profile
Dehran Swart, BSc, BSc(Med)Hons, HDE(PG)Sec, MPH
Dehran holds a BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology, a BSc (Med) Hons. in Community Health and a HDE (PG) Sec in Education and MPH.
Dehran has experience as a secondary school educator; specialist scientist at the MRCSA (health promotion); senior project manager at the Paraffin Safety Association of Southern Africa; and senior manager within the Faculty of Health Sciences.
He previously directed research on international studies funded by a NIH Fogarty R01 grant as well as by CDC/WHO.
He served as a consultant for WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative in Geneva and as contributor / regional consultant for the WHO African Region / Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO World Report on Child Injury Prevention, 2008).
He has been employed as the Health Teaching Platform Manager (Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT) for the past 10 years.
He is a Board Member at Ithemba Lobomi, NPO based in Thembalethu, George; Chairperson of the Dr Aadil Moerat Medical Bursary Trust and Chairperson of the Victoria Hospital Facility Board.
Ms. Marie Therese Yaba Ndiaye is the Regional Lead, Health Networks at the Office of Vice President International at the University of Toronto.
She leads the implementation of the Health Employment Pillar of the Africa Health Collaborative, which aims to expand the capacity to train primary healthcare workers to meet growing demand in Africa. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, she worked with USAID, World Food Programme, and community-based organizations on climate resilience and humanitarian assistance programming. In those positions, she covered and traveled widely in West and Central African countries. She holds a Ph.D. in Rural Sociology and can work in French, English, and Portuguese.
Professor J. Paul Santerre has published >220 peer reviewed publications and is a listed inventor on >70 patents in the area of medical polymers.
He is co-founder and current director of the Health Innovation Hub at the University of Toronto (a student focused entrepreneur training co-curricular program that has trained > 650 client health science companies which have generated > $430M CAD). He was the 2022 – 2023 Chair of the Health Entrepreneurship Pillar for the Africa Health Collaborative supported by the Mastercard Foundation. He is a co-founder of Interface Biologics, along with having spun-out five other start-up companies from his lab, and has won multiple national awards for his achievements in enabling entrepreneurship, including Canada’s Governor General award for Innovation, and the Professional Engineers of Ontario Entrepreneurship Award in 2017. He has received multiple awards for his community activity including the 2016 Community award from the Canadian Biomaterials, the 2018 President’s Impact Award from the University of Toronto.
JesusMiracle is the Regional Lead (Health Employment), International Research Officer at the Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto. She is also completing a PhD in Higher Education with a collaborative specialization in Comparative, International and Development Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She graduated with an M.Ed. in Higher Education, and has an inter-disciplinary background in the arts, psychology and entrepreneurship. She has lived on three continents which impacted her worldview and interests in understanding education from a global perspective. Having worked extensively with international students, she is interested in understanding how internationalization policies impact their experiences on an institutional level, and how institutions can improve the services and supports provided to students.
