About Us
The Bridge Model™ is distinguished by its emphasis on equitable partnerships and the co-designing and co-production of solutions tailored to the unique needs of marginalized populations. The model represents a fundamental shift in health research and intervention by using a transdisciplinary, community engaged, and translational research approach.
The Bridge Model™ also fosters an environment conducive to intersectoral collaboration and the co-creation of whole-person health interventions.
Equitable partnerships with people who are marginalized help ensure our research and health interventions focus on problems that are important to people, and not only of interest to physicians or researchers. People with lived/living experience are at the center of all activities throughout the research process, emphasizing people centered solutions to persistent societal inequities.
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The BridgeModel™ is also designed to work towards eliminating health inequities by addressing social, systemic, and structural determinants of health using multilevel interventions and comprehensive rigorous scientific investigation and evaluation.
Meet OUR TEAM
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Dr. Smita Pakhale
Founding Director and Clinician Scientist
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Sadia Jama
Manager and PhD Candidate
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Aaron Cowan
Methodologist
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Deidre Riordon
Manager and Nurse Practitioner
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Jonathan Brizard
Clinical Research Assistant & Person with Lived and Living Experience
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Bruna C. Falavinha
PhD Student
![Mariam Mariam](https://bridgeengagement.ca/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Mariam-qp75dg40rwnxfeeuaxkpw22g74igeaj6252l7q1ln4.jpg)
Maryam Rizvi
Clinical Research Coordinator
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Randa Hasan
Clinical Research Assistant
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Michael “Max” Magwood
Community Peer Researcher & Person with Lived and Living
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Natalia Szerszunowicz
Clinical Research Coordinator
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Vanessa
Community Peer Researcher & Person with Lived and Living Experience
Founders
Whose shoulders we stand on Rest in peace and power
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Ted Bignell
Person with Lived and Living Experience
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Kelly Florence
Person with Lived and Living Experience