What does it mean to be a "leader in health"? How can you break societal barriers and mobilize your own power? Why is equitable representation in health leadership so critical? The event includes discussions around these exciting topics. Keynote: A Primer for Students - Becoming and Being a Leader in Health Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell - PhD. Associate Vice-President Research, York University. She completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of British Columbia. As a health scientist, her research is funded by all three federal research agencies and focuses on understanding the development of young children’s pain responses (biological and behavioural), in the context of their caregivers. Distinguished Panelists: Dr. Nadia Prendergast - RN, PhD. Assistant Professor in York University's Faculty of Health, School of Nursing. She completed her master’s and PhD degrees in Education and Women’s Studies from the University of Toronto, where her area of research focused on the experiences of internationally educated nurses of colour working within Canada’s multiculturalism practices. Dr. Prendergast's areas of interests reside in primary health care, community development, women’s health and equity studies. Dr. Farah Ahmad - MBBS, MPH, PhD. Associate Professor in York University's Faculty of Health - School of Health Policy & Management. After completing a Bachelors in Medicine, she went on to get a Masters in International Health from Harvard University and a PhD in Public Health from the University of Toronto. Dr. Farah Ahmad is a health service researcher with a focus on primary care settings, psychosocial health, vulnerable communities and eHealth innovations. Dr. Ruth Rodney - RN, PhD. Assistant Professor in York University's Faculty of Health, School of Nursing. She completed her Masters in Global Health Management at McMaster University, and her PhD degree in Nursing and Global Health as part of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health Collaborative doctoral program from the University of Toronto. Her focus is on on understanding health through social, political, economic, and historical realms, with the desire to eliminate health disparities caused by various forms of discrimination. This event is brought to you by Empowering Women In Health (@empoweringwomeninhealth), a grassroots organization funded by York University, and York International's Global Peer program. LINKS - For our website: https://www.empoweringwomeninhealth.org/ - For our Women's Historical Health Timeline: https://www.empoweringwomeninhealth.org/historical-timeline Intro Video Song Creds.: Artist: C Cane. instagram.com/itsccane Key Note Speaker: Janet Taras. instagram.com/janettaras Music Producer: Prodbyk4cie. instagram.com/prodbyk4cie Creative Direction: Hue Agency. instagram.com/hueagency_

Dr. Baidoobonso is Prince Edward Island's chief public health officer and manages the team of public health epidemiologists. She speaks to us about her research shedding light on the influence of education, gender and financial status on HIV awareness, risk behaviour and preventative measures in the African Caribbean and Black Community.

Dr. Rochelle Burgess is a leading community health psychologist and lecturer in global health at the institute for global health at UCL. She speaks to us about her research that explores the role of community engagement in global health, emphasizing women's mental health and the projects she has led in various settings, including South Africa, Colombia, Nigeria, Kingdom of Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and the UK.

She is an Executive Director of Amref Health Africa in Canada and responsible for leading strategic growth and innovative programming. She speaks to us about her 15 years of experience with international development and initiatives in more than 15 countries.

We discuss the importance of perseverance, community, confidence in our capabilities, and not being afraid of failure. As she reminds us, we must never forget that "We have a right to be at this table, we have the experience and we are good enough to do it."