Conference Committee

Lauren Jewett, Conference Chair

Lauren is a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Planning, and the Chair and co-founding member of the GeoHealth Network. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Life Sciences and GIS at McMaster University and her Masters in GIS at the University of Calgary. The use of geospatial tools for measuring and evaluating access to health services has been a constant theme in Lauren’s education and research program. Continuing this path, Lauren is completing her doctoral work on evaluating differences between modeled versus observed patterns of access to health services among stroke patients in Ontario, with a special interest in disparities among rural and remote populations. When she isn’t making maps, Lauren can be found camping along Georgian Bay or paddle boarding on Toronto Island. Learn more about Lauren here.

Naomi Schwartz, Scientific Committee Chair

Naomi is a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Planning and the Scientific Committee Chair of the GeoHealth Network. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Sciences at McGill University and an MPH in Epidemiology from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Her past research has focused on health equity, and traffic safety, using geospatial methods. Naomi’s doctoral work focuses on understanding food access and insecurity among individuals with disabilities in the city of Toronto. Her research uses quantitative models and qualitative mobile methods to explore geographic risk factors at different scales. Outside of her research, Naomi can be found running or biking along Toronto’s waterfront. Learn more about Naomi here.

Meghan O'Neill, Logistics Committee Co-Chair

Meghan is an MPH student at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a co-founding member of the GeoHealth Network. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Health Studies from the University of Waterloo. Meghan’s interests include chronic disease epidemiology, geographic health inequities, and evidence informed policy. She is currently working with the Population Health Analytics Lab using risk prediction tools (obesity and high resource use) to assess trajectories and model the impact of population interventions on key health outcomes. Outside of public health research, you can find Meghan hiking in Canada’s national parks or indulging in Toronto’s food scene. Learn more about Meghan here.

Twitter: @_MeghanONeill

Emmalin Buajitti, Logistics Committee Co-Chair

Emma is a recent graduate from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a co-founding member of the GeoHealth Network. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Health Studies and Physiology and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto. She is currently working as a Research Officer at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in the Population Health Analytics Lab, where she uses administrative data to model geographic predictors of mortality risk in Ontario and Canada. In her spare time, Emma is an avid moviegoer and a frequent patron of Toronto’s many excellent film festivals. Learn more about Emmalin here.

Twitter: @buajitti