Our Trainees
Early-career professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, and practitioners learning and contributing through the Network’s programs
Khadija Aliyeva
Khadija Aliyeva is an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in the Social Sciences. She previously graduated summa cum laude with an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences. Khadija is a Research Assistant at the University of Ottawa and a volunteer Research Intern at Perley Health, where she contributes to projects that advance the care of older adults. Her research interests focus on health equity, aging, and the development of innovative solutions to improve the quality of care for underserved populations.
- Email:kaliy012@uottawa.ca
Jack Robertson
Jack Robertson is a PhD student at the Advanced Care Research Centre, University of Edinburgh. He holds MA (Hons) in Politics from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Public Policy and Management from the University of Glasgow. His research has focused on the data governance models being promoted by national governments across Europe. His PhD work explores the design and development of personal data stores to be used by health and social care services.
- Email:s1441990@ed.ac.uk
Varun Sai
Varun Sai is a PhD candidate, at the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh. As a scholar of Science Technology Innovation Studies and an IT engineer by training, Varun’s PhD aims to explore the implementation and evaluation of digital technologies for integrating health and social care. Additionally, Varun has experience as a social care worker in Edinburgh, which has furthered his interest in this area.
- Email:V.Sai@sms.ed.ac.uk
David Vaca-Benavides
David Vaca-Benavides is pursuing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC). His expertise includes electronic design for health monitoring systems, projects on gait analysis in Parkinson’s, impedance spectroscopy for pulmonary oedema, and tibial nerve stimulation for overactive bladder syndrome. His research interests include biomedical engineering applications and the adoption of technology, particularly for older adults.
Faaria Fatima
Faaria Fatima is a recent graduate of Carleton University. She earned a Bachelor of Health Sciences with a concentration in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Biology, graduating with distinction. She was previously associated with the Council on Aging as a field placement student, where she contributed to projects focusing on the interaction between transportation and social isolation among older adults. Passionate about promoting healthy aging, Faaria is particularly interested in addressing the challenges faced by older populations and is eager to support initiatives that enhance their well-being, independence, and quality of life.
Womor Havor-Nutogo
Womor Havor-Nutogo is a Biomedical Science student at the University of Ottawa. She is a research volunteer at Perley Health currently working on her first scoping review project. She has also worked at Perley as a Summer Youth Program Assistant. This management role allowed her to co-lead a group of 45 teenage volunteers throughout their placements, from interviews and orientation to end-of-summer recognition. Womor herself is very passionate about helping others and completed 300+ volunteer hours in high school. After finishing undergraduate studies, Womor plans to pursue a career in medicine or research.
- Email:whavo052@uottawa.ca
Zayd Naveed Juwle
Zayd Naveed Juwle is a Health Sciences undergraduate student at Carleton University with a concentration in Biomedicine. He is a research intern at Perley Health, contributing to a scoping review on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in long-term care settings. He also participated in the Tiny Earth project, through which he discovered a novel antibiotic-producing Paenarthrobacter isolate and co-authoured research on biosynthetic gene clusters with potential antimicrobial applications. His interests lie at the intersection of antimicrobial resistance, biomedical innovation, and improving care for disadvantaged populations.Dr. Chan took the scenic route in his career, completing a degree in mechanical biomedical engineering before completing medical school. Desiring to return to technology development and research, he completed his PhD in biomedical engineering and a post-doctoral fellowship in rehabilitation medicine, developing, validating and evaluating technologies for aging-in-place and digital health platforms for improved access to care. He joined the Glenrose Research and Innovation team as senior program lead in 2023, and leads the technology development and industry partnerships group to create, test and bring in new technologies for the hospital. He is also interested in clinical research with older adults, with a focus on appraising clinical evidence and evaluating technologies for older adult rehabilitation.
Aditya Lumb
Aditya Lumb is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University pursing a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences. He is a Research Assistant at Queen’s University and a volunteer Research Intern at Perley Health, where he is involved in projects focusing on the care of older adults. His research interests include aging, population health and cardiovascular health.
- Email:23xq39@queensu.ca
Lucas Scarvelis
Lucas Scarvelis is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University. He is a Research Assistant at Queen’s, with a focus on emergency medicine policies and the diagnosis of clotting disorders. He also volunteers as a Research Intern at Perley Health, supporting research initiatives that seek to improve the health of long-term care residents. Lucas plans to apply to medical school with the goal of specializing in psychiatry. His research interests include healthy aging, cognitive decline, and mental health.Gemma has a professional background in the UK public sector, which inspires her research on the social and political organisation of health and social care. Following her doctoral research on integrated health and social care, Gemma has developed a programme of research that includes the navigation and provision of technology-enabled health and social care, shared decision-making and public experiences of regulatory processes.
Nathalie Todam Nguepnang
Nathalie Todam Nguepnang is a PhD candidate in Population Health at the University of Ottawa and a trained physiotherapist. Her research focuses on health technologies, particularly assistive innovations to improve the quality of life for older adults, with attention to ethical issues they may raise. She specializes in qualitative methods and collaborates within interdisciplinary research teams on projects aimed at enhancing patient care and conditions. In these collaborations, she brings clinical expertise that bridges theory and practice, ensuring relevance to real-world healthcare settings. Her work advances inclusive, person-centred innovation grounded in both research and lived experience.Dr. Juzwishin brings over 40 years of experience in health care administration, research, and education with a focus on the effective integration of science and values to shape health policy, drive health care reform, and advance health informatics. He is lead author of the book, AgeTech Innovations in Healthcare for Older Adults (April 2025), published by Springer Naure.
- Email:ntoda065@uottawa.ca
Alex Spencer
Alex Spencer is an undergraduate student at Queen’s University, pursing a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences. He is a volunteer Research Intern at Perley Health, where he is involved in projects aimed at enhancing care for older adults through innovative technologies. His research interests include aging and older adult care, the integration of technology in health systems, and supplement use in athletic performance.
Danielle has a Master of Arts in Gerontology, with a concentration in health and aging. She has over 15 years’ experience in health research and clinical operations focused on older adults. Her current role at Perley Health involves leading the Centre of Excellence, which conducts innovative, applied research and evaluation activities aimed at improving care and quality of life for older adults living with frailty and mobilizes this knowledge throughout the sector.
Deniz Hepdogan
Deniz Hepdogan holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Media and Visual Arts, followed by an MSc in Cognitive Systems and Interactive Media, driven by her interest in assistive technology. She gained research experience in interdisciplinary, international labs, emphasizing participatory design. Currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh's Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC), her research explores how music can be utilised in novel technologies for the care of ageing population.
Praveena Santhakumaran
Praveena Santhakumaran, MHI, is a Product Manager at a pharmacy software company, where she examines the integration of artificial intelligence into clinical care, and a researcher at Perley Health. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Master of Health Informatics program, she brings a strong background in health systems research, with prior work addressing aging, sensory impairment, and rural maternal health. Her current research investigates the ethical and practical implications of AI in long-term care homes, emphasizing equity, accessibility, and implementation.
Lisa Dona Bonhomme
Lisa Dona Bonhomme is a Master’s student at the University of Ottawa (uOttawa), focusing on immigrant women’s access to reproductive health services in Canada. She holds a medical degree from the University Notre Dame of Haiti. Lisa is a volunteer researcher at Perley Health and is interested in palliative care and supporting individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities. She is dedicated to bridging public health, clinical practice, and health systems to create meaningful, lasting impact.
- Email:ntoda065@uottawa.ca
Abina Ananthakumar
Abina Ananthakumar is a first-year undergraduate student at McMaster University, pursuing a Bachelor of Sciences in the Life Sciences program. She is currently involved in research focused on geriatric care and health equity, primarily with an interest in improving quality of life and care for older adults. Through her volunteer work with local hospitals and non-profit organizations, such as Perley Health, she explores the human side of healthcare through meaningful community engagement and aims to bridge scientific research with compassionate patient-centred care.
Aamna Hasan
Aamna Hasan, a fourth-year Health Sciences student at Carleton University (concentration: Disability and Chronic Illness; minor: Business Entrepreneurship), works as a Medical Office Assistant at Greenbelt Family Health Team and Behaviour Therapist at MCBehaviour Services, while volunteering at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice. In her capstone research project at Perley Health, she is conducting an environmental scan and policy framework for AI in Canadian long-term care homes. Through her work at Perley, she contributes to the digital health and AI implementation in long-term care.
- Email:ntoda065@uottawa.ca
Om Patel
Om Patel is an undergraduate student at McMaster University pursuing a Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc). He is a research assistant at McMaster University and Queen’s University, as well as Perley Health, where he leads and contributes to various projects that advance the care of older adults and individuals affected by cancer. His research interests focus on machine learning and large language models, with applications in geriatrics, oncology, and advancing health equity for underserved populations.
Adeena Qudra
Adeena Qudrat is a second-year medical
student with a multidisciplinary
background in health sciences,
psychology, and neuroscience. She holds
an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Health
Sciences with a minor in Psychology and
a Master’s in Neuroscience from the
University of Ottawa. Since 2024, Adeena
has been a Research Intern at Perley
Health, contributing to projects focused on
improving the care and well-being of older
adults in long-term care settings. Her
research interests include aging,
neurodegenerative disorders, and the
development of innovative approaches to
enhance health outcomes in geriatric
populations.
Email: aqudr103@uottawa.ca
- Email:ntoda065@uottawa.ca