The Team
The Health: Science, Technology and Policy (HSTP) graduate program combines expertise from science, business, social sciences, arts and humanities, and public administration to focus on the broad and multi-faceted challenges within the health sector.
The program provides students with the skills and training required to work at the interface between research and policy through student collaboration in multidisciplinary research teams. In addition to varying academic backgrounds, the team has a diverse spectrum of expertise and interests outside of the capstone project.
Sarah Ambrose completed her BSc Honours in Human Biology at the University of Toronto and is currently completing her MSc in the HSTP program at Carleton University. She has worked on various research projects on the topics of; integrated knowledge translation in environmental health, accessibility of primary health care services, and the regionalization of health care in Canada. Her interests include knowledge mobilization and health promotion. Outside her Masters, she is an active volunteer in the community, and has recently participated in the first of its kind creative arts reminiscence program for families living with dementia in Canada. Sarah currently works as a Project officer for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Jason DiMuzio is a student of the MSc. HSTP program at Carleton University, and has worked in several scientific and risk management roles at Health Canada since 2011. Jason graduated in 2011 with an BSc Honours with Specialization in Chemistry from the University of Ottawa. He has specific experience in plain language communication of scientific texts, health product evaluation, and policy analysis. Jason lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Neerija Kumar finished her undergrad in Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo and has since worked for recreation departments at various municipal governments, developing programs in health and community engagement. She is currently finishing her MSc in the HSTP program at Carleton University. Neerija is highly ambitious about pursuing a career in Global Health and currently works at Grand Challenges Canada: a think-tank that specializes in funding health innovations in developing countries. Next year, she plans to travel to Myanmar to develop and monitor a novel gender equity project for survivors of gender-based violence. When she isn’t working on the capstone project, she enjoys long distance running and playing the violin.
Ariel Root completed her BSc Honours in Food Science, and 
Nutrition at Carleton University in 2013, and is currently finishing her MSc in the HSTP program at Carleton. Since 2012, Ariel has worked the summer months in Kenora, Ontario as a forest fire fighter, where she was recently inspired to contribute a 10-blog series to the Canadian Health Adaptations, Innovations, and Mobilization (CHAIM) Centre at Carleton in 2015, all of which focus on the influence of social determinants of health in First Nations populations. She is interested in the social, physical, and historical factors within an environment, and how they impact the overall well-being of a community, particularly as they relate to First Nations communities.
Monica Shehata has a BSc in Health Studies with an Option in Health Informatics from the University of Waterloo. She is currently completing her MSc in HSTP program at Carleton University. Monica also works for Natural Resources Canada as a Junior Policy Analyst. She has experience in research, policy development, policy briefs, professional and academic presentations, as well as working with regional public health units to promote health at the community level. Her interests include: policy development, public health, mental health, social determinants of health, and developing a system in which the health of the public can be supported and improved.
Renate Ysseldyk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Carleton University. Her research focuses on social determinants of health, particularly among vulnerable populations (e.g., older populations, women who have experienced abuse, threatened groups or individuals). She is interested in the influence of psychosocial factors, and especially religious group identity, on coping with stressful experiences including discrimination, identity-threatening environments, and stressors associated with aging. Renate is an affiliate member of the CHAIM Centre at Carleton.
Paul Villeneuve is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Carleton University, as well as cross appointed in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. Paul is an environmental and occupational epidemiologist, and biostatistician. His work focusses on the impacts of air pollution and the built environments on the development of chronic disease, and is involved in several studies investigating occupational causes of cancer. Additionally, Paul is an Affiliate Scientist at the Ontario Occupational Cancer Research Centre in Toronto, a Senior Editor for the Canadian Journal of Public Health, and an Associate Editor for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada. Recently, Paul became an affiliate member of the CHAIM Centre at Carleton.