Africa Higher Education
Health Collaborative
Last October, over 170 policymakers, health experts, academics, and youth innovators from 14 countries came together for the Africa Health Collaborative’s (AHC) 2025 Annual Convening, hosted by the African Leadership University (ALU) in Kigali, Rwanda.
Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat
Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto
Assistant Professor, Department of Health and Society; Founder & Director, Black Health Equity Lab
University of Toronto Scarborough
Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat
Africa Secretariat
Canada
Dr. Penina Lam is the U of T’s Senior Director of International Relations, where she leads strategic engagement and development of partnerships with Africa.
She also leads the implementation of the Africa Health Collaborative, designed to facilitate talent development and entrepreneurship among African youth. She oversees the Secretariat team and works in close partnership with colleagues across U of T, with African institutions, and the Mastercard Foundation.
As a scholar-practitioner, she’s passionate about research and programs that foster access to and equity in education, health, and employment opportunities. Prior to joining U of T, she worked as an Organizational Development (OD) consultant at the World Bank, in healthcare and education sectors. She’s experienced at engaging with diverse stakeholders to design, develop, and deliver impactful learning and talent development program.
Her academic career has spanned research, faculty, staff, and senior leadership roles working with African, Canadian, and US institutions. Dr. Lam holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & OD, with a focus on Human Resource Development.
Assistant Professor, Department of Health and Society; Founder & Director, Black Health Equity Lab
University of Toronto Scarborough
Notisha Massaquoi is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto, Scarborough with a graduate appointment in the Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
She is also the founder and director of the Black Health Equity Lab (The BHEL) which conducts community-based health research and works with Black communities to develop advocacy tools, strategies and programs to improve health outcomes, wellbeing and success in Canadian systems. She holds a BA in Psychology from Western University, a Masters in Social Work and PhD in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. Her early health leadership career established several health service organizations which serve Black communities in Canada and she developed and served for two decades as the Executive Director of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre in Toronto – the only Community Health Centre in North America specializing in primary healthcare for Black and racialized women.