Harrison Niznick, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Harrison’s interest in health policy, international development, and the health impacts of climate change stems from his work in Costa Rica, Kenya, Panama and Tanzania. He hopes to channel these interests as a Forum Fellow by promoting student discussion and debate about the future of Canadian healthcare, improving Canadian Aboriginal health systems, and overcoming water-borne disease in developing countries. He also plans to advance his interest in mediation and policy development by contributing to the planning of a series of stakeholder dialogues. Harrison is in the fourth year of the Arts and Science (Honours) program with a specialization in economics. He is writing his thesis in health economics. He served as events coordinator of the McMaster Health Forum’s Student Subcommittee in 2010-2011, helping to organize workshops, a global health speaker series, and a debate on the changing role of evidence-based medicine. Harrison founded the McMaster chapter of Net Impact, a San Francisco based NGO focusing on sustainable-business, and has pursued clinical research on HIV/AIDS transmitted drug resistance.

Ariela Rozenek, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Ariela’s principal interests include the use of research evidence to improve the healthcare provided to individuals and communities. Her semester of field work in a rural community in Ghana fostered a unique appreciation for the need for evidence-informed policymaking and implementation. As a Forum Fellow, Ariela plans to develop a sound understanding of the intricacies involved in shaping health policy, and will explore the use of social media vehicles to tap into the potential of the student community in helping to advance the Forum’s work in addressing health policy challenges. She is a fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) program. She previously worked on a pediatric neurology study at McMaster Children’s Hospital, to further her understanding of the impact of quality of life research on health care, before deciding to specialize in global health studies.

Margherita Cina, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Margherita, a third-year student in the Arts and Science program at McMaster, is focusing her academic interests on knowledge translation and the application of research findings to create effective policies to improve population health. She began her Forum fellowship with a two-month internship at the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, which is housed within the World Health Organization office in Geneva, Switzerland. She worked on a scoping review to identify and provide a preliminary synthesis of what is known about mentorship programs for policymakers. Margherita previously worked at the Program in Policy Decision-making, assisting with a research project evaluating knowledge translation platforms in low- and middle-income countries. She is now contributing to the work of the Forum in various capacities.

Justin Neves, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Justin is pursuing a specialization in global health through his studies at McMaster, and has a particular interest in public health issues. He is in his third year of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) program, and undertaking field work in Kenya for the fall semester. He is working to advance his knowledge on the complexities of access to healthcare, which includes looking at the social, economical and cultural factors that influence whether and how citizens access healthcare. Justin’s experience as a fellow and his role on the Forum’s student subcommittee has provided valuable insight into the organization of various health systems, including health financing, human resource development and other key factors that affect health policy and its implementation. He is also active with the McMaster Student Union.