Speakers
Professor Brian Ward
Faculty of Medicine – Medical Microbiology, Centre for the Study of Host Resistance
Dr. Brian Ward is a professor of Medicine & Microbiology at McGill University, past-Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (Fundamental Science), Co-Director of the McGill Vaccine Study Centre and Associate Director of the JD MacLean Center for Tropical Diseases. Dr. Ward is an expert on many aspects of infectious diseases, from influenza viruses to blood-borne parasitic infections. His research is conducted in Montreal and around the world, and is supported by Canadian and international funding agencies, as well as private foundations and industry. Dr. Ward serves on a wide range of government and industry advisory committees related to vaccines, vaccine safety, international health and parasitology. He was a key media spokesperson during the SARS outbreak and recent H1N1 pandemic. In addition to his positions at McGill and the MUHC, Dr. Ward is Director of Health Canada’s National Reference Centre for Parasitology (NRCP).
Dana Jamaleddine
Co-Founder, Community in Transition
Dana Jamaleddine is the cofounder of Community in Transition, a non-profit, student-ed organization in Montreal that strives to aid the homeless community in Montreal. Our work centres around direct aid for those individuals unable or unwilling to use the current shelters, the issue of homelessness as a systematic flaw, and possible paths towards inclusive, empowering, and sustainable solutions.
Beatrice Ayinkamiye
U0 Science, McGill University
Beatrice Ayinkamiye, a student at McGill University matriculated in the class of 2018 as a MasterCard Foundation Scholar. The MasterCard Foundation Scholarship Program recognizes academically talented students with outstanding leadership skills who have shown strong interests in giving back to their community. Beatrice is a U0 Science Student , who has shown remarkable desire to impact her community and intends to major in Biochemistry with a long term goal of becoming a physician. In her talk, “The Community larger than self”, Beatrice shares her interests in medicine and describes what it means to her to be part of a student organization as MEDLIFE. Beatrice believes that the skills she is gaining from McGill and MEDLIFE, the growing network and experiences she is getting together with the perspectives that she holds will guide her in positively impacting in her community.
Workshops
HeartHeroesX
HeartHeroesX is a fun and engaging, non-profit educational workshop that looks to enhance high school education in Toronto through hands-on pig heart dissections and case studies on congenital heart disease. HeartHeroesX was founded by Michael Gritti, a past MEDLIFE McGill chapter exec, who sees firsthand how his workshop directly relates to the Education aspect of MEDLIFE’s mission, ‘Enhancing Education in Low Income Families Everywhere’. Michael looks to explain the importance of giving back one’s time and knowledge to those less fortunate as well as give a small demo of what a HeartHeroesX workshop is like. In addition to founding HeartHeroesX, Michael is currently a Clinical Research Student at The Hospital for Sick Children in the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery.
‘If you inspire even one student it’s worth everything!’
You can find out more information at www.HeartHeroesX.com or contact Michael at michael.gritti@sickkids.ca.
McGill Students for Organ Donation Awareness
Organ donation is understandably a touchy subject that people don’t want to think about. M-SODA is here to start the conversation by getting involved with the public to promote the correct facts and raise awareness for this important issue. Lack of transplantable organs claims Canadian lives each year, and we want to change that! In partnership with Transplant Quebec, McGill Students for Organ Donation Awareness establishes booths around campus, promote new fundraising initiatives and present seminars on the topic of organ donation.
You can find more information on M-SODA here.
McGill Fights Ebola
The unprecedented spread of the Ebola virus has been one of the defining global health challenges of our time. Since December 2013, the epidemic has spread to multiple countries in West Africa including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Mali, infecting over 20,000 people and causing over 7,500 deaths. In August 2014, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola epidemic a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”. The Ebola epidemic has devastated weak health systems in West Africa and amplified pre-existing inequalities as it has been the most vulnerable who have been hardest hit.
As university students in Canada, McGill Fights Ebola believe that access to basic health care is a human right and that we have a responsibility to support the global Ebola response. International organizations including Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) and Partners in Health have stood out as key players by providing countries with staff, supplies and structure needed to combat this epidemic.
Learn more about McGill Fights Ebola here.
Sports Legacy Institute Concussion Education at McGill
SLICE is a fun, interactive concussion education program that teaches young student-athletes about concussions through discussion, video, and interactive games. Students learn that successful athletes play hard and play smart. Students learn that successful athletes play hard and play smart. SLICE results have revealed that 93% of students strongly agreed or agreed that “Because of the SLICE presentation, I’m more likely to tell a friend or coach if I think I have a concussion.”
Click here to learn more about SLICE.
MEDLIFE McGill Local Initiatives
Local Initiatives is a new portfolio at MEDLIFE McGill committed to raising awareness for issues that local habitants are facing. This year, the focus has been on promoting awareness for homelessness and reducing stigma against those who are homeless. We have developed the “We Are Not Faceless” awareness campaign, established fundraisers and sandwich drives, and strengthened our commitment to help by serving breakfast weekly at a local homeless shelter.
McGill Students’ Chapter of Canadian Liver Foundation
McGill Students’ Chapter of Canadian Liver Foundation are a student group at McGill University representing the Canadian Liver Foundation (Quebec Chapter). Their aim is to raise awareness towards liver health and liver disease, promote healthy living, as well as fundraising towards liver research. CLF not only has a dedicated executive team promoting and advocating liver health in McGill University but also our team works towards awareness of liver health all throughout Montreal! Our team plans out fun fundraisers and unique symposiums to spread more knowledge about health care as well. If you want to know more, make sure to like our page!
medlifemcgill.com 