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

Director, Operations & Strategic Partnerships

Director, Data Science & Innovation

Team Members

Data Quality Analyst

Data Quality Analyst

Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Clinical Subject Matter Expert

Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Marwa Ismail

Scientific Advisor

Research Data Scientist

Manager, Information Systems

Manager, Research Program

Research Assistant

Research Systems Administrator

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.

Vlad Kushnir

Director, Operations & Strategic Partnerships

Educational background

PhD in Pharmaceutical Science, University of Toronto

MSc in Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto

BSc (Hons) in Biology and Psychology, York University

My past accomplishments

Prior to joining GEMINI, I managed a research program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, aimed at developing and evaluating the effectiveness of brief interventions for addictive disorders and co-morbid mental health issues. In my role, I guided the execution of randomized controlled trials and prospective studies, developed protocols and grants proposals, and managed all data collection and analysis efforts. Some of my key accomplishments include successfully leading a national trial on the real-world effectiveness of nicotine patches which involved over 2,000 participants, acquiring grant funding for problem gambling and tobacco dependence research from national and provincial agencies, and authoring dozens of publications in top-tier scientific journals.​

When I feel most inspired

I have the freedom to explore different ideas and make something my own.

A few of my favourite things

Backcountry canoe camping with my friends and kids

Building something with my kids (i.e. mini catapult, fuel-powered rocket, etc.), essentially anything that has the potential to be launched or explode

Backyard BBQ with friends and family on a sunny summer afternoon

Denise Mak

Director, Data Science & Innovation

Educational background

I have a Computer Science undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Masters and PhD in Bioinformatics from Boston University.

My past accomplishments

I have been fortunate to have been involved with several major data projects that include managing a national longitudinal database of clinical patient data for a rare disease to studying mental illness using anonymized genetic data.

When I feel most inspired

I know I can’t save lives directly but try to contribute in other ways to make a meaningful impact.

A few of my favourite things

Relaxing with a cup of coffee or glass of wine (depending on the time of day)

Rewatching my favourite shows

Sitting by a fire doing any of the above!

Chang Liu

Data Quality Analyst

Educational Background

I have a Bachelors of Science degree at U of T major in Math and Statistics

Theresa Le

Data Quality Analyst

Educational background

​I completed my Bachelor’s of Science at the University of Toronto, majoring in Statistics.

My past accomplishments

I was a data analyst for a non-for-profit organization, where I prepared data for research and contributed to the publishing of the annual data report.

When I feel most inspired

When my work makes a meaningful and positive impact on the larger community.

A few of my favourite things

My cats, Soju and Sake

Iced coffee

Trying new restaurants around Toronto

Kateryna Skoropad

Research Assistant

Educational background

A foreign medical graduate from Ukraine.

My past accomplishments

As a Physician, I helped people to improve health, wellness and quality of life by assessing their healthcare needs, developing healthcare plans, and educational programs. My past experiences in research include projects, which investigated the clinical course and management of alcohol-induced liver and pancreas lesion, long-COVID syndrome. My therapeutic areas of specialty were internal medicine, pancreatic and liver toxicity, and substance abuse.

When I feel most inspired

The results of my work benefiting others.

A few of my favourite things

Playing with my children and dog
Cycling
Traveling.

Anushka Lalwani

Research Assistant

Educational background

I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience with a specialization in Neurobiology from Brock University.

My past accomplishments

My past experience includes implementing an organization-wide standardized Physician Transfer of Care procedure as well as launching a patient-centered education campaign to reduce wait times for oncology laboratory services, both at Niagara Health in St. Catharines, ON. I was privileged to present my honours thesis research at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare in Orlando, FL.

Sharan Lail

Clinical Subject Matter Expert

Educational Background

I graduated from UofT’s Bachelor of Pharmacy program, which was followed by a Pharmacy Residency at SMH. To further broaden my clinical knowledge and skills, I completed a Doctor of Pharmacy degree through the University of Florida.

My past accomplishments

For more than 15 years, I have held clinical pharmacy positions at St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH), in both the ‘General Internal Medicine’ program and the ‘Infectious Diseases and Positive Care Clinic’. I also developed a pharmacy consultant role at Casey House that provides clinical pharmacy services to complex medical patients living with HIV. Currently, I am a Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner in HIV for the SMH Academic Family Health Teams. I have a life-long commitment to education, and have had the fortunate opportunity to precept numerous pharmacy students and residents, as well as lecture at the University of Toronto (UofT).

When I feel most inspired

Ingenuity in healthcare results in positive change with improved patient outcomes.

A few of my favourite things

Getting outside with my kids

Enjoying a quiet cup of afternoon tea

Victoria Kadey

Research Assistant

My past accomplishments

I have over 15 years experience working in various industries and can draw on my knowledge to bring creative solutions to my daily tasks.

A few of my favourite things

Listening to podcasts, walking in nature

Radha Koppula

Research Assistant

Educational background

I received my Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, India. I also received a PG Diploma in Clinical Research from Oxford College of Arts, Business and Technology, Scarborough Campus, Toronto.

My past accomplishments

​As a Physician, I was involved in service to patients in a variety of healthcare settings such as primary health care centre (PHC) as a Junior Doctor, lab resident in a clinical Biochemistry lab.

When I feel most inspired

Being part of Medical Science research

A few of my favourite things

Gardening & Painting

Arshad Imrit

Research Data Scientist

Educational background

I obtained an Honours BSc (Biology) and later a MSc (Bioinformatics) from York University. During my masters I worked with honey bees, getting stung every summer because we were stealing their honey.

My past accomplishments

I worked as a junior data scientist in ecology, where I looked at the long-term effects of climate change on lake ice in the Northern Hemisphere, where our lake ice work has been recognized several times on the news.

When I feel most inspired

After paddling on Lake Shore after sunrise.

A few of my favourite things

Paddling, camping, race cars, parkour

Ijere Ijere

Manager, Information Systems

Educational background

A graduate of Economics, I have actively pursued a career in Linux Infrastructure management, Automation, Containerization and Orchestration, over an 8-year period, attaining the RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer) and RHCDS (Red Hat Certified Datacenter Specialist) credentials.

My past accomplishments

I have worked as a DevOps Engineer where I created and maintained various continuous integration and deployment strategies for clients in Banking, Telecoms, Education, and Hospitality —using CI/CD tools like Ansible and Jenkins to cut deployment time by 40%.

When I feel most inspired

I share something that helps others overcome a challenge.

I make genuine connections I didn’t think possible, and with someone /people I could never have imagined.

I experience people who transcend their limitations to achieve a feat, small or big.

In knowing that I am a better person today, because of my actions yesterday.

A few of my favourite things

Cooking

Photography

Discovering new places

Chloe Chow

Manager, Research Program

Educational background

I received my Bachelor’s of Science, majoring in Life Science, and then my Masters of Science in Epidemiology from Queen’s University.

My past accomplishments

My past experiences include my Masters thesis project, which investigated the prevalence and determinants of physical activity among ovarian cancer survivors. After completing my masters thesis, I worked at SickKids Hospital for The Children’s Stroke Program, coordinating an international multi-centre study that investigated the Vascular Effects of Infection in Paediatric Stroke.

A few of my favourite things

Movie theatre popcorn (with lots of butter)

Dogs

Swimming in lakes/oceans/pools

Sylvia Cheng

Research Assistant

Educational background

I received my Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Psychology and Business, and a minor in Legal Studies from the University of Waterloo.

When I feel most inspired

When I can make a positive impact in people’s lives. A nice cup of tea doesn’t hurt either.

A few of my favourite things

– Archery
– Drawing
– Every dog in the world 🙂

Krupal Barot

Research Systems Administrator

Educational background

I completed my Masters of Science in computer applications and information technology. I completed a postgraduate diploma in computer and network support technician. I also hold a RHCE and RHCSA certification.

My past accomplishments

I worked as a System Admin where I configured, implemented, troubleshot, updated and maintained production and administrative computing system hardware and infrastructure. I worked for a data center and the GIS (Geographic Information System) industry.

When I feel most inspired

When I am with my family and when I throw myself into it. Just do it! This is what I find myself doing more often than not when I’m stuck on something.

A few of my favourite things

Riding a motorcycle​

Exploring mountains

Photography

Kathlyn Babaran-Henfrey

Research Coordinator

My past accomplishments

I have been involved in several research projects such as the healthcare utilization project, benzodiazepine study, mental health and social determinants of health study to name a few.

A few of my favourite things

Hiking

Travelling

Spending time with family and friends