Roberto BAZZANI - IDRC Senior Program Specialist,  Ecohealth 

A medical doctor with a Master’s degree in Public Health and expertise in public health and health administration (Université Catholique de Louvain). Dr. Bazzani has several years of experience in ecosystem approaches to human health, health policy and systems research and community health. He has held teaching positions at the Faculty of Medicine (Universidad de la República, Uruguay) and worked as Chief of the Planning Department of the Food National Institute in Uruguay

John A. BENAVIDES 

John Alexander Benavides es médico- cirujano de la Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, actualmente está desarrollando estudios  de Maestría en Salud y Seguridad en el Trabajo en la Universidad Nacional  de Colombia. Ha trabajado con comunidades de indígenas, a través de organizaciones no gubernamentales en la protección al derecho a la salud, territorio y seguridad alimentaria de estas poblaciones. Actualmente está investigando las condiciones de trabajo, practicas culturales y el uso de plaguicidas en las comunidades campesinas  del altiplano cundi-boyacense en Colombia.

John Richard (Jack) BEND

Jack Bend, PhD is a Professor in the Departments of Pathology; Pharmacology & Physiology; and Paediatrics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario (UWO). He was a scientist at the US National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH) from 1970-86 and  Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at UWO from 1986-2000. Professor Bend is the co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed articles describing original research findings in the areas of molecular and environmental pharmacology and toxicology. His current research includes multi-disciplinary community-based collaborative ecosystem health projects with the Walpole Island First Nation in Canada. He is a member of the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA); of the Ontario Pesticide Advisory Committee; and of the Chemicals Management Plan Challenge Advisory Panel, advisory to Health Canada and Environment Canada with regard to the toxicity of industrial chemicals, and previously served as the President of the Society of Toxicology of Canada.

Ana Amelia BOISCHIO - IDRC Senior Program Specialist,  Ecohealth

Ana Boischio is an expert in analyzing the impacts of the environment on human health, particularly in the developing world.  For example, she oversees IDRC research projects that examine the links among environmental pollution and/or communicable diseases with social, economic and cultural aspects to address health among vulnerable communities. Boischio has conducted research on mercury pollution among the riverside people in the Amazonian ecosystems, and heavy metals pollution in coastal fishing communities in Brazil – the themes of most of her publications.  She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at public Brazilian universities on topics related to environmental health. Boischio holds a PhD in Environmental Science from Indiana University and a MSc in Environmental Health from the University of Dundee, Scotland.

Jaime BREILH    

Ecuadorian scientist in the field of epidemiology; senior member of Ecuadorian Academy of Medicine; presently Director (dean) of the Health Area of the Andean University of Ecuador; founder and coordinator of the international organizing committee for the Andean Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Executive Director of the Health Research and Advisory Center of Quito. Has fostered a new school of Latin American thought in public health and the development of critical (social) epidemiology. His publications, widely distributed in Spanish and Portuguese throughout Latin America, have pioneered a series of theoretical, methodological and empirical advances in the area of social epidemiology, research methodology and epistemology of science; his works stress the need for incorporating relations among the social, ethnic and gender dimensions of social reproduction and health determination. Dr. Breilh has also pioneered innovation in health surveillance, creating instruments for participatory monitoring like the stress scale (called EPISTRES), that is now used for research on social determinants of stress. He co-authored the PENTOX system, for participatory research on neurotoxic and psychotoxic disturbances produced by exposure to pesticides; incorporating those monitoring standards in the “HealthyFlower” information system, which supports a Flower Label Program to ensure appropriate internationally recognized good agro-industrial practices. He has received many prizes and awards for his work and publications including an Honoris Causa Doctorate and various titles of Honorary Professor of some of the main universities of Latin America. Member of the editorial boards of various public health and ecohealth journals.

The Ecuadorian researcher has become a leader in the development of public policy to support the right to health as Coordinator of the International Forum on Constitutional Processes in Latin America; including the Forum on Constitutional Processes and Health (Feb. 27-29, 2008) in Quito.

Presently he is organizing at Universidad Andina the PhD Andean Program on Society, Environment and Health which will become a leading nucleus in community driven interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research and intervention geared towards the development of an Andean National Program for Fair and Sustainable Agro-industry and Mining, dedicated to the implementation of sustainable and systems of rural production and urban development and linked to an Andean Commission of Social Determinants of Health monitoring projects for Ecuador.

Gabriel CARRASQUILLA

Angel Marcelo CEVALLOS VALLEJOS   

"Marcelo Cevallos Vallejos es un Ingeniero Agrónomo con Maestría en Biología Vegetal y un Doctorado en Ciencias Agrícolas. Fue investigador Postgraduado en el Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas en Cuba dónde investigó las técnicas biotecnológicas aplicadas a la reproducción de plantas de interés comercial, mediante la identificación de marcadores moleculares y uso de nuevos biorreguladores. También ha trabajado en la formulación, ejecución y evaluación de proyectos en los ámbitos de soberanía alimentaría, producción agro ecológica en fincas, formación de promotores agro ecológicos y socio-ambientales, economía solidaria, desarrollo de microempresas comunitarias en la Fundación de Campesinos María Luisa Gómez de la Torre en Ecuador. A través de su experiencia académica, el Dr. Cevallos ha trabajado en distintas instituciones incluyendo Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias en la Escuela Politécnica del Ejército, Universidad Católoca del Ecuadro (sede Ibarra), Universidad Estatal de Bolívar y la Universidad de Columbia Británica del Canadá. También ha desempeñado funciones como evaludor científico de proyectos de la Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de Ecuador, Asesor Técnico del Ministro de Agricultura, y servicios de consultoría con diversas instituciones públicas y privadas."

Irena CREED   

Dr. Creed is Canada Research Chair in Watershed Sciences, Director of the Watershed Research Facility, and co-Director of the Centre for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Western Ontario located in London, Canada. Dr. Creed’s research involves investigation of ecosystem health at various forested and non-forested watersheds across Canada and Kenya representing different degrees of human activity.  Common themes to Dr. Creed’s research includes: 1) understanding the natural range in variation of watershed functions; 2) establishing critical thresholds in land use/land cover change beyond which watershed functions become impaired; 3) scaling watershed processes from catchment to regional scales; and 4) translating numerical models into indices that can be applied to resource management decisions.  Dr. Creed uses a combination of advanced monitoring, analytical and modeling techniques to analyze watershed processes. A key component of her work is the translation of scientific results for policy and management through participatory workshops.

Donald Charles COLE   

Donald trained as a physician at the University of Toronto (1978). He then practiced primary care, public health, occupational health and environmental health in a variety of settings in Canada and developing countries. In a community medicine residency at McMaster University he completed a Masters in Design, Measurement and Evaluation of Health Services (1991), and went on to quality as a Royal College fellow in Occupational Medicine (1990) and Community Medicine (1992). He developed a longstanding relationship with the International Potato Center (CIP) around agriculture and health research for development, with a particular focus on pesticides, urban agriculture and nutrition. A Tri-Council Eco-Research fellowship in environmental epidemiology and the role of Interim Director of Research followed by Senior Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health fostered his focus on research. As a tenured Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto, he currently teaches, mentors, does research, and contributes research evidence to public health practice both in Canada and internationally. Most recently he has taken up chairing the Capacity Development task group of the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research.

François GASENGAYIRE  

François Gasengayire obtained his Doctorate of Science (Organic Chemistry) in 1980 from the l'Université Catholique de Louvain. Following this, he became a professor at the National University of Rwanda. He was also the Director General of Scientific and Technical Research at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Rwanda. He then became the Director General of the Research Institute of Science and Technology (IRST) in Rwanda from 1989 until1994, where he helped establish a research programme that focussed on Pharmacopoeia and Traditional Medicine. Since 1994, he has been the Lead Researcher for the project Réseau africain de valorisation des matières végétales/Afrique . He is also an active member of the Working Group on Medicinal Plants at IDRC.

Alicia IGLESIAS - IDRC Research Officer, Ecohealth   

Alicia joined IDRC in 2003, as Research Officer in the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, LACRO. Alicia has extensive academic and professional experience in urban planning and management, in particular, in developing countries. She is an urban planner and architect by training, with a Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Urban Planning and Development at the Development Planning Unit of the University College London UCL, University of London. She also holds a Master´s Degree in Regional and Local Development from the Catholic University of Uruguay. As an urban planner, she has been part of multidisciplinary teams carrying out urban development projects in the LAC region, promoted by international institutions, such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the Global Environment Facility, United Nations Environment Program UNEP, European Union, among others. Since 1995 she was a lecturer at the School of Architecture and Planning of the University of Uruguay. From 2000 to 2003 she was the Academic Coordinator of the MSc Course in Territorial Planning and Urban Development.

Fadya OROZCO   

Fadya Orozco es Médica con maestría en Salud y Desarrollo otorgada por el 'The Royal Tropical Institute de Ámsterdam, Holanda", estudios de medicina comunitaria en Israel en el Instituto Internacional Histadrut. Experiencia de trabajo en formación de recursos humanos con varias universidades de Ecuador, salud comunitaria, e investigación aplicada a las ciencias sociales, fue consultora responsable del Banco Mundial en aspectos de reforma y descentralización en salud en Ecuador. Desde hace dos años ejerce como coordinadora y co-investigadora del proyecto Ecosalud: plaguicidas y papa salud en el Centro Internacional de la Papa.

Margot PARKES

Following medical training and work as a physician in New Zealand, Margot Parkes has spent the last decade gaining insights into the scholarship of teaching and learning across the fields of global health, development and ecosystem sustainability. Through research, education and capacity-building projects in New Zealand, Belgium, Switzerland, Ecuador and Hawaii, Dr. Parkes has developed experience in designing and evaluating interdisciplinary and experiential education programs - including community-based programs, community-service learning, practicums and electives. Drawing on her interests in programs that cross sectors and disciplines, Dr. Parkes’ current research focuses on student and faculty learning through involvement in experiential education initiatives that span global health, environment and development issues.

Dr. Margot Parkes is currently Assistant Project Director of international and interdisciplinary training and capacity building project entitled ‘Sustainably Managing Environmental Health Risks in Ecuador’. Funded by the University Partnership in Cooperation and Development (UPCD) program of the Canadian International Development Agency, the project is based on collaboration between universities and colleagues in Canada, Ecuador, Mexico and Cuba and has recently launched a community-based, interdisciplinary Masters program with three universities in Ecuador focused on ecosystem approaches to human health (Maestria en Salud con Enfoque Ecosistemica, see www.cih.ubc.ca). In addition to her role in curriculum coordination and integration for this project, Dr. Parkes is a Post-Doctoral Fellow with the UBC Department of Health Care and Epidemiology and is founding Managing Editor of EcoHealth, an international, interdisciplinary journal and promotes learning, scholarship and integration between human, wildlife and ecosystem health (see www.ecohealth.net)

William SHIVOGA

Ylonka TILLERIA