Featured Members

Dr. Hassan Vatanparast, MD, PhD, is a Professor with Joint Appointment to the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan. His journey into the realm of public health is not merely marked by academic accolades but is deeply rooted in a purpose for equitable healthcare access, particularly for vulnerable populations such as immigrants and refugees. 

Researcher, Educator, Advocate

Originally hailing from Mashhad, Iran, Hassan’s early encounters with...

Janelle Benjamin is a Juris Doctor with almost 20 years of experience in diversity and inclusion, accessibility, and human rights. Her journey to becoming a leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is shaped by her unique background and a strong commitment to justice. Born in Canada to immigrant parents from Trinidad and Tobago, she faced the challenges of being a first-generation Canadian, dealing with issues of identity and acceptance.

Navigating Identity and Overcoming Barriers

Growing...

Rola El Moubadder is the Program Manager at CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses (CARE Centre ), with a career spanning over 27 years in nursing. Her journey commenced when she gained her bachelor’s degree in science and nursing at the American University of Beirut in 1995, after which she served as a bedside nurse from 1995 to 1999, cultivating a deep understanding of the nuances involved in delivering high-quality healthcare. Recognizing the significance of nurturing the next...

Mohja Alia is the Manager of Employment and Bridging Programs at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). Mohja oversees employment and bridging programs and services that support immigrants in Nova Scotia and pre-arrival to Canada. She is an accomplished professional who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1997 as an immigrant from Jordan.  

Like many immigrant families, Mohja and her family came to Nova Scotia eager to contribute to their new home as entrepreneurs who dreamt of starting a...

Bianca Briciu is assistant professor at the Providence School of Transformative Leadership and Spirituality, Saint Paul University. With a profound fascination for unlocking human potential across various dimensions of intelligence—ranging from cognitive to emotional and spiritual—she stands as a dedicated educator and researcher. Her current focus lies at the intersection of emotional and spiritual intelligence, positive psychology, mindfulness and transformative leadership.

Bianca’s Longing...

This blog is re-posted from October 2021.

Dr. Annalee Coakley is the Co-Chair of the N4 Advisory Committee, the Physician Lead of the Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic, and the Medical Director of the Calgary Refugee Health Program in Calgary, Alberta. Dr. Coakley initially became interested in medicine by reading The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance by Laurie Garrett, which piqued her interest in tropical diseases. After graduating as a family physician, she further pursued...

Cindy Dawson is the Clinical Manager of 1Call1Click.ca, an initiative of the Kids Come First Health Team, providing mental health, addiction and substance use health care for children and youth based out of CHEO. Cindy has two decades of experience working in the children and youth mental health space and shares this expertise as an N4 subject matter expert.

Prior to moving into management, Cindy gained front-line experience working with children and youth as a Certified Child and Youth Counsellor...

Jennifer Lopez is registered nurse (RN) and patient care coordinator, as well as the President of the Integrated Filipino Canadian Nurses Association (IFCNA). N4 is grateful to have Jennifer’s valued perspective as Co-Facilitator of N4’s Community of Practice Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Lived Experience Consulting Group. This group provided invaluable guidance in the development of N4’s recently published report, Welcoming Internationally Educated Nurses into the Canadian Health Care...

Dr. Tanya Lentz, R. Psych. is a registered psychologist in Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Northwest Territories, with over 20 years of experience providing care for diverse populations,  including newcomers. Dr. Lentz is a valued member of the N4 Advisory Committee and serves as an N4 subject matter expert where she shares her expertise with the wider N4 community through webinars and trainings on topics ranging from the parentification of newcomer children and youth to  professional boundaries for...

Tim Guest is the CEO and Past President of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and the former board member of several other nursing associations and colleges across Canada. Now in his fourth decade as a registered nurse (RN), he has applied his nursing and management skills in rural and urban organizations to direct care, clinical nursing unit management, and executive leadership, as well as healthcare consulting, and now nursing advocacy and policy at the national level.

When Tim graduated with...