|
Current Students
Alumni
Students enrolled in the program come from a wide variety of
backgrounds including law, nuclear medicine, biological
sciences, nursing, humanities, and social sciences. Like their
predecessors in the Program, these students will be taking
courses and writing theses on a wide range of topics in the
field of health law and policy. Current
Students - 2011 -2012 Name:
Abughanm, Saad
Program: SJD, University of
Toronto
Thesis:
The Protection of Pharmaceutical Patents and Data under TRIPS
and US-Jordan FTA: Exploring the Limits of Obligations and
Flexibilities: A Study of the Impacts on the Pharmaceutical
Sector in Jordan
Supervisor: Ariel Katz
Biography: Saad received his Bachelor
degree in Law in 1997 from the University of Jordan, Jordan.
Following his graduation, Saad worked for two Jordanian law
firms as in-house legal counsel. In 2004 he graduated first in
class with a LLM Degree in Intellectual Property Law in the
University of Jordan. In 2005 he was contracted by the
Government of Jordan to work for the Telecommunications
Regulatory Commission of Jordan as Head of Postal Regulatory
Department. Tasks of the job included: Policy Implementation;
assisting drafting Postal Law, by-law, and related regulations;
and supervision of the Postal Sector in general. In 2007, Saad
became a member of the Private Law Department of the Faculty of
Law/ University of Jordan, Jordan as a Research & Teaching
assistant. In 2008, Saad joined the Doctoral Program at the
University of Toronto as a SJD candidate. His thesis work
(supervised by Professor Ariel Katz and Professors Michael Trebilcock and Jillian Kohler serving as members in the Advisory
Committee), examines the legal standards of patent protection as
enshrined in the TRIPS Agreement and their implementation
implications for developing countries, Jordan in particular.
Central to his work is the investigation of potential
implication on national Pharmaceutical Industries’ abilities to
manufacture affordable drugs to patients living in the South as
consequences of protection provided to the so-called Regulatory
data protection pursuant to article 39.3 of the TRIPS Agreement.
Name: Acharya, Nayha
Program: LLM, Dalhousie University
Research Topic: Nayha's research will
consider the “science and law” discussion from the perspective
of psychological or psychiatric evidence. In particular, bearing
in mind the unique features of psychological evidence, what are
the best methods of presenting it to the Courts to ensure that
injuries to mental health are treated appropriately in civil
law.
Supervisor(s): Elaine Gibson and Ronalda Murphy
Biography: Nayha obtained her LLB from the
University of Alberta. She articled at the Edmonton law firm,
Reynolds, Mirth, Richards & Farmer, LLP. As an associate, Nayha
carried on a general litigation practice, with a focus on
administrative law and personal injury work. Her work in
personal injury litigation resulted in her desire to pursue her
current research interests.
Name: Adido,
Terry
Program: PhD, University of Alberta
Research Topic: Living Spare
Parts: The Role of International Law in Regulating the Ethical
Dilemma of Transplant Tourism
Supervisor(s): Linda C. Reif and Gerald Robertson
Biography:
Terry was born in Kaduna State, Nigeria and received an LL.B.
degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in 2006. He
finished at the top of his class and won a prestigious award for
being the best labour law student in his faculty. During his
stay at the University of Lagos, he carried out a lot of
research on HIV and AIDS and its relationship with the workplace
and worked as a Research Assistant to faculty members. Shortly
after obtaining an LL.B., he proceeded to the Nigerian Law
School, Bwari, Abuja where he acquired a BL in 2007 and
graduated with a Second Class (Upper Division). He was called to
the Nigerian Bar and became a member of the Nigerian Bar
Association in November 2007. After graduating from the Nigerian
Law School, Terry worked as a volunteer Unicef HIV/AIDS Peer
Educator Trainer, during which time he was involved in training
high school students on HIV and AIDS, STDs, negotiation skills
and other sexual reproduction issues. In 2010, Terry completed
an LL.M at the University of Alberta, Edmonton under the
supervision of Prof. Timothy Caulfield. His thesis was on HIV
and AIDS and the ever-changing world of work with particular
reference to the principle of reasonable accommodation. He was a
recipient of the Canadian Institute for Health Research Training
Fellowship in Health Law and Policy and was part of the Health
Law Institute, U of A. Terry is now pursuing a Ph.D. degree at
the University of Alberta.
Name: Bélisle, Julie
Program:
LLM, Université de Sherbooke
Research
Topic: Julie's research will focus on the
organisational structure of the health and social system in
Quebec, its inherent problematics and the place of civil
liability in the context of a public health law system, aging
population and insufficiency of resources
Supervisor:
TBD
Biography: In 2010, Julie
graduated from the University of Sherbrooke, ranking first among
the students of the Law Faculty destined to the Quebec Bar.
During her studies, she had the opportunity to complete two
internships in a Quebec-leading law firm in medical malpractice.
While completing her LL.B., she defined her interest in health
law by completing a course in that matter, assisting to various
presentations by experts and writing an essay on the issues
around organ donation in Quebec. Furthermore, she entered the
International Competition of plea and mediation « les 48 heures
du droit de la santé», which took place in 2010 at Sherbrooke
University, winning the prize for best litigator. Though she is
not yet a member of the Quebec Bar, she completed her
Professional Training in the year 2010-2011. Her internship is
set to be completed in an international major law firm
specialized in litigation, work and employment law, business law
and intellectual property. Julie is pursuing a LLM program in
Health Law and Policy at Sherbrooke University. She is a
recipient of the Canadian Institute for Health Research Training
Fellowship in Health Law and Policy.
Name:
Campbell, Alexandra
Program: LLM, University
of Toronto
Research Focus:
Alexandra’s research will focus on the ethical implications of
the use of solitary confinement in penal institutions
Supervisor: Trudo Lemmens
Biography:
After studying English literature at Queen’s University,
Alexandra completed her LL.B./B.C.L. at McGill. During her
undergraduate legal studies, she became interested in criminal
law, an interest which she pursued working as a summer student
at criminal defence firm in downtown Toronto. Following
graduation from law school, Alexandra articled with the Crown
Law Office – Criminal where, upon the completion of her
articling year in 2008, she began her legal career as Crown
Counsel. During her first two years of practice, she had the
opportunity to prosecute an array of Criminal Code offences in
provincial court and to argue numerous appeals at the Ontario
Court of Appeal. Completing an LLM in Health Law and Policy
represents a change in focus for Alexandra and one that she is
excited to make. This transition is inspired, at least in part,
by her work in criminal court where she found that issues of
health, particularly mental health, often formed a significant
subtext to the behaviour under review.
Name:
Cao, Lijing
Program: LLM, University
of Toronto
Research Focus:
Internal Migrant’s Right to Health in the Context of China’s
Health Care Reform
Supervisor: Colleen Flood
Biography:
Lijing obtained her LLB (Magna Cum Laude) degree from Shenzhen
University, China. During her
studies she
had
the
opportunity
to
participate in
the
Vis(East)
International
Commercial
Arbitration
Moot
and
Jessup
International
Law
Moot
Court
Competition. As a result of her moot court
performance, she interned at a PRC leading law firm and CIETAC
South China Sub-Commission where she assisted in various cases and
conducted legal research in criminal law, business law,
international trade law and ADR. Lijing also initiated and
engaged in various research activities. Research projects
included: vulnerable populations’ living conditions and related
security management, structure of social mind for constitution,
emerging social problems throughout the period of reform and
open policy. As a result of her excellent academic performance
and social work, she was granted ten awards. In the LLM program,
Lijing is focusing on health law and policy. This represents a
change in direction, one that she's very excited to make. Name:
Chen, Yin-Yuan Brandon (Y.Y.)
Program: SJD,
University of Toronto
Research Topic:
Migrant's right to health in the era of medical tourism
Supervisor: Colleen Flood
Biography:
Y.Y. is currently enrolled in the SJD program at the University
of Toronto. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Emory
University in 2002, Master of Social Work from the University of
Toronto in 2005, and JD in 2010, also from the University of
Toronto. Prior to embarking on a career in law, Y.Y. worked for
a number of years in research and policy development relating to
HIV/AIDS and mental health. During the course of his
undergraduate legal studies, Y.Y. co-authored a published
article entitled “Charter Rights & Health Care Funding: A
Typology of Canadian Health Rights Litigation” with Professor
Colleen Flood. After completing his JD, Y.Y. articled at the
Canadian Civil Liberties Association and worked on high profile
cases and issues relating to fundamental freedoms, police
accountability, national security, and equality. Y.Y. was called
to the Bar of Ontario in 2011. Y.Y.’s current research examines
the growing phenomenon of medical tourism and its potential
impact on the right to health in the international migration
context. In addition to his academic work, Y.Y. sits on the
Research Committee at the Asian Community AIDS Services in
Toronto. He was also a former publicly appointed member of the
Ontario Ministerial Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS.
Name: Comtois, David
Program:
JD/MSc, Université de Sherbooke
Research
Topic: Tentative: “Ethical stakes and
intellectual property relative to gene therapy cure’s methods
and technologies” <Les enjeux éthiques et la propriété
intellectuelle relatifs aux technologies et méthodes de guérison
par thérapie génique>
Supervisor: Robert P.
Kouri
Biography: David was born and raised
in a town called Joliette. After having completed his high
school studies in an International Education Program and his
CEGEP studies in natural sciences, for which he was awarded a
merit scholarship by Bridgestone Canada Inc. for his university
studies, he moved to Sherbrooke. He was admitted to the
Université de Sherbooke in a unique program combining a degree
in Law and a MSc in biology (JD/MSc). Through his studies, David
has found particular interests for the intellectual property law
and the pharmaceutical law as well as for the biology fields of
genetics and immunology. Among his realizations, we can count
the creation and the presentation of a conference on the Genetic
Modified Organisms (GMOs), the scientific and legal point of
views as well as their global impacts, and the writing of
recommendations to bring to the Canadian patents’ legal
framework in order to promote the innovation in the
pharmaceutical sector. During the summer of 2011, David
completed an internship in law at the OPDQ (Ordre professionnel
des diététistes du Québec) where he was given the opportunity to
collaborate on different projects with major healthcare sector’s
actors of the province of Québec.
Name:
Du, Li
Program: PhD, University of Alberta
Research Topic: Li’s research
is focused on Biosafety of Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs),
GMOs labeling and international trade
Supervisor:
Tim Caulfield
Biography: Li is a PhD
student in Faculty of Law, University of Alberta. He specialized
in both Clinic Medicine and Law during his undergraduate studies
and was admitted to the Law School as an LLM candidate in
international law. He has since transferred to the PhD
program under a joint LLM-PhD stream designed for postgraduate
students with excellent academic achievements. In his first year
of PhD in Wuhan University, he applied to the law doctoral
program of University of Alberta and was admitted in 2009. Li’s current research interests are
on the biotechnology law and policy. By research on genetic
engineering technology, ethics and law, he intends to provide
recommendations on decision-making and policies-designing
regarding biosafety of biotechnology. His
research interests also include settlement of medical
malpractice damage disputes. As a PhD student, he has focused
on writing scholarly papers. In 2008, he won the Outstanding
Forum Paper Award at China Doctoral Forum hold by Ministry of
Education of P.R. China.
Name: Dussault,
Marie
Program: PhD, University of Alberta
Research Topic: Evaluation of
the "access to care" in Canada (comparative study)
Supervisor: TBD
Biography:
TBA
Name: Gibson, Shannon
Program:
LLM, University of Toronto
Research
Topic: The impact of social media and other online
technologies on the promotion of drugs by the pharmaceutical
industry.
Supervisor: TBD
Biography:
Shannon completed her undergraduate studies at the University of
Victoria (UVic) in Health Information Science, a unique program
that studies the application of information technology in the
health care sector. She then obtained her law degree from the
UVic Faculty of Law. During her legal studies she had the
opportunity to complete an internship with the World Health
Organization in Geneva, Switzerland where she researched the
potential use of the Internet and social media technologies to
encourage dialogue and collaboration between health researchers
in developed and developing counties. Shannon articled with the
Legal Services Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long
Term Care and the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport where
she gained exposure to a wide range of health law and policy
issues, including the drafting of legislation, prosecutions
under various health statutes, the management of the public drug
programs and participating in reviews by the regulated health
professions.
Name: Harrel, Nir
Program:
LLM, University of Toronto
Research Topic:
The legal change of eugenic laws
Supervisor:
Trudo Lemmens and David Schneiderman
Biography:
Nir’s research interest lies in the intersection of law and
technology, especially with medical technologies. He has served
in a classified post in the Negev Nuclear Research Facility and
has continued his military service as a systems analyst and
mainframe programmer in the Central Computation and Networks
Unit. Nir has graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
law school. While and after studying at the law school he had
worked in various IT projects as a computer programmer. After
articling at a firm which specializes in commercial and tort
litigation, Nir was called to the bar of Israel. Nir wishes to
further promote an academic synergy in health law with his other
areas of interest in legal theory, especially with law and
society, philosophy of law, bioethics and public policy. His
current research project seeks to establish a legal theory to
explain how the changing social conditions affect the legality
and constitutionality of eugenic legislation from the 20th
century and on to the genetic age.
Name: Karalis, Aspasia
Program:
LLM, Université de Sherbooke
Research
Topic: Legal, ethical and policy implications
of various clinically-available genetic services in Québec
Supervisor: Robert P. Kouri
Biography: Aspasia Karalis is a resident physician in
Medical Genetics at McGill University. She holds a Doctor of
Medicine degree from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts
degree, magna cum laude, in History and Science from Harvard
University. In 2011-12, she will be completing her final year of
residency training while undertaking the LL.M. program in Health
Policy and Law at the Université de Sherbrooke/Longueuil Campus
on a part-time basis. She will also be conducting her Residency
Research Project at the Centre for Genomics and Policy at McGill
University, exploring ethical, legal and social issues related
to expanded newborn screening in Canada. During her training,
Aspasia has gained experience in various spheres of clinical
genetics, as well as in the principles of diagnostic laboratory
medicine (molecular genetics, biochemical genetics and
cytogenetics).Within this setting she has developed an interest
in the development and application of laws and policies to this
rapidly evolving discipline. As a Canadian Institutes for Health
Research Fellow in Health Law, Ethics and Policy, Aspasia hopes
to focus on how the rapid rate of technological advances in
genetic diagnostic technologies impact standards of care and the
provision of genetics services, with particular attention to
availability and equity of services within and between
provinces.
Name: Kidane, Liyusew Solomon
Program: LLM, Dalhousie University
Research Topic: Liyusew’s research
will examine the existing regulatory system for health
professions in Ethiopia and ways of transforming it to ensure
protection of the public from medical malpractices
Supervisor: William Lahey
Biography:
Liyusew graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Law from Jimma
University Faculty of Law in 2007. He began his career in the
Project for the Implementation of Ethiopia’s Reporting
Obligations under International and Regional Human Rights
Instruments, a joint venture of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights East Africa Regional Office. With
his colleagues, he successfully prepared eight national human
rights reports submitted to the United Nations Treaty Bodies,
the Human
Rights Council and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’
Rights. For a brief period, he taught human rights and
jurisprudence at the University of Gonder, Faculty of Law.
Eventually, he developed an interest in health law and worked
for more than two years on health legislation reform in Ethiopia
as a health law researcher for a Tulane University Ethiopia
Project with the Federal Ministry of Health. He had served as a
secretary and proactive member of various health legislation
drafting teams under the Ministry. He accomplished, among other
things, the promulgation of the Food, Medicine and Healthcare
Administration and Control Act and drafting of Health Services
Act and Regulations on food, medicine, health institutions,
health professionals, environmental health and quarantine
control. In December 2010, he received an honor postgraduate
certificate in Medicine and Law from the Unit for Medicine and
Law, University of South Africa and University of Pretoria.
Name: Lee, Esther
Program:
LLM, University of Toronto
Research
Topic: Tentative - "Abnormality"/"normality" in genetic
society - Eugenics practices in genetic engineering fields
Supervisor: TBD
Biography:
TBA - Starting in January 2012
Name:
Oluchukwu, Aniaka
Program: LLM, Dalhousie
University
Research Topic:
Oluchukwu’s thesis will examine the Impediments to Legal Redress
for Medical malpractice viv-a-vis a patient’s right to informed
medical consent
Supervisor: Elaine Gibson
Biography: Aniaka Oluchukwu was born and raised
in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. She obtained her LLB (summa cum
laude) from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State,
Nigeria and her BL degree (summa cum laude) from the Nigerian
Law School where she won a total of nine awards for her
excellent academic performance. Oluchukwu has, throughout her
undergraduate years, participated in the policy formulation and
law making process of the entire student body, first as an
Honourable member of congress, second, as a two-time chamber
chancellor, third, as an Attorney-General of the student body
and lastly as a Judge of the High Court of the Law Students
Association. She has participated in several moot court
competitions and heated debates on reproductive rights of women,
female circumcision, child marriage and the health risks,
traditional widowhood practices and their effects on the health
of widows, organized by both the university and by external
bodies. Consistently, she has emerged the winner in the
competitions. She has also participated in radio and television
talk shows and drama on various health topics. Oluchukwu has
volunteered in HIV/AIDS and other health-related awareness
campaign. She has a special interest in health and has enrolled
in an LLM program to study health law and be better able to
influence policies thereat. She intends to pursue doctoral
studies after her LLM program and to ultimately be a legal
consultant on health matters to governments world-wide.
Oluchukwu is a recipient of the Canadian Institute for Health
Research Training Fellowship in Health Law and Policy.
Name: Plouffe Deschamps, Amélie
Program: LLM, Université de Sherbooke
Research Topic: Tentative - The legal
and ethical implications of homecare in Quebec
Supervisor: Robert P. Kouri
Biography:
Amélie graduated from the University of Ottawa where she
completed a national program studying both the civil law and
the common law. She also did a co-op program where she had the
opportunity of working with a judge at the New York City Civil
Court. In 2011, she successfully completed the Quebec bar exams.
Throughout her legal studies, she immersed herself in health law
by working as a research assistant with various professors
working on topics like assisted reproductive technology,
end-of-life care, public health and patient safety. More
recently, she worked with a medical malpractice lawyer in
Montreal. Her research interests lie in public policy, ethical
and legal problems regarding homecare and medical malpractice.
Name: Sabzevari, Aminollah
Program: LLM, University of Alberta
Research
Topic: Wrongful Birth and Pregnancy Damages
Supervisor: Erin Nelson
Biography:
After receiving an undergraduate degree in Honours Biophysics,
Aminollah completed his J.D. at the University of British
Columbia. He worked as a research assistant for Dean Mary Anne
Bobinski, researching various bioethics, health law and health
policy topics. Aminollah is particularly interested in
reproductive health law and the intersection of tort law with
family planning and pregnancy. During his law degree, Aminollah
was the Vice President of the UBC Law in Medicine Club and
involved in Residence Life as a residence advisor. He enjoys
playing racquet sports, particularly squash and badminton, as
well as ultimate frisbee and soccer. Aminollah is a recipient of
a Law Foundation of British Columbia Graduate Fellowship.
Name: Shelley, Jacob Jordan
Program: SJD, University of Toronto
Research
Topic: The Promise of Law for Public Health
Supervisor: Trudo Lemmens
Biography:
Jacob began his academic career in theology, receiving an
Honours Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the
University of Waterloo and a Master of Theological Studies from
Conrad Grebel University College. He received his Bachelor of
Laws from the University of Alberta in 2007. During the course
of his LLB, Jacob worked as a research assistant with the Health
Law Institute, University of Alberta. During this time he had
the opportunity to publish and present at numerous conferences.
Upon completion of his LLB, Jacob enrolled in the Master of Laws
program at the University of Alberta. Under the supervision of
Professor Timothy Caulfield, with advisement from Dr. Kim Raine
(Centre for Health Promotion Studies), Jacob successfully
defended his thesis in 2009. Entitled, A Normative Framework for
Public Health Law, it contends that public health law is
consistent with the normative theories of rule of law and
liberty. In 2010, Jacob entered the Doctor of Juridical Science
(SJD) program at the University of Toronto. Under the
supervision of Professor Trudo Lemmens, Jacob's research is
examining the concept of public health law, examining in
particular where public health law fits within the legal
taxonomy. In 2011, Jacob was selected as a 2011-2012 Lupina
Senior Doctoral Fellow. The Lupina fellowship is awarded by the
University of Toronto’s Comparative Program on Health and
Society. Most importantly, Jacob is married to Leia Minaker, a
PhD candidate with the School of Public Health, University of
Alberta, and they have three beautiful little girls: Jordan,
Marley, and Evelyn.
|
