Our Team

We are a team of clinicians, researchers, data scientists and technical staff working to improve healthcare with hospital data.

GEMINI Executive Team

Co-Lead

Co-Lead

Team Members

Scientific Advisor

Director, Data Science and Innovation

Data Quality Analyst

Data Quality Analyst

Data Quality Analyst

Research Coordinator

Nicole Yada

Director, Strategy Partnerships and Operations VITAL

Research Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Data Quality Analyst

Senior Data Scientist

Research Data Scientist

Research Coordinator

Research Data Scientist

Manager, Research Data Operations

Manager, Research Data Operations

Scientific Lead

Research Coordinator

Amol Verma

Co-Lead

My role with the GEMINI team:

I am an internal medicine physician and scientist at Unity Health Toronto and the Temerty Professor of AI Research and Education in Medicine at the University of Toronto.

My educational background:

I completed a BSc in Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie, medical school and residency at the University of Toronto, a Masters in Economic and Social History at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, a 1-year interdisciplinary fellowship with the Canadian Frailty Network a 2-year research fellowship studying big data and advanced analytics in the Clinician Investigator Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and a 1-year fellowship in Artificial Intelligence and Compassion with AMS Healthcare.​

My past experience and accomplishments:

I serve as a Provincial Clinical Lead for Quality Improvement in General Internal Medicine with Ontario Health, the Vice-Chair of the Researcher Council of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, and was a member of the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel on Health Data Sharing. I received the 2023 Canadian Society of Internal Medicine New Investigator Award, the 2022 Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Early Career Leadership Award and the 2022 Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s early career Trailblazer Award in Population and Public Health Research. 

I feel most inspired when:

I am near the ocean.​

Fahad Razak

Co-Lead

My role with the GEMINI team:

I am a hospital-based general internist at St Michaels Hospital and Scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. I am co-lead of the GEMINI program. I am also the Provincial Co-Lead, Quality Improvement in General Internal Medicine at Ontario Health, and I find this a great fit for my clinical work and research focus. ​

At the University of Toronto, I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.  I am a member of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.

My educational background:

My training includes a degree in Engineering Science (Biomedical Engineering), Medical Doctorate, Residency and Fellowship in General Internal Medicine at the University of Toronto. I was the first physician appointed as a David E. Bell Fellow at Harvard University and my post-doctoral training focused on social determinants of health and population health through use of large datasets.

My past experience and accomplishments:

Notable research recognitions at the University of Toronto include the Dean’s Emerging Leader Award, the President’s Impact Award, and being named a Senior Fellow at Massey College. I received the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine’s New Investigator Award and the Graham Farquharson Knowledge Translation Fellowship from the PSI Foundation.  I have received >$65 million in grant funding as Principal Investigator from sources such as CIHR, NSERC, and the Canadian Cancer Society. I have published >100 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 35, >50 as first/senior author), including in high impact journals such as JAMA, the BMJ, PLOS Medicine and PNAS as first/senior author. 

I am  a Canada Research Chair in Data-Informed Health Care Improvement and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. I serve as a Provincial Clinical Lead for Quality Improvement in General Internal Medicine with Ontario Health, and am Vice-President Research at the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine. I am on the advisory board of the BMJ.

I was the Scientific Director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and co-authored >50 science and policy briefs that shaped the policy, public health and clinical response to the COVID-19 crisis. I am a member of the Federal Expert Panel on Science Advisory and Research convened by the Minister of Health.

I feel most inspired when:

I can see something grow that I have nurtured and cared for. For GEMINI, I feel inspired as I see our team grow stronger and more skilled in striving to achieve the complex and broad goals we have set for ourselves.

Emma Mackay

Scientific Advisor

Educational background

I am a statistician and methodologist with an MSc in Statistics from the University of Toronto and an MA in Economics from Queen’s University. I also have Professional Statistician (P.Stat.) accreditation from the Statistical Society of Canada.

My past accomplishments

Prior to joining GEMINI, I spent a number of years working in consulting for pharmaceutical research, including as a Scientific Advisor to Inka Health, a start-up HEOR/RWE analytics company, and as a Research Principal in Statistics in the Cytel Real World & Advanced Analytics group. In these roles I focused on methodological solutions for evaluating efficacy/effectiveness in challenging oncology and rare disease settings. I am also an Adjunct Lecturer in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.

When I feel most inspired

When I’m teaching, mentoring, or working through an interesting technical problem. I’m always keen to try to find ways to contribute to improvements in methodological and research practices.

A few of my favourite things

In my free time I enjoy hiking, photography, playing jazz piano, cooking, and gardening. I’m also pretty outgoing and enjoy hearing about people’s special interests!

Anis Sharafoddini

Director, Data Science and Innovation

Educational background

I have a background in both Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, holding bachelor’s degrees in each. My interest in health sciences led me to continue with a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering, and eventually a Ph.D. in Public Health and Health Science from the University of Waterloo. This path has helped me work across different areas where health, technology, and research come together.

My past accomplishments

I have experience in both the private and public sectors. I began my career at Deloitte, one of the Big Four management consulting firms, where I worked with clients across healthcare, including pharmaceuticals, government, and hospitals. I focused on a range of data-related initiatives, from cloud migration to data science and analytics. I then joined Sanofi, where I worked on several innovative data projects. My passion for building data platforms eventually led me to Supply Ontario, where I co-led the development of a cloud-based platform to collect and integrate data from various organizations. In addition to my professional roles, I also serve as an Adjunct Faculty member at Northeastern University.

When I feel most inspired

I’m most inspired when collaborating with a strong team to build solutions that make a real impact. I’m motivated by the opportunity to simplify complex challenges and deliver outcomes that are both practical and meaningful.

A few of my favourite things

Spending time with my family

Reading, particularly books that offer new perspectives or inspire fresh thinking

Danika Anoutchina

Data Quality Analyst

Educational background

I graduated from the University of Toronto in 2024, with an HBSc in Statistics, Computer Science, and Mathematics.

My past accomplishments

During my undergrad, I was part of the UofT Statistical Sciences Union, where I eventually became Vice President. Throughout this time we were able to directly aid statistics and actuarial sciences students through events, connections, and resources.

When I feel most inspired

When I’m surrounded by hardworking peers who I can learn so much from!

A few of my favourite things

Playing sports (especially basketball and volleyball), birdwatching, and finding new music.

Daryl Yau

Data Quality Analyst

Educational background

I completed my Bachelor of Science from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, majoring in Statistics and minoring in Risk Management.

My past accomplishments

Used to work at a start-up company in healthcare industry, focusing on the vital data of elderly individuals, and work on data pipeline and statistical modelling. I have also worked as a data analyst for a retail company called A.S Watsons, where I prepared data analyses for personalization projects.

When I feel most inspired

Work with an innovative team on a meaningful industry, and learn from each other

A few of my favourite things

Playing board games and table tennis

Spending quality time with my friends and my cat Miso

Shomaila Rashid

Data Quality Analyst

Educational background

I completed my Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry from McMaster University, and then my Masters of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Toronto.

My past accomplishments

Before joining GEMINI, I worked as a biotech analyst at SGS. I tested pharmaceutical products using HPLC to ensure safety and compliance with regulatory standards. For my undergraduate thesis, I worked in a medicinal chemistry lab and synthesized small organic compounds with antibiotic properties.

When I feel most inspired

When I get to learn something new & seeing the impact of the work I am doing.

A few of my favourite things

Reading books

Cuddling with my cat

Cooking new foods

Jeruby Retnakanthan

Research Coordinator

Educational background

I received my Honours Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Health Studies and Equity Studies from the University of Toronto.

My past accomplishments

Prior to joining GEMINI, I worked to support strategic partnerships and third party researchers at ICES. I also have experience working as a Clinical Research Assistant for a study examining the impact of geriatric assessment and management on quality of life for older adults with cancer.

A few of my favourite things

  • Anything crafty! Knitting, crocheting, sewing – you name it.
  • Ridiculously spicy ramen
  • Road trips

Shirley You

Research Data Scientist

Educational background

I completed a bachelors degree in Mathematics in China, followed by a masters degree in Mathematics, focusing on Statistics from the University of Ottawa.

My past accomplishments

Prior to GEMINI, I worked at IMBA Medical as a Data Analyst to support the COVID-19 health screening system. Some of my duties included extracting and maintaining datasets integrity on cloud-based software, performing data analysis, statistical modelling, machine learning algorithms and data visualizations. I helped my company achieve an 80% increase in data automation efficiency and 15% revenue growth.

During my masters, I collaborated with researchers from various disciplines and worked on an Epidemiologist research project. This project focused on creating an algorithm for simulating data, which was used for the investigation of Maternal-Gene-Environments and Pathway Effects. These effects were then evaluated based on their potential impact on birth defects. As far as we know, we were the first team to make a ground-breaking discovery on a worldwide genome level.

When I feel most inspired

When I know what I am doing is helping people and potentially helping the world.

A few of my favourite things

Painting

Travel

Working out

Spending time with family and pets

Bijun Wen

Senior Data Scientist

Educational background

I completed my HBSc and MSc in Health & Diseases and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. I obtained my PhD at the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children in Translational Medicine.

My past accomplishments

I joined GEMINI after completing my graduate training, where I conducted data-heavy research studies involving a wide range of analytical approaches. During my PhD, I led a Global Health research project on inpatient mortality of malnourished children. I applied statistical modeling to hospital health records and identified clinical predictors for mortality to support risk stratification. Using machine learning approaches, I integrated clinical data with high-dimensional lab data (metabolome, proteome, biomarkers) to understand roles of systemic inflammation and metabolism in mortality for intervention development. For my Masters, I used bioinformatics to study host-microbial interactions in an animal model of infectious colitis.

When I feel most inspired

I work with motivated and friendly individuals

I know that my work can make a positive impact in people’s lives

A few of my favourite things

Playing with my dogs

Exploring new food and restaurants

Puzzle solving activities: board games, escape room, video games etc.

Matthew Wankiewicz

Data Quality Analyst

Educational background

I completed my Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, majoring in Statistics and minoring in Mathematics.

My past accomplishments

During my undergrad, I was part of a team who created an interactive R package for learning the essentials of RStudio and GitHub.

When I feel most inspired

I am working with great people and have the chance to learn from others.

A few of my favourite things

Playing and watching sports (mainly baseball and golf), watching sitcoms, playing with my dog

Yishan Guo

Senior Data Scientist

Educational background

I have a Bachelors degree in marine biology and yes I know a bit about planktons, fishes, and whales. I completed my Masters degree in Biostatistics at the University of Toronto.

My past accomplishments

I was the first Data Analyst at GEMINI for two years. Before I join GEMINI again, I spent 4 years in China with my family and I worked in project management and business operation in the manufacturing business.

When I feel most inspired

When I learn something I don’t know

A few of my favourite things

Travelling
Playing sports (basketball, bouldering, snowboarding and more)
Playing with my dog

Shruthi Vaidyanathan

Research Data Scientist

Educational background

I received my Bachelors of Science double majoring in Mathematics and Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto’s St. George campus. I am in the process of completing a part-time Masters in Biostatistics at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.

My past accomplishments

My previous experience includes my Professional Experience Year (PEY) Co-op term at the Applied Health Research Centre (AHRC) at St. Michael’s Hospital. My duties at AHRC consisted of cleaning clinical trial data in preparation for analysis, learning about digital signal processing algorithms and applying them in R, and using the R Shiny package to build a web application to calculate sample sizes for various study designs.

When I feel most inspired

When I get to learn new skills! I love diving deep into a task that involves me learning something new! I’m always looking into learning new R packages.

A few of my favourite things

Finding different genres of music

Biking

Watching period dramas!

Jessica Tate

Research Coordinator

St. Michael's Hospital

Educational background

I received my Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in Kinesiology, in 2020. I received my Master of Arts in Health Geography at Simon Fraser University in 2022.

My past accomplishments

My past experiences include my masters thesis project, which explored how older adults who migrate abroad experienced the pandemic in regard to their health amongst other factors. Additionally, I have experience working at Fraser Health with the Long Term Care research team as a Research Assistant, looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Long Term Care. At Fraser Health I performed various roles data cleansing, analyzing, and synthesizing, along with qualitative research methodologies including semi-structured interviews, writing publications, and collaborating with medical staff.

When I feel most inspired

I’m in a positive environment with people who are like-minded and determined to work hard, achieve excellence, and have fun while doing it!

A few of my favourite things

Lifting weights

Hiking near the waterfront

Adventuring/Travelling the world

​

Saeha Shin

Research Data Scientist

Educational background

I completed my Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Toronto.

A few of my favourite things

Ballet and yoga

Travelling

Pompi tiramisu

Trong Shen

Manager, Research Data Operations

Educational background

Nanotechnology Engineering for my Bachelors and Biomedical Engineering for my Masters. Simply put, I learned lots about materials science, fabrication, and bioengineering.

My past accomplishments

Used to work at a bank; know a thing or two about banking, finance, and investment

Used to do wet lab during my masters, research topic involves image analysis, cardiomyocytes, and drug testing

Has some experience in semiconductors and hybrid car design

When I feel most inspired

I work with great people

I feel like I am contributing to the greater good of an organization

A few of my favourite things

Singing (I did lots of a cappella singing in university)

Playing basketball

Delicious pastries (texture is very important, it needs to have a lot of layers)

Kieran Shah

Manager, Research Data Operations

Educational background

I completed a Master’s of Public Health at Boston University in Biostatistics. For my thesis, I was able to work with the National Emergency Data Set and used both supervised and unsupervised machine learning techniques to better understand factors that affect emergency department length of stays.

My past accomplishments

Prior to joining GEMINI, I worked as a Statistician at the University of Guelph. I helped develop a forecast model to help future budgeting and enrolment planning at the University. I also worked with student services to develop models to help better understand student success.

Before I worked at the University of Guelph, I worked with Abt Associated in Boston. There, I helped construct research-ready datasets for the Department of Justice, and conducted analysis on Medicaid data to better understand access to mental health services.

When I feel most inspired

I’m working with great and friendly colleagues.

A few of my favourite things

Playing soccer (before the pandemic)

Running after my kids

Surain Roberts

Scientific Lead

Educational background

I completed my PhD at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, and my bachelors in Biological Sciences at The University of Chicago.

My past accomplishments

I am a health outcomes researcher and applied biostatistician. My research leverages data from large health networks to learn about differences in quality of inpatient care and inform health system decisions, with a focus on observational studies, prediction tools, and hospital profiling. I am the Scientific Lead of GEMINI and oversee GEMINI’s research activities, providing methodological direction across a wide range of clinical domains. Additionally, I act as the methods lead for the General Medicine Quality Improvement Network (GeMQIN), a quality improvement partnership between GEMINI and Ontario Health that develops audit & feedback reports delivered to physicians and hospitals annually.

I am an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Prior to joining GEMINI in 2021, I co-led the creation of the Canadian Network for Autoimmune Liver disease (CaNAL). CaNAL is a pan-Canadian registry collecting both retrospective and prospective long-term follow-up of individual patient data. After my bachelors, I spent a year teaching, mentoring, and evaluating twelve students in a for-credit 9th grade algebra class in south Chicago.

When I feel most inspired

When I’m surrounded by people who are passionate about what they do.

A few of my favourite things

Playing 30-second online bullet chess (I can click faster than I can think)

Discovering new and interesting hot sauces

Afsaneh Raissi

Research Coordinator

Educational background

I have a BSc in Electrical Engineering and a BSc in Psychology.

My past accomplishments

Prior to joining the GEMINI in January 2020, I worked as a Research Assistant in the department of Psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for two years, where I managed the day-to-day operations of a mood-tracking application.