Jacqueline Middleton
Dr Terence Epule
Darya Anderson
JOSEPH LEWNARD
JEFFERY SAUER
MACKENZIE WILSON
MANISHA KULKARNI
NIA KING
Katherine Bishop
Matthew King
Grace AsAAsira
MICHELLE MAILLET
MARGOT CHARETTE
SARAH SYER
BLANAID DONNELLY
JULIA BRYSON
Former trainee biographies
DR. TERENCE EPULE
Dr. Terence Epule obtained his PhD degree in Environmental Sciences in 2014 from the University of Quebec, and worked as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow with the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) under Prof. Mark New. At the ACDI, his research explored elements of crop yield vulnerability to droughts and crop models within South Western Uganda with specific emphasis on the Batwa pygmies. Prior to joining the ACDI, Dr. Epule worked as a post-doctoral researcher at McGill University, under Prof. James Ford.
MATTHEW KING
Matthew worked as a photographer and research assistant with IHACC. His work involved creating companion photography to showcase IHACC’s work and more effectively convey the emotional aspects of the work.
EMMA WINDFELD
Emma graduated from McGill with a B.A. in Environment (Ecological Determinants of Health) and a minor in Geography. Emma’s research involved integrating Indigenous knowledge and community-based metrics into climate modelling, with a focus on the ways in which climate change will impact the health of the Batwa population in southwest Uganda.
JACQUELINE MIDDLETON
Jacqueline finished her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Guelph working with Dr. Harper and Dr. Cunsolo. Jacqueline's PhD work used participatory methods to understand the connections between environment, mental health and wellbeing in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut.
KATHERINE BISHOP
Kate Bishop-Williams completed her PhD in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph (supervised by Drs. Sherilee Harper and Jan Sargeant). Kate's research used an EcoHealth approach to investigate meteorological impacts on hospital admissions and respiratory infections in Bwindi, Uganda. Kate’s work used spatial, temporal, statistical, and epidemiological modelling to better understand the relationship between weather and climate and respiratory infections in this region.
BIANCA VAN BAVEL
Bianca completed her PhD at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, working under supervision of Dr. Berrang Ford. She worked at the interface between health and environment, together with Batwa communities in Southwestern Uganda, to find new epidemiological approaches that monitor and reflect sensitivities of health to climate and environmental change.
DARYA ANDERSON
Darya Anderson completed an MSc in Geography at McGill University, working with Dr. Ford. Darya’s research interests include environmental justice, climate change, and microbial ecology. Her research aimed to address the question of how climate change impacts the land-based livelihoods of Indigenous communities, with a focus bakeapple picking (an important traditional food source in the region).
ISAAC BELL
Isaac completed a Bio-Medical Science program at the University of Guelph. Isaac joined the team in May 2017, and assisted with several IHACC graduate research projects, as well as various organizational duties. He is interested in continuing to learn about how environmental toxins and physical threats related to climate change can affect the health of Indigenous populations in the Arctic, and the role of community-based adaptations in addressing these issues.
GRACE ASAASIRA
Asaasira Grace pursued a bachelor’s degree in community psychology at Makerere University. She worked on an honours project with IHACC, focused on the influence of alcohol production on environment among the Batwa and Non-Batwa in the Kayonza subcounty.
Nia King
Nia King worked as a research assistant on several IHACC projects, including a systematic review of health research conducted in Nunatsiavut and Nunavik, an analysis of Canadian climate-health newspaper coverage, and establishing a KTE strategy in Uganda. Nia is currently pursuing her Doctor of Medicine degree at Queens University.
JULIA BRYSON
Julia completed her undergraduate biomedical science degree at the University of Guelph, and is now pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree at McMaster University. For her undergraduate thesis project with Dr. Sherilee Harper, she spent time in Uganda learning from women about their experiences with food during pregnancy. These discussions informed her research investigating associations between climate and Indigenous maternal nutrition and food security in Kanungu District, Uganda.
JESSICA PURBRICK
For the summer of 2017, Jessica contributed to the Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) project, acting as an undergraduate research assistant in the Harper Lab. Jessica completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph; after graduation Jessica hopes to pursue further studies in healthcare focusing on rural and Indigenous communities.