Endowed Academic Chairs
BMO Financial Group Chair
in Health Professions Research
at University Health Network
Cynthia Whitehead MD PhD
As holder of the BMO Financial Group Chair in Health Professions Research at University Health Network Chair my priority is to build capacity in health professions education research.An important aspect of this is to support the next generation of researchers, who come from diverse fields to become part of our community. We are enriched by engaging with graduate students and colleagues from different disciplinary perspectives, contexts and cultures. As Chair, my goal is to help expand the horizons and deepen understanding of our field. This will allow us collectively to explore complex issues in health professions education. By learning and working together, we will find creative ways to improve and enrich the education of future health care professionals.
The Richard and Elizabeth Currie Chair
in Health Professions Education Research
at University Health Network
Nicole Woods PhD
The Richard and Elizabeth Currie Chair in Health Professions Education Research supports our ongoing work on integration, discovery and innovation. I recognize the vital role that knowledge drawn from the social and behavioural sciences can play in advancing healthcare education. As Chairholder, my goal is to actively engage multi-disciplinary teams of graduate students, scientists and clinicians in theoretically grounded research and education innovation. We are exploring new forms of foundational knowledge that can be integrated to improve care. We are also identifying teaching approaches that support learning and expert development. Collectively, we aim to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and education practice.
Read the Department of Family and Community’s interview with Dr. Woods: Fortifying the foundation of health professions education.
Research Associate
The Richard and Elizabeth Currie Chair
in Health Professions Education Research
at University Health Network
Ellena Andoniou PhD
Dr Ellena Andoniou joins us from Western University, bringing more than 15 years’ experience working in Canadian and international roles at the intersection of global health, development, equity and women's issues. Most recently, as a Research Associate in One Health, she has been exploring community health worker's experiences as agents of behaviour change in the context of human and zoonotic tuberculosis in Kenya. Prior to this, she was the Program Manager for a health systems project aimed at improving maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) in Rwanda and Burundi funded by Global Affairs Canada. Her expertise in and strong passion for global health began with a research and service-learning program that partners with women’s groups in East Africa to introduce probiotic yogurt to help address the health, social, and economic impacts of HIV/AIDS.
Ellena brings over a decade of field work expertise in research, managing projects and working with grassroots organizations in Canada, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, and Uganda, focusing on HIV/AIDS, nutrition, MNCH, women’s empowerment and health equity. She brings extensive first-hand experience from her research and professional collaborations working closely with community members, NGOs, academic, health-care and research institutions.