New & Evolving
Academic Leaders

Cate is the Program Lead of the New and Evolving Academic Leaders program (NEAL) and is a Partner in the Potential Group consulting firm, which focuses on strategic change in academic healthcare and education. Cate is an educator, certified coach, and experienced strategy lead.  Their focus has been on coaching, design, facilitation, capacity building and constructing effective conversations and processes that support systemic change and social innovation. They have supported more than 250 strategic change initiatives in higher education and academic and community healthcare across Canada in the past decade, and have been involved in intersectional feminist, gender and queer advocacy since the 1980s.

Manpreet coordinates the New and Evolving Academic Leaders (NEAL) Program, the Best Practices in Education Rounds (BPER) and special projects at the Centre for Faculty Development. She has experience managing and coordinating multiple programs and projects and aims to create a supportive and engaging learning environment for all participants. Manpreet also holds a Master of Science degree in Population Medicine from the University of Guelph.

Dr. Daniel Grace is an Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), University of Toronto, and the Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Health. Daniel is also the 2SLGBTQ+ Health Lead and Director of the Centre for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research, which he established at the DLSPH. He leads a national 2SLGBTQ+ training and mentorship platform, working collaboratively with community and academic stakeholders across Canada. He is an internationally recognized medical sociologist whose mixed methods program of community-engaged research works to advance the social, mental, physical, and sexual health of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Dr. Praseedha Janakiram is a family physician at Women’s College Hospital Crossroads Refugee Clinic, with additional practice interests in HIV primary care and women’s health. She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto. Praseedha is the current Faculty Lead for the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Family Medicine - a partnership supporting the launch and development of the first family medicine training program in Ethiopia over the past ten years. Praseedha has former clinical experience in Malawi, Pakistan, Nunavut, Yellowknife and Ethiopia and served as Acting Vice Chair Global Health and Social Accountability at the DFCM in 2019.  Praseedha has been recognized for her excellence in leadership, education and global health through numerous awards.

Dr. Mojola Omole is a breast surgical oncologist and general surgeon at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto. She is an executive board member of the Black Physicians of Ontario and a consultant for anti-Black racism and anti oppression training. She is the chief medical officer and device consultant for the Stage Zero Collection, the first educational bra garment designed to teach people about breast cancer symptoms in darker skin tone. Her fellowship in global surgery was the catalyst for her work as a global surgical oncologist. She has worked in Nigeria, Rwanda and Nicaragua. Her fellowship in global journalism at the Munk School at University of Toronto has lead her to work as a freelance journalist and currently she is the co-host of the CMAJ podcast.

Dr. Sinclair graduated from UofT medicine in 1980 and completed residency training in Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine. He spent 25 years in Atlantic Canada and is an adopted Maritimer. During his time “down east”, he had a number of leadership positions including VP Medicine, Chief of Emergency Medicine at both the tertiary adult ED and pediatric ED in Halifax, and the Associate Dean of Continuing Professional Development. He was the founding Chief of the University Department of Emergency Medicine – the second in Canada, and responsible for the development of three residency programs in Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie. In 2010, he moved to St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto as the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. In this position he had a large operations portfolio, was the corporate lead for quality and was responsible for medical affairs, discipline and department chief recruitment. He is a full professor at UofT. He moved back to NS in December 2018 to semi-retire, but this was not successful… He is now the VP Medicine/Quality/Safety at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, but still has time for cycling, kayaking and playing the trombone.

Ernie Lam is a tenured full professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto.  For 13 years, Ernie served as the Director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology residency program, and for 7 years, he was the Associate Dean, Graduate Education in the Faculty. Since 2015, Ernie has been a member of the University of Toronto’s Governing Council where he served 6 years as the Chair of the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs, and currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Academic Board. In addition to these roles, Dr. Lam has been a leader in academic, professional and testing organizations in Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in both Canada and the United States.

Dr. Erin Kennedy is a colorectal surgeon at Sinai Health System, and a Professor of Surgery at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.  She completed her general surgery residency and colorectal fellowship at the University of Toronto and during this time she earned her PhD as part of the Surgical Scientist Training Program.  She is currently the Head, Division of General Surgery at Sinai Health System and the Ontario GI Cancers Lead at Ontario Health-Cancer Care Ontario.  Her primary research interests are quality of care and management of rectal cancer.

Faye Mishna joined the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto in 1999 as an Assistant Professor. Prior to her appointment to the Faculty she was Clinical Director of a children’ mental health center. Faye served as the Dean of the Faculty from 2009-2019 and is currently a Professor in the Faculty and cross-appointed to the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Ivan Silver joined the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in December 2011 as its’ first Vice President of Education. He stepped down from this leadership role in 2018. Prior to this he was the inaugural director of the Centre for Faculty Development (2002-2009) and the Vice-Dean of CEPD (2005-2011) in the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Silver is a full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, (application pending for Emeritus status) and a recently retired psychiatrist (July/2023) at CAMH where his focus was geriatric psychiatry. Since his recent retirement from clinical practice, he is continuing his education scholarship in the areas of coaching, feedback and late career transitions. He is passionate about the Arts and about life-long learning and sits on related non-profit Boards.

Mary Gospodarowicz is professor of radiation oncology at the University of Toronto. She is the past Medical Director of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and past Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto and Chief of the Radiation Medicine Program at Princess Margaret. Mary holds specialty certifications in internal medicine, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. She retired from clinical practice in December 2019. She has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and letters. Her academic interests included clinical trials; she is past chair of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group Genitourinary Committee. Currently, her major interest are global cancer control and cancer centre organization and performance. She continues to hold a consultant appointment at the Princess Margaret where she advises in the global cancer program, young leaders program, and mentorship. She is engaged in several international NGOs including the UICC and City Cancer Challenge.

Dr. Shelley L. Craig is Full Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) at the University of Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (SGMY).  Dr. Craig has served in a range of community and academic leadership roles for the past twenty-five years, including as the Governing Board Co-Chair of organizations such as the National Board of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), WorldPride, the Council of Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression and Identity of the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE), Heartstrong and as Board member of the Ontario Association of Social Work (OASW). As Executive Director, she has led organizations supporting victims of familial violence, created systems of care for SGMY and served as leader in interprofessional care in emergency care centers. She recently completed her term as Associate Dean, Academic at FIFSW and developed competencies for graduate education, particularly as it relates to the health and mental health of marginalized populations and equity, diversity and inclusion in organizations and programs.