Bridging Divides' Josephine Pui-Hing Wong and Mandana Vahabi elected Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Nursing

On October 4, 2023, the Canadian Academy of Nursing inducted Bridging Divides researcher Josephine Pui-Hing Wong and collaborator Mandana Vahabi as Fellows. The 2023 class of Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Nursing (external link)  includes 21 among the most accomplished nurses across the country, elected for their remarkable impact in the fields of nursing and health.

Josephine Pui-Hing Wong is co-lead of the Immigrant Health and Wellbeing Theme in the Bridging Divides program, as well as a member of the Place and Infrastructure Theme. She is a Professor and Research Chair in Urban Health at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University. Working closely with racialized, immigrant and refugee communities, she has co-developed frameworks and innovative interventions to promote health equity and social justice.

Mandana Vahabi is a collaborator in the Immigrant Health and Wellbeing Theme of the Bridging Divides program. She is Professor at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Health and Health Equity at Toronto Metropolitan University. Addressing issues of health equity and social determinants of health, with a focus on cancer screening and health promotion, her work with marginalized communities has informed the design and implementation of culturally appropriate health promotion interventions.

Professor Wong and Professor Vahabi collaborate on some of the outstanding research projects related to the Bridging Divides program. In Project ACE, they are part of a team developing an innovative initiative aimed at reducing HIV related stigma and promoting community resilience. In Challenging Compounding Disadvantage, their team investigates the impact of COVID-19 among immigrants living with cancer or mental health and addiction conditions.