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.

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People Directory

Photo of Arti Singh

, PhD

Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the KNUST School of Public Health

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Photo of Jackie Sitienei

, MPH, PhD Candidate

Lecturer, School of Public Health, Health Policy, Management and Human Nutrition Department; Consultant, Population Health, AMPATH Program

Moi University

Photo of Titilayo Soremi

, PhD

Titilayo Soremi is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at the University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of Sophie Stuart-Sheppard

Coordinator, Communications & Community Development

University of Toronto, Health Innovation Hub (H2i)

Photo of Chris Suzdak

Director, ALX Ventures

African Leadership University

Photo of Dehran Swart

, BSc, BSc(Med)Hons, HDE(PG)Sec, MPH

(Medicine) CHAIR

Addis Ababa University

Photo of Seidu Tahiru

Master Scholar

University of Toronto, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Photo of Mohammad Tahvili

Creative Studio Lead

University of Toronto Mississauga, ICUBE

Photo of Famous Tay

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Toronto

Profile

Arti Singh, PhD

Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the KNUST School of Public Health

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Dr. Arti Singh, a public health physician and faculty member at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana.

Her research areas of interest are non-communicable disease and tobacco control. She is also an advisory committee member on the Health Ecosystem Pillar of the Mastercard Foundation Health Collaborative program.

Email Address
artisingh_uk@yahoo.com
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Ghana
Governance
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Jackie Sitienei, MPH, PhD Candidate

Lecturer, School of Public Health, Health Policy, Management and Human Nutrition Department; Consultant, Population Health, AMPATH Program

Moi University

Jackline Sitienei is a Lecturer, from Moi University, School of Public Health, Health Policy, Management and Human Nutrition Department, and a Consultant, Population Health, in Academic Model Providing Access to Health Care (AMPATH) Program.

Her work entails teaching, research and Community service. Jackline is a PhD Candidate, University of the Witwatersrand, have an MPH (UNSW), MSc International Research Ethics (Moi U). Jackline had previously worked in the health sector as a nurse manager, then Clinical Administrator in AMPATH program before joining Moi. Her research interests include health systems research, population health, community engagement, governance primary health care, biomedical research ethics and TB/HIV. Jackline has several publications in these areas.

Email Address
jcsitienei@gmail.com
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Governance
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Titilayo Soremi, PhD

Titilayo Soremi is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at the University of Toronto Scarborough

She holds a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Sussex, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Exeter. Her doctorate thesis examined the involvement of the European Union in the policy transfer of renewable energy policy to West Africa and applied the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) to analyse the policy narratives of the actors. Titilayo has worked with the Energy Policy Group and the Nexus Network at the University of Sussex. Her research interests include global public policy transfer, policy narratives, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has published articles in the International Review of Public Policy, Policy design and Practice, the Global Journal of Social Sciences, and the Canadian Journal of African Studies.

Email Address
titlayo.soremi@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Public Policy
Profile

Sophie Stuart-Sheppard

Coordinator, Communications & Community Development

University of Toronto

Sophie (she/her) is the Communications & Community Development Coordinator at Health Innovation Hub (H2i), University of Toronto’s health-focused accelerator.

She is passionate about research translation, and rethinking how we design, deliver and access healthcare services, centering patient-informed and community-led models of care. She has worked within communications, operations management and project coordination in non-profits, healthcare, academic and start-up environments alike. In addition, Sophie has worked in frontline roles, from intake and case coordination to peer support facilitation. Having been a part of the founding and leadership team of a mental health focused start-up, she has unique insight into the journey and challenges of taking ideas in healthcare from conception to scale. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from McGill University, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health at University of Victoria.

Email Address
sophie.stuartsheppard@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Profile

Chris Suzdak

Director, ALX Ventures

African Leadership University

Chris Suzdak is based in Mauritius and serves as the Director of ALX Ventures, which develops, connects and funds early-stage tech entrepreneurs emerging from the African Leadership Group ecosystem.

Chris also leads The FutureList, a global platform and community that spotlights tech innovators and connects them with investors, talent and partners. He previously started and scaled up teams in the fintech, agtech and edtech sectors across Africa. He’s passionate about finding and supporting the next big thing.

Email Address
csuzdak@sandtech.com
Country
Rwanda
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
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.

Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Yewondwossen Tadesse

(Medicine) CHAIR

Addis Ababa University

Email Address
yewondt@yahoo.com
Country
Ethiopia
Governance
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Seidu Tahiru

Master Scholar

University of Toronto

My name is Seidu Tahiru from Ghana, with a background in Actuarial Science and Applied Mathematics.

My academic journey centers on Health Informatics and Data Analytics. I am passionate about harnessing advanced analytics to empower clinicians with transformative decision-making tools for the benefit of patients and the healthcare systems.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholarship has transformed my academic journey, providing me with vital academic guidance, career mentorship, and financial support. This program has cultivated a community of scholars dedicated to positive change in Africa.

I aspire to leverage this opportunity to improve healthcare systems, particularly in Ghana, and contribute to a healthier future for all.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ghana
Programs
Master of Health informatics Executive (EMHI)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Profile

Mohammad Tahvili

Creative Studio Lead

University of Toronto Mississauga

Mohammad Tahvili is a serial entrepreneur who has founded a number of companies in different sectors such as digital marketing, sustainability, diversity, and accessibility, all tied to social innovation and helping others shine.

His diverse background includes an HBSc in Computer Science and Entrepreneurship which helped him grow and help many small businesses with his technical skills. Additionally, he has over seven years of experience in app & website development, business development, branding and marketing that he is using to this day to help as many small businesses as possible to sustainable grow and scale their businesses.​

Email Address
mohammad.tahvilli@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Profile

Famous Tay

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

The Mastercard Foundation’s visionary commitment to education and leadership has profoundly influenced my journey.

As a Mastercard Scholar, I’m deeply proud to be part of a program that not only champions academic excellence but also emphasizes the importance of creating a meaningful, positive impact in the world. This scholarship has not only alleviated financial barriers but has also fostered a culture of service and leadership within me. Through my studies, I’m determined to contribute to solving global challenges and improving accessibility of healthcare. This transformative experience has empowered me to think globally and act locally, making a real difference.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Ghana
Canada
Programs
Master of Engineering (MEng)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Biomedical Engineering