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Master of Biotechnology

Institute for Management & Innovation, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, University of Toronto

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Photo of Willie Ngumi

, MBA

Deputy Digital Learning Director

Amref International University

Photo of Bethlehem (Betty) Sisay Tefera

Master Scholar

Addis Ababa University, University of Toronto

Photo of Emmanuella Seyram Avornyoh

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Photo of Emmanuella Nana Debreh Twumwaa Akowuah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Toronto

Photo of Trevor Young

, PhD

Vice-President, Provost

University of Toronto

Photo of Dawit Wondimagegn Gebreamlak

, MD

Associate Professor, Addis Ababa University Consultant Psychiatrist, Tikur Anbessa Hospital Associate professor, Addis Ababa University, Co-chair and Director, Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration-TAAAC National Lead, African Health Observatory Platform- Ethiopia National Centre

Addis Ababa University

Photo of Wilfred Ndifon

, PhD

Professor, Theoretical Biology and Chief Scientific Officer at AIMS

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Profile

Willie Ngumi, MBA

Deputy Digital Learning Director

Amref International University

Willie has a strong technology and business development background spanning private sector and the development sector.

He has over 11 years of experience in ICT4D space implementing solutions in Digital health, health system strengthening, behavior change communication, Human Centered Design and Digital Identities targeting underserved communities. Willie previously worked with the GSM Association, a global association for mobile network operators, CDC Foundation / mHealth Kenya, providing technical support for the conceptualization, design and deployment of mHealth applications through Public Private Partnerships. Willie also previously worked at the Foreign Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy Nairobi, and in the Internet Service Provision industry as a web developer.  Willie has an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi and a BSc. in Computer Science from Africa Nazarene University, trained in Human Centered Design and a Certified Development Project Manager.

Email Address
willie.ngumi@amref.org
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Governance
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Bethlehem (Betty) Sisay Tefera

Master Scholar

Addis Ababa University

My time as a Mastercard Foundation scholar at the University of Toronto has truly been a transformative experience.

As a medical doctor from Ethiopia, I have gained a new perspective on healthcare and the ways in which it is viewed around the world. In Canada, I have been inspired by the idea that healthcare is a right, not a privilege to be earned, and I now dream of bringing this ideology back to my home country.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ethiopia
Programs
Master of Health Administration (MHSc)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Profile

Emmanuella Seyram Avornyoh

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

I am Emmanuella Seyram Avornyoh from Ghana. I graduated from the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where I was introduced to the broader discipline of Biological Sciences. Following my B.Sc., I served my mandatory National Service at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), where my interest in Public Health-related research was stimulated.

Through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars program, my goal of pursuing further studies has become a reality. I am currently taking an MPH in environmental health at U of T which completely aligns with my long-term career ambition of becoming a professor and a researcher in the field.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to Mastercard and the University of Toronto for their generosity in admitting and funding my colleagues and me. I haven’t done much with the program yet, but based on the quality of the tuition, it already appears to be highly beneficial. I am convinced that the time I am investing in this program will help me become an innovator in the field of environmental health.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ghana
Programs
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Occupational and Environmental Health
Profile

Emmanuella Nana Debreh Twumwaa Akowuah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

One of the most enriching experiences was the opportunity to engage in a vibrant and diverse academic community.

The scholarship not only provided financial support but also opened doors to various academic and extracurricular activities that have enhanced my experience at the University. Networking opportunities with fellow scholars and professors allowed me to connect with leading experts in my discipline and gain insights into the latest developments in the field. These interactions were invaluable for both my academic and professional growth.

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

Trevor Young, PhD

Vice-President, Provost

University of Toronto

Trevor Young is Acting Vice-President & Provost at the University of Toronto.

Professor Young is Dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and and Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions since 2015.

Previously, he was Physician-in-Chief, Executive Vice President Programs at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Professor Young is a clinician-scientist who studies the molecular basis of bipolar disorder and its treatment. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and has held more than 35 peer-reviewed grants.

Email Address
trevor.young@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Dawit Wondimagegn Gebreamlak, MD

Associate Professor, Addis Ababa University Consultant Psychiatrist, Tikur Anbessa Hospital Associate professor, Addis Ababa University, Co-chair and Director, Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration-TAAAC National Lead, African Health Observatory Platform- Ethiopia National Centre

Addis Ababa University

Dr. Dawit Wondimagegn is the former Chief Executive Director of the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Vice President of Addis Ababa University (AAU), Chair of AAU’s, Department of Psychiatry and Director of Graduate Programs for AAU, CHS in Ethiopia. Currently he is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at AAU, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Co-chair and Director, Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration-TAAAC and the National Lead, African Health Observatory Platform- Ethiopia National Centre.

Through his numerous activities as a clinical and health systems leader, global mental health expert, IPT expert, and researcher, he is helping to decrease stigma and improve access to mental healthcare. An Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at AAU, he co-leads with Marci Rose the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration to develop post-graduate subspecialty training programs in numerous areas of medicine, primary care and nursing in Ethiopia.

He has published in the areas of global mental health, family medicine, medical ethics, psychotherapy knowledge translation, and post-partum depression. He was a primary investigator of two Grand Challenges Canada funded projects – The Biaber Project, to scale up screening and mental health care in Ethiopian primary care settings; and to engage with Ethiopian traditional healers, using a collaborative care model to increase the identification and treatment of psychiatric disorders. He has culturally adapted IPT for Ethiopia (IPT-E) and led IPT workshops for psychiatry residents at AAU and University of Toronto. The Biaber Project enabled the training of >500 Ethiopian primary care nurses in IPT-E.

Email Address
dawit.wondimagegn@aau.edu.et
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Ethiopia
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Wilfred Ndifon, PhD

Professor, Theoretical Biology and Chief Scientific Officer at AIMS

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Wilfred Ndifon is Professor of Theoretical Biology and the Chief Scientific Officer at AIMS, a Pan-African network of higher-education institutes dedicated to catalyzing Africa’s socio-economic transformation through advanced training and research in mathematical sciences.

He has made important contributions to a range of topics at the interface of mathematics and biology, including discovering a mechanism that allows flu viruses to escape from antibodies, with significant implications for the design of more effective flu vaccines; a physical mechanism that governs the generation of T-cell diversity via genetic recombination; and a unified mechanistic explanation for the age-old problem of the original antigenic sin. Recently, he led the development of a new mathematical approach to pooled testing, which has produced substantial testing-efficiency gains in field applications conducted in both Rwanda and South Africa. He took his PhD at Princeton.

Email Address
wndifon@nexteinstein.org
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Rwanda
Governance
Executive Steering Committee