Advisory Board
Annick Maugile Flavien
Annick Maugile Flavien is the founder of Utero (a Montreal based Women’s health resource), a health educator, a PhD student in Community Health, a Black community advocate, a story keeper, and a creative maker. Her work at Utero fosters body awareness, health literacy, and personal agency for menstrual, sexual, and reproductive health, while Her PhD research explores Black community health in Montreal with a qualitative focus on the pivotal role of family/kin caregiving within Black homes as a determinant of overall Black community health. On a more personal level, she works at preserving her family stories and cultural intricacies through writing and her other creative practices. She’s currently working on a story series co-written with her mother that she hopes to share with the world soon.
Nicole D'souza
Dr. Nicole D'souza is an experienced mental health researcher dedicated to supporting children and youth. Her work emphasizes community-led approaches to mental health, especially for equity-deserving youth. Nicole has a passion for developing culturally relevant mental health programs that address the unique challenges faced by these communities. She works on connecting young people with social and cultural supports, building resilience and creating accessible pathways to well-being for all. Nicole is committed to ensuring that mental health services are community-driven and tailored to meet the needs of diverse populations.
Erin Stern
Dr. Erin Stern has 15 years of qualitative research experience to inform and evaluate gender and health programmes, with a focus on preventing violence against women and girls. She has provided implementation, research, and evaluation support to more than 25 civil society organizations, international agencies and research companies across 25 countries. Erin coordinated the impact evaluation of Indashyikirwa in Rwanda as part of the What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls Programme and has supported several subsequent adaptations of this evidence-based model. Erin has a PhD in Public Health from the University of Cape Town and holds honorary positions with the University of Cape Town and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She is also a Senior Associate with the Prevention Collaborative.
Ornella Tannous
Ornella is a passionate advocate for community engagement and well-being, bringing a wealth of experience in community organizing, event planning, and content production. With a strong commitment to uplifting voices and fostering connection, she works tirelessly to create spaces where individuals can thrive. Hailing from West Africa, her journey began in digital marketing, where she developed a keen understanding of audience engagement and brand building. This expertise gradually transitioned into curating impactful gatherings, from intimate workshops to large-scale conferences, all designed to foster collaboration and support while prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility. Additionally, she is a skilled podcast and content producer, using storytelling as a tool to highlight critical issues affecting racialized groups. She believes in the power of shared experiences to inspire change and strengthen bonds. Through her work, Ornella remains deeply committed to advocating for the health and well-being of her communities, striving to create a more equitable and supportive environment for all.
Fanny Hersson-Edery
MDCM.CFPC. Family Physician.
Practices Family Medicine Obstetrics at the Jewish General Hospital. She was fortunate to be part of La Maison Bleue for 13 years where she worked in close collaboration with midwives, nurses, social workers and patients on shared care models and group prenatal care. She is currently involved in research interests on the birth experience and accompaniment in labour in women who are refugee or asylum seekers. She has been a teacher of medical students and Family Medicine residents at McGill for over 20 years and is currently the program director of the Family Medicine Postgraduate Residency Program at McGill University. She is the mother of 4 boys.
