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Published on December 18, 2025
Thank you for your continued support, engagement, and invaluable contributions to our global health research community here at the Dahdaleh Institute. Happy holidays and cheers to a new year!
In a panel event moderated by DI research fellow Syed Imran Ali, three experts Dr. Ahmad Abu Shaban, DI community fellow Dr. Reem Abu Shomar, and Dr. Mohammed Al Barayka highlighted that the international community including researchers and scholars in universities in Canada have an ethical responsibility to challenge misinformation around Israel’s genocide in Gaza by supporting Palestinian knowledge production efforts. Partnering with Palestinian academics and experts, empowering them, and amplifying their voices are essential efforts to help Palestinians rebuild their institutions.
"We are proud and elated to support seventeen exceptional graduate scholars whose research will advance impactful scholarly and real-world contributions to global health across a diverse range of faculties and programs at York University," said Professor Mary Wiktorowicz, Interim director of the Dahdaleh Institute.
Led by DI faculty fellow Benedict Weobong, the Heat Exposure, Sleep, Cognition and MentAl Health: Mechanisms of Climate Change ImPacts on VulnErable Groups in Two Sub-Saharan Africa Countries (HEATSCAPE-Africa) is an international collaboration that explores the relationship between climate-related heat and mental-health. The Wellcome Trust-funded project also supports partners from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK) and community partners in Africa, including Navrongo Health Research Centre (Ghana), Kintampo Health Research Centre (Ghana), and Kgotso Development Trust (Zimbabwe).
The Safe Water Optimization (SWOT) team has been busy in 2025. Here are some of their humanitarian water engineering accomplishments:
- provided technical WASH advice for humanitarian responders in Gaza
- released two new publications:
- in PLOS Water, 'Training for the Test: Using Multi-Objective Training To Improve ANN Ensemble Forecasts of Household Residual Chlorine in Emergencies'
- in BMJ Global Health, 'Proof-of-Concept Evaluation at Cox’s Bazar of the Safe Water Optimization Tool: Water Quality Modelling for Safe Water Supply in Humanitarian Emergencies'
- launched new humanitarian health research collaborations in Uganda
This new pre-print by DI faculty fellow Martin Bunch and Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholars Nilanjana Ganguli and Brian Waters presents a comparative assessment of two international development projects in South Sudan that seek to improve access to and control over food, nutrition, income and resources, and to encourage families and communities to support gender equality: the Fortifying Equality and Economic Diversification for Resilience (FEED II) and Asset Creation and Livelihoods.
The Social Science & Health Innovation for Tuberculosis (SSHIFTB) team had an impact-filled year. Here are some of their biggest accomplishments in 2025:
- launched the SSHRC-funded project 'Developing a Global Framework To Address Gender-Based Violence in Women Affected by TB
- published two new papers:
- in American Journal of Health Promotion, 'Aligning Health Promotion Principles With Health Behavior Practice: Experiences With Qualitative Tuberculosis Research'
- in PLOS Global Public Health, 'Fighting Tuberculosis Hand in Hand: A Call To Engage Communities Affected by TB as Essential Partners in Research'
- organized a public lecture with Prof. Madhukar Pai on Expanding the Imagination and Solution Space in Global Health (1 hour 20 mins)
Following the sixth annual Critical Perspective for Global Health Research (CPGH) workshop, two York University researchers were awarded $7,000 seed grants to initiate novel and innovative ideas that take a critical social science approach to global health research. The winning proposals were DI faculty fellow Rachel Silver's project on Reconfigurations and Refusals: Forging Futures Beyond Aid in Malawi', and DI research fellow Fawzia Gibson-Fall's project on 'Researching the Role of Security Actors in Global Health'.
The Dahdaleh Institute collaborated with a group of outstanding global health interns this year on research projects, studying maternal health and climate change in Guatemala, supporting social scientists in tuberculosis research, designing and implementing experiential learning initiatives, assessing the gendered impacts of tobacco control interventions, and more.
The Wellness Impact Lab (WIL) released its first major academic publication in the Journal of Climate Change and Health, titled 'Climate Cafés as a Space for Navigating Climate Emotions: A Scoping Review' – a groundbreaking systematic review of the growing community-based approach to addressing the emotional impacts of the climate crisis.
Featured on the CBC, DI faculty fellow Stephanie Gora and Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholar Caroline Duncan published a paper in Water Research that looked at contaminants in the water supply, and found issues predominantly with water in people’s tanks and taps. This new research in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, has found elevated levels of copper and lead in some of the community’s buildings.
The Biodiversity Integration in Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Actions for Planet, People, and Human Health (BioCAM4) Consortium's first official paper was published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, titled 'Beyond Nature-based Solutions: The case for Integrated Nature-Climate Action.' It presents a broader framework to address the systemic drivers of the environmental crisis, the paper challenges the growing reliance on ecosystem-based solutions as a one-size-fits-all approach to integrating biodiversity into climate policy.
Theresa Dinh, Institute coordinator, was recognized with the 2024 Gary Brewer Emerging Leader Award– a distinction for an early-career professional who has demonstrated significant promise of leadership and has significantly contributed to York University. Over the past seven years, she has been a foundational force behind the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research’s success by establishing the administrative & operational frameworks. Congratulations, Theresa!
Our members worked on some incredible projects and had some impressive achievements this year; so many that we couldn't fit them all into one newsletter. Here's some news and updates you may have missed:
Planetary Health
- Chiara Camponeschi convened a two-part session at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers in Detroit, Michigan.
- Ana Carolina de Almeida Cardoso attended UN climate negotiations ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
- Raphael Aguiar was interviewed in the Global Strategy Lab - AMR Policy Accelerator's podcast episode on New Conceptions to Manage AMR
Humanitarianism
- Ian Garrett published an article in Art & Health, titled 'The Role of the Arts at the Intersection of Climate Change and Public Health: Findings From an International Survey'
- The 2025 World Health Assembly Simulation (WHA SIM) brought students, experts, and global health leaders together to tackle pressing health issues, focusing this year's discussions around Combating Antimicrobial Resistance: All for Health, Health for All.
- Godfred Boateng was featured in YFile, discussing his Retooling Black Anxiety project.
Foresighting
- Chloe Clifford Astbury, Kirsten Lee, Shital Desai, Tarra Penney, Cary Wu, and Mary Wiktorowicz published a paper in BMJ Global Health, titled "Wildlife policy, the food system and One Health: a complex systems analysis of unintended consequences for the prevention of emerging zoonoses in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Philippines."
- Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network (AI4PEP) was featured at the 2025 Global Conference on Climate and Health in Brazil, hosted by the Government of Brazil, World Health Organization, and the Pan American Health Organization.
- Eric Asempah and Mary Wiktorowicz published a paper in SAGE Cancer Control, titled 'Challenges and Opportunities for Cervical Cancer Prevention Through HPV Vaccination in Ghana: A Public Health Policy Analysis'
Here is a preview of our exciting events for 2026 - register below:
- January 14: Unpacking the Polycrisis: Transforming Capitalism’s Existential Health Threats, with Ronald Labonté
- February 4: The Afterlives of the Clinic: AMR, Conflict, and the Future of Global Health, with Omar Dewachi
- February 17-20: Introduction to Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis Course
- April 1: Navigating Complexity: Indigenous Health, Public Policy, and Intergovernmental Collaboration, with Sandra Romain
& sign up for our newsletter!
Themes | Global Health & Humanitarianism, Global Health Foresighting, Planetary Health |
Status | Active |
Related Work |
HEATSCAPE-Africa | Project
BioCAM4: Biodiversity Integration in Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Actions for Planet, People, and Human Health | Project World Health Assembly Simulation | Project Global Health: Wellness Impact Lab (WIL) | Project Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network | Project Social Science & Health Innovations for Tuberculosis | Project, Research Critical Perspectives in Global Health | Project, Research Safe Water Optimization Tool | Project, Research |
Updates |
N/A
|
People |
Mary E. Wiktorowicz, Interim Director - Active
Tarra Penney, Interim Associate Director - Active Syed Imran Ali, Research Fellow, Global Health and Humanitarianism - Active Stephanie Gora, Faculty Fellow, Lassonde School of Engineering - Active Shital Desai, Faculty Fellow, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design - Active Reem Abu Shomar, Community Fellow, Global Health and Humanitarianism - Active Raphael Aguiar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Health & Humanitarianism and Planetary Health - Active Rachel Silver, Faculty Fellow, Faculty of Education - Active Martin J. Bunch, Faculty Fellow, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change - Active Kirsten Lee, CIHR Health System Impact Fellow - Active Ian Garrett, Faculty Fellow, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design - Active Godfred Boateng, Faculty Fellow, Faculty of Health - Active Fawzia Gibson-Fall, Research Fellow, Global Health & Humanitarianism - Active Eric Asempah, Community Fellow, Global Health Foresighting - Active Chloe Clifford Astbury, Research Fellow, Global Food System & Policy - Alum Chiara Camponeschi, Community Fellow, Environmental Health - Active Cary Wu, Faculty Fellow, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies - Active Benedict Weobong, Faculty Fellow, Faculty of Health - Active Nilanjana Ganguli, Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholar, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change - Active Caroline Diana Duncan, Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholar, Lassonde School of Engineering [FW23-24; FW24-25] - Alum Brian Waters, Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholar, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change - Active Ana Carolina de Almeida Cardoso, Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholar, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change - Active Theresa Dinh, Institute Coordinator - Active |
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