Our research team
INTERACT is recruiting students!
INTERACT is recruiting students to join our local teams. We offer graduate students and postdoctoral fellows advanced training opportunities in population health intervention research and opportunities for collaboration with leading researchers and policy makers across Canada. The program trains highly qualified personnel in GIS, GPS, accelerometry, epidemiology, statistics and qualitative and mixed methods, all of which are essential for urban intervention research.
Principal Investigators

Yan Kestens, PhD
Université de Montréal / CRCHUM
Yan Kestens, full professor at École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal is a Principal Investigator on INTERACT. His research focuses on improving our understanding of how urban changes influence population health, considering converging objectives of sustainability, improved quality of life and reduced health inequalities. Yan develops new tools to collect and analyse spatial data and processes, including wearable sensors, and map-based online questionnaires. Offline, Yan turns to his other projects involving brewing, french sausage, and kids!

Meghan Winters, PhD
Simon Fraser University
Meghan Winters is a Principal Investigator on INTERACT, and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar. Her research focuses on ways that cities and their infrastructure can play a role in promoting healthy and safe transportation, for people of all ages and abilities. She is happiest when working in close collaboration with cities and stakeholders to conduct research and create tools that address real-world challenges. Meghan is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and a core investigator at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility. Meghan has a PhD from the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. Out of the office, Meghan aims to spend the maximum time outside, biking, camping, picnicking and exploring with her family in tow.

Daniel Fuller, PhD
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Daniel Fuller is a Principal Investigator on the INTERACT team and Canada Research Chair in Population Physical Activity in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. His research is focused on using wearable technologies to study physical activity, transportation interventions, and equity in urban spaces. Dan has an MSc in Kinesiology from the University of Saskatchewan, a PhD in Public Health from Université de Montréal. Dan is the Neighbourhood Factors Team co-lead of the Canadian Urban Environmental Health (CANUE) Research Consortium. He spends free time chasing his two rambunctious kids, and relives his youth playing recreational basketball on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Co-Investigators and Collaborators

Kevin Stanley, PhD
University of Saskatchewan
Computer science – Machine learning – Tool development

Sébastien Lord, PhD
Université de Montréal
Urban planning – Consultation process – Mixed methods

Michael Cantinotti, PhD
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Mixed Methods – Mental Health – Psychology of Tech and Privacy

Catherine Morency, PhD
Polytechnique Montréal
Mobility – Active Transportation – Transit Planning

Scott Bell, PhD
University of Saskatchewan
Spatial Cognition – GIScience – Health Geography

Joanie Sims-Gould, PhD
University of British Columbia
Sex and Gender Champion
Active aging – Qualitative Methods – Knowledge Translation

Geetanjali Datta, PhD
Université de Montréal / CRCHUM
Methods – Cancer prevention – Physical Activity

Paul Lewis, PhD
Université de Montréal
Planning policy – Transportation – Urban Design

Heather McKay, PhD
University of British Columbia
Active aging – Implementation – Mobility

Nazeem Muhajarine, PhD
University of Saskatchewan
Intervention research – Maternal and Child Health – Neighbourhoods and Health

Trisalyn Nelson, PhD
Arizona State University
Active Transportation – Cycling Infrastructure – Spatial Analysis

Ehab Diab, PhD
University of Saskatchewan
Land Use and Transportation – Perceptions of Transit Users – GIScience

Henry Luan, PhD
University of Oregon
Collaborator
Spatio-temporal Analysis – GISscience – Health Geography

Lise Gauvin, PhD
Université de Montréal / CRCHUM
Collaborator
Physical Activity – Health Equity – Built Environment

Martine Shareck, PhD
University of Toronto - Banting Fellow
Equity Champion
Health Equity – Social Epidemiology – Health Geography

Rania Wasfi, PhD
Université de Montréal / CRCHUM - Postdoctoral Fellow
Collaborator
Active transport – Methods – Geo-social determinants of health

Callista Ottoni, MAP
University of British Columbia
Collaborator
Qualitative methods – Knowledge translation – Active aging
Students and Trainees

Meridith Sones, MPH
Simon Fraser University - PhD Population Health
Meridith is a knowledge translation strategist and PhD candidate whose research aims to advance how cities measure and understand the impact of urban change on social connectedness, health, and equity.
Built environment, social connectedness, knowledge translation

Caislin Firth, PhD
Simon Fraser University - Postdoctoral Fellow
Caislin generates necessary knowledge on how policies impact our social and built environments and influence health inequities, Her work supports action towards policy solutions that prioritize equity and ensure healthy communities for all.
Social epidemiology, health equity, knowledge translation

Jonathan Slaney
Memorial University of Newfoundland - MSc Kinesiology
Passionate about the health of people and active living, Jonathan is pursuing a master’s degree to apply his knowledge and ability to help individuals at the population level.
Population physical activity, urban form interventions, non-communicable disease prevention

Nicolas Parenteau, MD
Université de Montréal - MSc Public Health
With a background in chemistry and medicine, Nicolas is interested in the relationship between modes of transportation and physical activity, with the goal of promoting healthy urban environments.
Transportation, physical activity, population health

Luana Fragoso
University of Saskatchewan - MSc Computer Science
Luana is a Data Science Master’s student, interested in movement modelling which extracts meaningful behaviour information from location data, like GPS points, for movement analysis.
Movement behaviour, data mining, data analytics.

Avipsa Roy
Arizona State University - PhD Geography
Avipsa uses Machine Learning to understand urban planning from a data-driven perspective, tackling travel mode detection from GPS and accelerometer data from multiple devices.
Travel mode detection, wearables, machine learning

Kole Phillips
University of Saskatchewan - MSc Computer Science
Using data analytics, Kole is interested in how various changes to a built environment may affect an individual’s physical activity patterns, as well as how similar one’s physical activity patterns are to others in the same area.
Data analytics, physical activity, and accelerometry

Chérine Zaïm, MD
McGill University - Master's of Public Health
Currently a Public Health and Preventive Medicine resident at McGill University, Chérine is interested in the relationship between access to sustainable transportation modes and well-being of individuals.
Well-being, population health, transportation
Julie Karmann
Université de Montréal

Kate Hosford
Simon Fraser University - PhD Health Sciences

Jaimy Fischer
Simon Fraser University - PhD Health Sciences
Research Staff

Zoé Poirier Stephens, M.Urb
National Research Coordinator
Zoé brings together key people, resources, and data to advance and promote our research. She’s worked in political communications and research, before becoming a community organizer, where she focused on urban revitalization and ageing. She holds a Master’s of Urban Planning from McGill University. Zoé organizes her free time around food, transit, and friends.

Marina Najjar, MA
Montreal Coordinator

Karen Laberee, MSc
Project Coordinator Victoria
Karen Laberee is the Project Coordinator in Victoria. She is also the Executive Director of BikeMaps.org. Karen has enjoyed drawing upon her experience in developing creative approaches for promoting BikeMaps.org to recruit participants in Victoria for Team Interact. When she’s not talking about biking, Karen can be found running the spectacular trails that are found just outside of Victoria.

Sylvana Tu, MPH
Saskatoon Coordinator
Sylvana is the Project Coordinator in Saskatoon. She also works on the Improving School Food project at the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit. Sylvana comes from an interdisciplinary background with many years of laboratory and research experience from studying E.coli to grains & pulses to food waste. She has undergraduate degrees in Microbiology & Immunology and in Food Science and a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Saskatchewan. In her spare time, Sylvana enjoys travelling, board games and volunteering for the Special Olympics.

Courtney Ross, MPH
Vancouver Coordinator
Courtney is the Vancouver coordinator for INTERACT. Inspired by her experiences living and cycling in Copenhagen, Courtney is passionate about translating Danish ideas around mobility and everyday play into a Canadian context. She holds a Masters of Public Health, with research interests at the intersection of sustainability and human health. Her most prized possessions are her tent and hiking boots

Meridith Sones, MPH
Manager of Knowledge Mobilization
Meridith is a knowledge translation and communications strategist with a passion for mobilizing evidence and people around bold solutions to public health challenges. Meridith has spent the past ten years leading knowledge translation and evaluation strategies for health organizations aspiring for greater reach and impact. Her work has spanned multiple disciplines and settings, from government agencies in Canada to community organizations in Brazil and Botswana. Meridith spends most weekends playing in the mountains around Vancouver and park-hopping with her sushi-loving kids and mischievous yellow lab Kona.

Benoit Thierry, MSc
GIS Specialist
Benoit is principally responsible for managing the spatial data collected as part of INTERACT. The rest of the time, he contributes to the work of the team by developing innovative spatial analysis techniques and geographic information systems related to population health. He also implements solutions for research and clinical interventions using multi-sensors combining GPS and accelerometers. Firmly claiming a generalist profile, he holds a telecommunications engineering degree (France) and a master’s degree in geomatics (Université Laval, Québec). From time to time, satiated with bits and bytes, he uproots himself to southern latitudes.

Jeff Smith, PhD
Developper
Dr. Jefferson Smith is a semi-retired computer scientist and entrepreneur who couldn’t decide what he wanted to be when he grew up: a technology specialist helping socially relevant research programs deal with the complexity of software and data landscapes, or a science-fiction and fantasy author creating darkly humorous adventure landscapes in a style he calls ‘grindark.’ But then he realized that both jobs were too much fun to choose just one. So these days, Jeff spends half his week designing and implementing INTERACT’s data management pipeline, and the other half chasing imaginary people through the corridors of his mind.
Alumni

Caitlin Pugh, MSc
Former Project Coordinator Vancouver

Margot Gough, MPH
Former Project Coordinator Saskatoon

Vanessa Brum-Bastos, PhD
Arizona State University
Postdoctoral Fellow

Rui Zhang, MSc
University of Saskatchewan
MSc Computer Science

Melissa Ann Tobin, MSc
Memorial University of Newfoundland
MSc Kinesiology

Sarah Bree, MA
University of Saskatchewan
Masters in Geography

Stella Zhou, MCRP
University of British Columbia
Master of Community and Regional Planning University of British Columbia

Elise Gatti, PhD
University of Alberta
Former Montreal/National Research Coordinator (2017)

Gabrielle Rancourt
Université de Montréal - PhD Public Health
Gabrielle is a doctoral student in health promotion, interested in understanding how physical and social environments influence the well-being and mental health of populations.
Well-being, mental health, health promotion

Antoine Nzeyimana
University of Oregon - PhD Geography
Knowledge Users
Ville de Montréal
Irène Cloutier
Chantale Croze
City of Saskatoon
Lesley Anderson
Chris Schulz
City of Vancouver
Dale Bracewell
Maggie Buttle
Megan Fitzgerald
City of Victoria
Sarah Webb
Canadian Urban Institute
Glenn Miller
Institut national de santé publique du Québec
Éric Robitaille
Conseil régional de l’environnement Montréal
Coralie Deny
Direction régionale de santé publique
Louis Drouin
Join the team!
Apply to the INTERACT Trainee Program