Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making (CAnD3)

Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making (CAnD3) - Strength in numbers /cand3/articles/rss en Fellows Feature: Mohsen Monji and Galiba Zahid /cand3/article/fellows-feature-mohsen-monji-and-galiba-zahid We are thrilled to announce the return of CAnD3 for its fifth training year, featuring our largest cohort yet—26 remarkable Fellows selected from partner higher education institutions. This year's group showcases a diverse array of backgrounds who bring a wealth of disciplinary expertise ranging from commerce and public administration to sociology and epidemiology. Thu, 29 Aug 2024 12:26:01 +0000 Rachelle Dong 840 at /cand3 Unveiling the Future of Health Equity: CAnD3's 2024 Keynote Address Challenges Paradigms in Aging and Inequality Research /cand3/article/unveiling-future-health-equity-cand3s-2024-keynote-address-challenges-paradigms-aging-and-inequality <h2>“Are we addressing or augmenting inequalities?”</h2> Mon, 08 Jul 2024 09:37:09 +0000 Rachelle Dong & Katarina Bunakova 832 at /cand3 Fellows Feature: Gwenaelle De Clifford-Faugère & Xinyao Huang /cand3/article/fellows-feature-gwenaelle-de-clifford-faugere-xinyao-huang The CAnD3 Fellows and alumni are joining us in Montreal on June 3rd for our annual <a href="/cand3/channels/event/2024-cand3-keynote-address-structural-inequities-health-looking-back-and-future-356531">Keynote Address</a>. We are immensely grateful to everyone who joined us for our annual capstone event and to celebrate a successful training year. As the 2023-2024 training year concludes with the Keynote Address, we present the final Fellows Feature of this academic year. Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome a new cohort of talented Fellows for the upcoming year, and we can't wait for you to meet them. We caught up with two Fellows, Gwenaelle and Xinyao, to ask about their experiences with the CAnD3 program thus far. Read on to learn about their research and what they hope to achieve during the remainder of the program and beyond. Feature image: Gwenaelle De Clifford-Faugère(left) and Xinyao Huang(right) <h2>Gwenaelle De Clifford-Faugère (she, her, hers)</h2> Gwenaelle is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Québec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, after obtaining her PhD in Nursing at the University of Montreal. She is a mother and a passionate researcher focused on alleviating pain, particularly in neonatal care. Her interest in this field stems from her previous experience as a pediatric nurse, where she witnessed firsthand the suffering of children, especially the pain associated with medical procedures. Working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), she became acutely aware of the limitations in non-pharmacological interventions available to relieve pain in premature infants. Driven by this realization, Gwenaelle decided to further her education, pursuing a master's degree and subsequently a Ph.D. in nursing sciences. During her doctoral studies, a personal experience deepened her understanding of the subject – her premature daughter underwent no fewer than 40 heel pricks for blood sampling in her first week of life. This profound experience allowed Gwenaelle to better comprehend the lived experiences of parents whose children undergo painful procedures and fueled her reflections on collaborating with parents during neonatal care. With her interest in data science, Gwenaelle’s research focuses on working with medico-administrative data for longitudinal health and prescription drug insurance claims. She aims to leverage socio-demographic determinants in order to identify distinct patterns and characteristics among various segments of the population. This targeted analysis holds the potential to inform decision-making processes and policy development within the healthcare domain. Joining the CanD3 training program, Gwenaelle hoped to enhance her quantitative skills, deepen her knowledge of population aging, and learn how population data science methods can inform decision-making and policy. She also views this as an opportunity for collaboration, multidisciplinary networking, and intersectoral engagement. “The knowledge and skills I have acquired through CAnD3 enabled me to improve the graphics of my research papers and open up new possibilities for interdisciplinary research. I hope to use these new skills to develop new projects related to pain in neonatology.”, Gwenaelle added. <img height="574" width="513" style="width: 213px; height: 238px; margin: 15px 10px; float: left;" class="media-element file-original lt" src="/cand3/files/cand3/gwenaelle.jpg" alt="" />In her free time, Gwenaelle cherishes spending quality time with her children, introducing them to the world through various sports and cultural activities. She enjoys both mountain activities like skiing and hiking, as well as aquatic pursuits such as swimming and diving. Additionally, Gwenaelle has been practicing meditation for many years and finds joy in ballroom dancing with her family, including her partner, parents, and sister. Learn more and connect with <a href="/cand3/our-people/fellows-2023-24#Gwenaelle%20De%20Clifford-Faugère">Gwenaelle</a>. Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:17:16 +0000 Yutang Song 827 at /cand3 Fellows Feature: Leigh-Ann Waldropt-Bonair & Alexander Lam /cand3/article/fellows-feature-leigh-ann-waldropt-bonair-alexander-lam As the 2023/2024 academic year begins to come to a close, our Fellows are currently focused on completing their final deliverables, which include creating a data visualization for our annual Dragon's Den competition. The finalists of the competition will present these to a live audience next month when they join us in Montreal for the annual <a href="/cand3/channels/event/2024-cand3-keynote-address-health-inequities-looking-past-and-future-356531">CAnD3 Keynote Address</a>. This year we are thrilled to be welcoming our amazing speakers <a href="https://www.dlsph.utoronto.ca/faculty-profile/siddiqi-arjumand/">Dr. Arjumand Siddiqi</a> and <a href="/epi-biostat-occh/mabel-carabali">Dr. Mabel Carabali</a> who will discuss Structural Health Inequities. We're eagerly looking ��ֱ�� to connecting with our Fellows and Partners face-to-face very soon! In the meantime, we caught up with two of our current Fellows, Leigh-Ann and Alexander, to ask about their experiences with the CAnD3 program thus far. Read on to learn about their research and what they hope to achieve during the remainder of the program and beyond. Feature image: Leigh-Ann Waldropt-Bonair (left) and Alexander Lam(right) <h2>Leigh-Ann Waldropt-Bonair (she, her, hers)</h2> Leigh-Ann is a second-year Sociology PhD student at the University of Alberta from the island of Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean. As a migrant from the Caribbean, Leigh-Ann Waldropt-Bonair has witnessed firsthand the shifts in the region that have influenced migration patterns. This has fueled her passion to explore these phenomena with a nuanced perspective, aiming to contribute meaningful insights to the discourse on migration and climate change. Leigh-Ann's research delves into the intricate dynamics of migration in the Caribbean, a multifaceted issue that intersects with various other domains. Her particular focus is on examining the ramifications of climate change on Caribbean migration to Canada, a topic that resonates deeply with her personal experiences and professional expertise. Her professional journey has been marked by significant roles within the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, where she served as a senior officer in key ministries such as National Security and Social Development. This rich background has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of migration-related issues, “Accordingly, I transitioned to the role of Research Consultant in 2012 and successfully executed survey research and qualitative studies in the areas of irregular migration, labour migration, migrant tracking systems, socio-economic development, and substance use disorders, “she shares. As a Research Consultant, Leigh-Ann has effectively carried out surveys and qualitative studies across a range of subjects. Her published work, "<a href="https://publications.iom.int/books/invisible-immigrants-profile-irregular-migration-smuggling-migrants-and-trafficking-persons">Invisible Immigrants: A Profile of Irregular Migration, Smuggling of Migrants, and Trafficking in Persons in Trinidad and Tobago</a>," stands as a testament to her expertise and dedication. Joining the CAnD3 training program, Leigh-Ann aims to enhance her data analytical skills, particularly in R programming, and gain proficiency in data visualization techniques. “Additionally, the CAnD3 program offers an ideal environment for networking with my peers and professionals in the field of research,” Leigh-Ann shares. <img height="1328" width="1170" style="width: 200px; height: 227px; float: left; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px;" class="media-element file-original lt" src="/cand3/files/cand3/lawb_1.jpg" alt="" />Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Leigh-Ann enjoys engaging in sports like badminton and cycling, relishing nature through activities like hiking. Her love for cultural exploration and culinary adventures reflects her vibrant and multifaceted interests, adding depth to her perspectives as a researcher and individual. Learn more and connect with <a href="/cand3/our-people/fellows-2023-24#Leigh-Ann%20Waldropt">Leigh-Ann</a>. Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:48:40 +0000 Yutang Song 818 at /cand3 Fellows Feature: Rebecca Stewart, Pratik Mahajan & Kate Marr-Laing /cand3/article/fellows-feature-pratik-mahajan-rebecca-stewart-kate-marr-laing As we enter April, there are only three months left in the 2023-24 training program. This month, the Fellows will be diving into Machine Learning as well as starting to prepare for the annual CAnD3 Dragon's Den competition! It's inspiring to see their growth and accomplishments unfold as they continue through the training program. We caught up with three of our current Fellows, Rebecca Stewart, Pratik Mahajan, and Kate Marr-Laing, to ask about their experiences with the CAnD3 program thus far. Continue reading to discover more about their research and their aspirations for the rest of the program and beyond. Feature image: Rebecca Stewart (left) Pratik Mahajan (Middle) and Kate Marr-Laing (right) Tue, 26 Mar 2024 01:48:32 +0000 Yutang Song 811 at /cand3 Fellows Feature: Shannon Mok & Khandideh Williams /cand3/article/fellows-feature-shannon-mok-khandideh-williams As we enter March, recruitment is now in full swing at CAnD3. We invite interested students to join <a href="/cand3/registration-202425-cand3-fellows-mcgill-recruitment-session">our recruitment informational session</a> to hear directly about the program from Fellows and staff! You can also get to know more about the Fellows' experience by reading through their features! We caught up with two of our current Fellows, Shannon and Khandideh, to ask about their experiences with the CAnD3 program thus far. Read on to learn about their research and what they hope to achieve during the remainder of the program and beyond. Feature image: Shannon Mok(left) and Khandideh Williams(right) <h2>Shannon Mok (she, her, hers, they, them, theirs)</h2> Shannon Mok is a researcher with a passion for uncovering the complexities of labour market inequalities. Shannon started her research journey during her undergraduate studies in sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). “My interest in conducting research began at TMU when I realized I was good at quantitative research methods and began conducting quantitative research and learning more about how research can impact policy and create societal change,” shares Shannon. Shannon found that when she was reading various papers on social inequalities, these papers predominantly focused on one form of marginalization. “As an individual belonging to multiple marginalized groups, I felt that my experiences were not well-represented, specifically in quantitative research.” Shannon shares. Therefore, she began working to change this through her own research. Her academic journey continued with a master's degree at Western University, where she further honed her research skills and delved deeper into the field of labour market inequalities. As a current PhD candidate at Western University, Shannon's professional background continues to shape her commitment to creating impactful research that addresses societal challenges. From doing sociology and quantitative research, her ideas have been shaped by her experiences and a drive to make meaningful contributions to social justice. By researching the employment outcomes of marginalized groups through an intersectional lens and focus now lies on analyzing the outcomes of sexual minorities and gender-diverse individuals in Canada, “ I am interested in labour market research because all individuals are affected by their ability to obtain income. If some groups are marginalized because of their identities, it can severely impact their well-being and quality of life,” Shannon shares. Through her work, Shannon aims to shed light on how various forms of marginalization intersect and influence individuals' opportunities in economics. Shannon is eager to enhance her data software skill as a CAnD3 fellow, refine her data visualization techniques, and learn more about translating research into policy-making. “I hope to use these skills in my dissertation, specifically, to create eye-catching, clear, and informative data visualizations for conference presentations,” Shannon says. Moreover, she also looks ��ֱ�� to the networking opportunities provided by CAnD3 to collaborate with fellow researchers and broaden her understanding of diverse research areas. <img height="250" width="160" style="width: 252px; margin: 10px 15px; height: 394px; float: left;" class="media-element file-default lt" src="/cand3/files/cand3/styles/wysiwyg_medium/public/screenshot_2024-02-26_at_11.20.28_pm.png?itok=zrIZ9W3c" alt="" />When Shannon isn't in the research world, you'll likely find her exploring the great outdoors through activities like rock climbing and hiking. She also enjoys spending quality time with her pets and fostering dogs, embodying her compassionate nature both in and out of her academic life. We're inspired by Shannon's research and look ��ֱ�� to witnessing the impact of her endeavors in quantitative research. Learn more and connect with <a href="/cand3/our-people/fellows-2023-24#Shannon%20Mok">Shannon</a>. Tue, 27 Feb 2024 04:17:39 +0000 Yutang Song 804 at /cand3 Fellows Feature: Aida Parnia & Regan Johnston /cand3/article/fellows-feature-aida-parnia-regan-johnston The fourth cohort fellows of the CAnD3 program contains a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. Through our Fellows Features, we aim to showcase these interests and offer insight into their passion through creating inclusive spaces and capturing their unique experiences within the CAnD3 program. We caught up with two of our Fellows, Aida and Regan, to ask about their experiences with the CAnD3 program thus far. Read on to learn about their research and what they hope to achieve during the remainder of the program and beyond. Feature image: Aida Parnia (left) and Regan Johnston (right) <h2>Aida Parnia (she, her, hers, they, them, theirs)</h2> Aida Parnia is a researcher focused on how social conditions shape our health differently and how these inequalities are sustained over time. Aida thinks health serves as a key indicator of how societal structures of oppression operate, intertwining in complex and multifaceted ways. Her passion lies in unraveling the complexities of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and how these structures contribute to unequal health outcomes. As a PhD student in sociology at the University of Toronto, Aida views health as a comprehensive metric capturing the cumulative impact of various societal systems. “I am interested in this area because these structures are complex, have many dimensions and work in conjunction with each other,” Aida says. Aida's professional journey came through diverse public health areas, including environmental health, cancer and health technology. She took a more defined turn towards social epidemiology, prompting her return to school to pursue sociology with a focus on the sociology of health. Health is primarily a measure of how structures of oppression work in society. These structures work in conjunction with each other are complex and have many dimensions. When people try to understand how structures of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, or capitalism affect our lives, the economic and social outcomes show us one way that these structures operate while health captures their total influence. Based on this idea, health seemed like a good starting point for studying these systems. “I am more specifically interested in migration as an experience that shapes a particular encounter with these structures and forces us to consider all of these dynamics globally,” says Aida. <img height="200" width="160" style="width: 252px; height: 315px; margin: 10px 15px; float: left;" class="media-element file-default lt" src="/cand3/files/cand3/styles/wysiwyg_medium/public/screenshot_2024-01-31_at_6.47.20_pm_0.png?itok=LERGRyK7" alt="" />Beyond her academic pursuits, Aida finds joy in a diverse range of activities during her free time. She enjoys cooking with her friends, immersing herself in books or writing, dancing in the music, capturing moments through photography, and nurturing her collection of plants. In pursuit of furthering her expertise, Aida says learning at CAnD3 will contribute directly to her research and enhance her ability to answer complex questions in the field of population sciences. “I am particularly keen on learning from other scholars at CAnD3 and recognizing the continuous learning of the educational landscape in my field,”says Aida. Learn more and connect with <a href="/cand3/our-people/fellows-2023-24#Aida%20Parnia">Aida</a>. Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:55:38 +0000 Yutang Song 798 at /cand3 Fellows Feature: Carlos A. Ramirez Hernandez & Bertram Melix /cand3/article/fellows-feature-carlos-ramirez-hernandez-bertram-melix There is much to look ��ֱ�� to heading into the second half of the 2023-24 CAnD3 training year. Our Fellows will start 2024 with a discussion of <a href="/cand3/channels/event/lunch-learn-recent-advances-digital-demography-353563">recent advances in digital demography</a> and explore topics like adaptive policymaking, loneliness trajectories of older adults, and social media analysis in the next six months. They will also be producing their portfolios, Dragons' Den data visualizations, and policy briefs. We caught up with two of our Fellows, Carlos and Bertram, to ask about their experiences with the CAnD3 program thus far. Read on to learn about their research and what they hope to achieve during the remainder of the program and beyond. Feature image: Carlos A. Ramirez Hernandez (left) and Bertram Melix (right) <h2>Carlos A. Ramirez Hernandez (he/him)</h2> Carlos’s research concerns the statistical measurement of gender-based violence in Latin America focusing on practices such as child marriage and genital mutilation in Indigenous populations. “This is a topic that has been little explored because of the lack and quality of information,” says Carlos. He hopes that accurate quantification can benefit Indigenous women of all ages in Latin America – “from future births of girls who are at risk to older women who live with the health implications of gender-based violence”. Toward this end, Carlos is pursuing a PhD in Demography at the University of Montreal. His thesis will focus on “Measuring female genital mutilation in Colombia” while also analyzing methodologies to measure the practice in different countries and contexts. Carlos’ interest in quantification methodologies can be traced back to his work <a href="http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/stats/documents/ece/ces/ge.11/2016/WP15.pdf">analyzing fertility</a> in Colombia from non-traditional and innovative sources, such as administrative records of vaccinations. The impact Carlos wants to see from his research is shaped by his rich professional background. From 2018 to 2022, he worked at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) where he analyzed and interpreted the relations between population dynamics (mortality, fertility, and migration) and gaps in sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, and aging in Colombian regions with critical humanitarian contexts. With other UNFPA colleagues, he presented a <a href="/cand3/files/cand3/carlos_poster.pdf">prize-winning poster</a> on adolescent fertility and the vulnerability level of spatial units at the 2021 conference of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP). <img alt="Carlos presenting at a conference back when he worked at the UNFPA. " height="1041" width="690" style="width: 325px; height: 490px; margin: 10px 15px; float: left;" class="media-element file-original lt" src="/cand3/files/cand3/carlos_photo1.jpg" /> During his free time, Carlos likes to spend time with family and friends, listen to music, and dance. Carlos says he is on a continuous search for good restaurants and street food. Carlos later served as an advisor at the National Statistics Office of Colombia. Here, he was able to demonstrate the shortcomings in coverage, periodicity and methodological challenges that exist in the production of statistics for closing gender gaps in Latin America. As a first-year PhD student, Carlos says that the CAnD3 training has exposed him to a variety of research tools that will shape and improve his research throughout the rest of his degree and career. Learn more and connect with <a href="/cand3/our-people/fellows-2023-24#Carlos%20Arturo%20Ramirez%20Hernandez">Carlos</a>. Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:30:14 +0000 Yutang Song 797 at /cand3 CAnD3 Successfully hosts their first international PopAging DataViz Workshop at Florida State University /cand3/article/cand3-successfully-hosts-their-first-international-pop-aging-dataviz-workshop-florida-state From Nov. 7th to Nov.9th, the Consortium on Analytics for Data-Driven Decision-Making (CAnD3) and the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy co-hosted their first international workshop at Florida State University (FSU). The Pop Aging DataViz Workshop led by CAnD3 data instructor Dr. Sakeef Karim, brought together the 2023-2024 cohort of CAnD3 Fellows along with students from FSU for a hands-on and interactive workshop on data visualization in R. Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:15:06 +0000 Yutang Song, Arianne Rodriguez-Saltron 796 at /cand3 Fellows Feature: Megan Skowronski & Bavisha Thurairajah /cand3/article/fellows-feature-megan-skowronski-bavisha-thurairajah The first half of the 2023-24 training year has officially wrapped up. Over the past four months, our 22 CAnD3 Fellows have completed a total of 15 training sessions on topics ranging from research replicability and data ethics to discussions about the latest population analytics research and time management. We caught up with two of our Fellows, Megan and Bavisha, to ask about their experiences with the CAnD3 program thus far. Read on to learn about their research and what they hope to achieve during the remainder of the program and beyond. Featured image: Megan Skowronski (left), Bavisha Thurairajah (right) <h2>Megan Skowronski (she/her)</h2> Megan found her academic home in sociology when she understood the profound implications of economic and public policies on the well-being of individuals and society more broadly. One turning point was when she researched the household domains of financial precarity that act as barriers to health-relevant resources. Megan found that addressing housing security and the burden of medical bills for older adults could improve medication adherence, opening a path for policy interventions in this area. Megan’s current research seeks to understand how spatiotemporal changes in welfare systems and redistributive social policies influence population health. “The modest state provisions of social security nets are regulated with stringent criteria that vary across policy contexts within the United States. I am passionate about addressing this variation as I see it as a pathway to close gendered and racialized economic and therefore health disparities that we see today,” shares Megan. Methodologically and theoretically, Megan’s approach is multidisciplinary, borrowing from and interplaying concepts from sociology, gerontology, epidemiology, public health, and economics. It is, in a way, a reflection of her multidisciplinary academic background: a bachelor’s in economics and political science and now, pursuing a PhD in sociology at Florida State University. <img height="667" width="500" style="width: 300px; height: 400px; float: left; margin: 5px 10px;" class="media-element file-extra-large lt" src="/cand3/files/cand3/styles/wysiwyg_extra_large/public/megan.jpg?itok=Yr97Dx8Y" alt="" /> During her free time, Megan enjoys being by the sea, climbing, hiking, reading fiction, personal essays and poetry. Megan had been participating in CAnD3’s open <a href="/cand3/events">Lunch &amp; Learn lectures</a> for almost two years before she joined the program as a Fellow. She says that she wanted to participate in the program to learn how to translate research findings into accessible policy recommendations that have the power to improve material living conditions and, therefore, the health of aging populations internationally. “In the future, I intend to utilize my training and competencies in an organization dedicated to facilitating practical social change through the use of population-level economic and health data.” <a href="/cand3/our-people/fellows-2023-24#Megan%20Skowronski">Learn more about Megan</a>. Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:31:12 +0000 The CAnD3 Team 795 at /cand3