What is Impact Canada?

Rodney Ghali

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet

Rodney is the Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU), a specialized applied policy research team in the Privy Council Office. Employing a multidisciplinary approach of data, social and behavioural sciences, the IIU works to bring high quality data and evidence to the policy development and implementation process to inform government’s top priorities. Areas of focus for the team include security and defence, online information environments, health, climate, regulatory and process efficiency, impact measurement and outcomes-based financing.

Prior to his current role, Rodney was Director General of the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention, Public Health Agency of Canada, where he was responsible for overseeing the Federal Government's policy and programs in the areas of healthy living and chronic disease prevention. Previously, Rodney spent a number of years at Health Canada in various positions such as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister and Director of Strategic Policy. He has worked on numerous legislative/regulatory initiatives and health-related issues including: food and consumer product safety, reproductive technologies, Indigenous health, blood safety and mental health.

Rodney holds a Master of Science (neurobiology) from McGill University and a Honours Bachelor of Science (genetics) from the University of Western Ontario.

Chad Hartnell

Director of Operations

Chad Hartnell is the Director of Operations of the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Government of Canada’s Privy Council Office. In this role, he leads work under Impact Canada, a whole of government approach to develop, refine and scale up novel public policy methods, such as behavioural science and outcomes-based funding (e.g., challenge prizes), focused on improving impact, accountability and value for Canadians.

Over his federal government career, Chad has worked in Public Health Agency of Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, Health Canada and the Privy Council Office. In these roles, he has worked on a variety of initiatives in the policy, legislative, and programming domains, including in healthy living/chronic disease prevention; Indigenous health, employment; social and economic development; and justice and public safety.

Chad holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi and Bachelor of Arts (economics and political science) from the Colorado College.

Luke Babad

Senior Lead, Behavioural and Data Science

Luke Babad is a Senior Lead for Behavioural Science at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office where he focuses on emerging programs in borders, travel and immigration. In this role he works with a team of behavioural scientists to identify and understand people-centred public policy challenges and to test and scale solutions, with the end goal of helping Government of Canada services resonate more meaningfully in the lives of Canadians.

Luke has built his career in policy redesign for the Government of Canada. He has held positions at Indigenous Services Canada in program evaluation, housing and infrastructure reform, and the transfer of departmental responsibilities to Indigenous partners. He has also worked in challenge prizes for Impact Canada and, at the onset and height of the pandemic, worked in the Privy Council Office’s COVID-19 Secretariat.

Luke holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from Carleton University’s Norman Patterson School of International Affairs (2014), a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management (2020) and a certificate in Leadership and Management Skills from the Institut de Leadership (2023).

Dr. Lauryn Conway

Senior Lead, Behavioural and Data Science

Dr. Lauryn Conway is the Lead of Behavioural Science at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office. In this role, she provides strategic oversight and direction for central team projects and initiatives, applying insights and methodologies from the behavioural sciences to help improve policy, programs and service delivery across the Government of Canada.

Previously, Lauryn was an Impact Canada Fellow at the Public Health Agency of Canada where she focused on dual population health aims of preventing chronic disease and reducing health inequalities. Lauryn holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology, Human Development from McGill University and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto.

As an academic and applied practitioner working across public and social sectors, Lauryn has worked passionately on the application of behavioural science and experimentation to domestic and international policy and program design with a subject matter focus on health and wellbeing. She also has experience consulting for intergovernmental bodies and not-for-profit research institutes in the areas of educational policy and government-sector relations.

David Donovan

Senior Policy Advisor

David is Senior Lead, Research Integration and Strategic Initiatives. This entails working across and within Impact Canada’s research and challenge activities to identify meaningful and cross-cutting insights on emerging issues to inform policy.

Before joining the Privy Council Office, David was responsible for advancing private sector partnership and international development finance efforts at Global Affairs Canada. David is the former research director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University.

David graduated with a BA (Honours with Distinction) in Political Studies and Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Queen’s. He was also a Sauvé Fellow of the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation.

Julie Greene

Senior Lead, Outcomes-Based Financing & Design and Communications

Julie Greene is Senior Lead, Outcomes-Based Financing & Design and Communications. In this role, she is responsible for the Impact Canada challenge program, including developing and iterating on outcomes-based methodology, planning and delivering challenges with federal partners, and measuring the economic, environmental and societal impacts of our Challenges.

Before joining the Privy Council Office, Julie was a key designer of an innovative chronic disease program, which was an early adopter in using matched funding with the private sector and pay-for-results methods. She co-led a program of research to explore these types of partnerships, and has jointly published several papers in this field. Julie also formerly held roles advancing tobacco control, mental health promotion and intervention research.

She was educated at the University of Ottawa, holds a Master's Degree in Education (Counselling), a Bachelor of Social Science, and spent early years in her career working in clinical and community settings.

Saskia Jarvis

Manager, People, Talent, and Operations

Saskia Jarvis is the Manager of People and Talent at the Impact and Innovation Unit. In this role, she leads the Impact Canada Fellowship Program, the IIU’s flagship recruitment program for attracting leading talent to work on key government priorities. Saskia has extensive experience working on policy, corporate, leadership development, and human resources. Over her tenure, she supported the Cabinet Committee on the Federal Response to COVID-19, led the secretariat for the Deputy Minister Task Force on Public Sector Innovation, developed and managed the GC Entrepreneurs program (a federal leadership development program), and oversaw the advancement of key policy and corporate files underpinning the IIU’s authorities and operations.

Previously, Saskia worked at the Public Health Agency of Canada where she focused on health promotion, chronic disease prevention and concussion guidelines.

Saskia graduated with a BA in Sociology and Masters in Sociology from Carleton University.

Jessica Leifer

Senior Lead, Behavioural and Data Science

Jessica is a Senior Lead for Behavioural Science, overseeing the Behavioural Science team's established programs of applied research and efforts to continue to mature and mainstream the practice of behavioural science within the federal public service. Jess currently leads the IIU's work to apply behavioural science to advance public health, climate action and environmental protection, and to build the Government of Canada's capacity in behavioural science and it's behavioural science community.

Prior to joining the Privy Council Office, Jessica was a Vice President at ideas42, an applied behavioural science research firm and consultancy, where she managed a large portfolio of projects applying behavioural science insights to improve health and well-being, combat poverty and inequality, and build financial capability in partnership with U.S.-based governments, non-profit organizations, and businesses. Jessica also worked as a Social Impact Bond Fellow for the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, where she advised non-profit organizations interested in developing social impact bonds and other innovative financing programs.

Jessica received her Master in Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. She has guest lectured on the application of behavioural science to public policy at Harvard, Columbia, and given talks at the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, the University of Toronto, and the University of British Columbia. Jessica is passionate about experimentation, and using data and evidence about what works to drive real impact.

Christine Lécuyer-Auger

Executive Assistant

Coming soon...

Jessica Ly

Office Manager and Executive Assistant

Jessica serves as office manager within the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU), where she plays a key role in providing strategic administrative and operational support to help advance the team’s mission. With a strong background in coordination, resource management, and organizational efficiency, she ensures the smooth functioning of day-to-day operations. Jessica's public service career began in 2009, and before joining the Privy Council Office, she held senior executive assistant roles at Health Canada and Public Safety Canada. In these positions, she developed extensive experience in managing complex systems and delivering high-level support in dynamic environments.

Dr. Derek Albert

Behavioural Science Fellow

Derek is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office, where he works to apply behavioural science techniques and insights to inform government policies and programs. Prior to joining the Fellowship program, Derek worked as a Behavioural Science Consultant, supporting clients across various sectors, including technology, sustainability, transportation, and mental health.

Derek received his B.A. in Psychology and Behavioural Science, as well as his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Psychiatry from McGill University. His graduate research examined the contributions of depressed mood and attention difficulties to crash risk in young drivers, and tested interventions for reducing unsafe driving behaviours. Derek completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Waterloo where he studied attention and learning in education and high-risk workplace settings, while also specializing in online research methods.

Matthew Blackshaw

Behavioural Science Fellow

Matt is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office. He works with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to help accelerate the adoption of environmentally beneficial management practices in Canada's agriculture system.

Prior to joining the Fellowship, he worked at the Library of Parliament, where he provided custom research on social and economic issues to MPs and Senators. He has also spent time in a social innovation incubator, and as a program manager at an environmental non-profit.

Matt earned his Bachelor’s degree at McMaster’s Arts and Science Program, and he holds a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration, with a specialization in Data Science, from Carleton University.

Dr. Emily Britton

Behavioural Science Fellow

Emily is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU) within the Privy Council Office. She is working with partners at Natural Resources Canada applying behavioural science to support home energy and adaptation labelling.

Prior to joining the IIU, Emily worked at a charitable research institute conducting applied research to improve mental health and addictions treatment and services.

Emily has a Master’s and PhD in social psychology from the University of Waterloo where she studied motivation and self-regulation. Her dissertation research was focused on understanding motivational barriers to effective goal pursuit.

Dr. Amanda Desnoyers

Senior Behavioural Scientist

Amanda is a Senior Behavioural Scientist, leading our team's community and capacity efforts. She focuses on four main activities to support Canada’s behavioural science community and the federal government’s capacity to apply behavioural science insights and methods through: Training and experiential learning; Providing consultation and advice for public servants; Supporting knowledge translation and dissemination, in partnership with the other Impact Canada teams; and, IIU's leadership with BeSci networks and Communities of Practice, like the Government of Canada Behavioural Science Community of Practice.

Prior to this role, Amanda supported Employment and Social Development Canada’s Education Savings Program. Specifically, she explored how behavioural science could be used to help increase awareness and decrease barriers to accessing educational savings incentives such as the Canada Learning Bond.

Amanda has a Masters degree in Experimental Psychology from Laurentian University and in 2018 earned a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied mindfulness and its impact on mental health.

Dr. Sean Devine

Behavioural Science Fellow

Sean is a Behavioural Science Fellow embedded within the Public Health Agency of Canada. His work focuses on identifying, informing, and empowering Canadians’ immunization decisions, as well as reducing barriers to access across the country.

Before joining the Impact and Innovation Unit, Sean’s earned a PhD in Experimental Psychology (Cognitive Science) from McGill University, where he studied the computational and contextual mechanisms underpinning human decision-making. He also worked as a Behavioural Economist at Intact Insurance Corporation.

Dr. Nicholas Diamond

Lead, Behavioural and Data Science

Nicholas is a Senior Behavioural Scientist at the Impact and Innovation Unit, leading our team's work on trust in institutions, misinformation, and increasing the trustworthiness of government behaviours. He is using behavioural science and data science tools to understand and respond to challenges related to public trust and its stressors across multiple policy domains (including public health and climate change).

Prior to this position, Nicholas completed a PhD in psychology and cognitive neuroscience at the University of Toronto, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He led studies on human memory using real-world and virtual reality experiments, neuroimaging, and direct brain recordings.

Dr. Maral Yeganeh Doost

Behavioural Science Fellow

Maral is a Behavioural Scientist at Impact and Innovation Unit supporing the Health portofolio. She is responsible for coordinating and supporting Behavioural Science (BeSci) research activities to meet objectives and requirements of Health portofolio, working closley with colleagues at Behvioural Science Office (BeSciO) of Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). She also provides ongoing support and mentorship to the Fellows as they apply BeSci insights and methods in a government context.

Prior to this role, Maral was an Impact Canada BeSci Fellow at the National Resource Canada (NRCan). During that time, she supported the application of BeSci in the Home Energy Labeling project. She worked with interdisciplinary partners to generate and apply BeSci evidence to Homes and Communities Division.

Maral recieved her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium in 2018 and followed this with a postdoctoral position at Montreal Neurological Institute of McGill University in cognitive neuroscience and motivation. Before joining the Fellowship program, she has worked as the behavioural science consultant and content creator for non-profit management consulting firms.

Dr. Holly Engstrom

Behavioural Science Fellow

Holly is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office, using psychology and behavioural science principles to improve public safety for Canadians. She also teaches undergraduate courses in psychology at the University of British Columbia. Prior to her work with the Privy Council Office, Holly was the Director of the Eeyou Marine Region Impact Review Board, where she worked closely with Cree and Inuit communities to conduct environmental and social impact assessments of proposed development projects in northern Quebec. She received her PhD in Social Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Methods from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Kaitlyn Fallow

Behavioural Science Fellow

Kaitlyn is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit and Natural Resources Canada, working under the Program of Applied Research on Climate Action (PARCA). Her work explores Canadians' understanding of actions that can be taken at the home and community levels to mitigate local wildfire risk and potential barriers to more widespread adoption of such measures.

Prior to joining the IIU Kaitlyn was a postdoctoral fellow studying human memory and decision-making at the University of Victoria, where she also completed her PhD and MSc in Cognition and Brain Sciences.

Dr. Laura French Bourgeois

Behavioural Science Fellow

Laura is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU) within the Privy Council Office.  She is embedded within Public Safety Canada to better understand how Canadians' attitudes, beliefs, and motivations shape their perspectives on public safety.

Prior to joining the IIU, Laura was a postdoctoral fellow at Western University and Université du Québec à Montréal.  Her research program focused on understanding the role of social norms in shaping attitudes and behaviours, with a particular interest in in political behaviour, the COVID-19 pandemic, and immigration.

She received a PhD in Psychology from Université de Montréal in 2019.

Dr. Caitlyn Gallant

Behavioural Science Fellow

Dr. Caitlyn Gallant is a Behavioural Science Fellow with Impact Canada. She is currently working with Health Canada, providing a behavioural science lens to support the work of the Strategic Policy Directorate (SPD) within the Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch (CSCB).

Previously, Caitlyn completed a placement with PHAC's Behavioural Science Office, working with PHAC's Infectious Disease and Climate Change Program to better understand the barriers to tick-borne disease prevention.

Prior to joining the government, Caitlyn completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at York University where she focused on understanding the mental health needs of children and youth with brain-based challenges and ways to optimize services for this population. Caitlyn holds a PhD in Psychology from Brock University and has experience conducting applied research with various community-based agencies and advocacy groups.

Annamarie Grant

Research and Policy Analyst

Annamarie is a Research and Policy Analyst at the Impact and Innovation Unit. Annamarie conducts population-based public health research and translates findings for policy-makers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked on a longitudinal study on Canadians' behaviours and attitudes related to COVID-19, which was used extensively by Canadian public health officials.

Prior to joining the Government of Canada, she worked in the non-profit sector in services for children and youth with special needs.

Annamarie holds Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from York University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Victoria.

Sarah Hackett

Behavioural Science Fellow

Sarah Hackett is a Program and Policy Fellow within the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office. She is responsible for supporting the team's work on trust in institutions, misinformation, and increasing the trustworthiness of government behaviours. She is also working across emerging program areas to apply the sludge methodology to reduce undue barriers and frictions in current government processes, focused on creating value for Canadians.

Prior to her current role, Sarah was a Policy Advisor within Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. In this position, she worked with a team of behavioural scientists to use interdisciplinary approaches to generate evidence rooted in the real experiences and measurable behaviours of public servants in preparation for the future of work.

Sarah holds a Master of Public Policy from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

Dr. Katie Harper

Senior Behavioural Scientist

Katie is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit and Environment and Climate Change Canada, working under the Program of Applied Research on Climate Action (PARCA). Her work explores the use of communications to drive pro-climate behaviour.

Prior to working with Impact Canada, she worked for a research consulting firm, where she applied her research skills to the development and evaluation of multiple projects addressing public health issues.

Katie obtained her PhD in developmental psychology from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021.

Dr. Kyle Hubbard

A/Lead, Behavioural and Data Science

Kyle is a Senior Behavioural Scientist in the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU) supporting the Program of Applied Research on Climate Action (PARCA). He works with the IIU’s behavioural science (BeSci) team to expand the Federal Government’s capacity to apply BeSci to climate change and environmental protection challenges.

Prior to joining the BeSci team in the IIU, Kyle was a Behavioural Science Fellow at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). During his time at ECCC he led BeSci research to promote pro-environmental behaviour change; applied a BeSci lens to the development of program, policy, and communication initiatives; and helped build capacity for using experimentation and evidence-based decision making wherever possible.

Kyle holds a PhD in educational psychology from McGill University.

Dr. Arvin Jagayat

Behavioural Science Fellow

Arvin Jagayat is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office. He will be working on applying behavioural science insights to help combat misinformation and disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to his current role, Arvin did his PhD in Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University. His work focused on evaluating design-level interventions for misinformation on social media platforms. This includes leading development of the Mock Social Media Website Tool: open-source research software that is designed to help facilitate experimental, behavioural social media research by simulating interactive social media platforms.

Dr. Erik Jansen

Behavioural Science Fellow

Erik is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Privy Council Office, where he will apply behavioural science techniques and insights to inform government programs and policies.

Erik received his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in psychology from MacEwan University and his Master of Arts in social psychology from the University of Waterloo, where he is also completing his Ph.D. in social psychology. During this time, he specialized in goal pursuit, motivation, and self-regulation.

Dr. Christine Kormos

Lead, Behavioural and Data Science

Christine is Lead (Acting) of Behavioural Science for health and public health at Impact Canada. Working in close partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Behavioural Science Office, she oversees work carried out by a team of 10+ Behavioural Scientists and Policy Analysts involving the application of Behavioural Science to the Government of Canada’s public health priorities, through population-based surveying as well as topical surveys and field studies.

Christine has over 15 years of experience researching factors underlying human decision-making, with most of her published research to date focused on sustainability-related behaviour change. Christine joined the federal government in 2022, having previously worked as a Senior Behavioural Scientist at the BC Behavioural Insights Group with the Government of British Columbia. Through her public sector work, as well as her previous academic research and private consulting experience, Christine strives to inform behavioural policy by positioning human perceptions and tendencies at the centre of program and policy design.

She holds a PhD and MSc in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Victoria, prior to which she earned a BSc in Psychology and Biology from Queen's University.

Dr. Elliot MacDonell

Behavioural Science Fellow

Elliot is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit and Environment and Climate Change Canada. His research primarily supports land conservation efforts in Canada, and files related to green energy adoption. Prior to joining the IIU, Elliot completed his PhD in Psychology at Brock University.His academic research focused on the relationship between personality and antisocial behaviour in workplace contexts, as well as psychometrics and the challenges of measuring latent constructs.

Dr. Harry MacKay

Behavioural Science Fellow

Harry is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office, where he will work with partners at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to bring insights from behavioural science to policy design and implementation.

Harry holds a B.A. in Psychology from St. Francis Xavier University, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Carleton University. Prior to this position, Harry completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine where he studied the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the development of brain and behaviour using genome-wide bioinformatic techniques.

Dr. Angela Mastroianni

Behavioural Science Fellow

Angela is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Her work is focused on risk communications, exploring topics such as vaccine confidence and public trust in government.

Angela has a Master’s degree in Behavioural Neuroscience from Wilfrid Laurier University. In 2021, she completed a Ph.D. in Behavioural Neuroscience from Wilfrid Laurier University, where she studied food behaviour and cravings.

Anne Mburu

Behavioural Science Fellow

Anne is a Behavioural Science Analyst with the Impact and Innovation Unit, working on a project under the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer. Her work examines disparities in career development among public servants and the related impacts on mental health.

Prior to joining the IIU, Anne worked in the private sector, applying behavioural insights to guide strategic marketing initiatives in the wellness and mental health sectors.

Anne holds a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Science with a focus on Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia, and an Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights from the UBC Sauder School of Business. She is currently completing her Master of Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University.

Natalie Nova

Analyst

Natalie is an Analyst within the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU), supporting the development of AI‑enabled solutions and digital platforms designed to help teams focus on high‑value work. Her work centers on applying responsible, human‑centered AI to improve decision‑making, streamline processes, and ensure technology is used thoughtfully in complex organizational environments.

Prior to her current role, Natalie worked at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as a Policy Analyst and a Data Scientist. In these roles, she contributed to the development of governance and guidance for the use of artificial intelligence and generative AI in policing, applied a policy‑informed perspective to support data‑driven decision‑making, and translated analytical insights into practical tools and guidance for operational and strategic use.

Natalie holds a Bachelor of Computing from Queen’s University, where she specialized in Cognitive Science, and a Master of Management Engineering from the University of Waterloo with a specialization in Human–Computer Interaction. Her graduate research focused on generative AI explanations through a feminist perspective, which continues to inform her commitment to ethical, responsible, and inclusive AI design and deployment.

Maria Peddle

Behavioural Science Fellow

Maria is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit, working on the Better Accommodation Project with Employment and Social Development Canada.

Prior to joining the Fellowship program, Maria practiced as a clinical social worker at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario providing therapy and crisis management to patients and families. More recently, she worked at the Canada Revenue Agency in the Behavioural Economics Department where she supported policy development and public engagement initiatives to improve Canadian tax compliance.

Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) degree in Psychology with a specialization in Development, and her Master of Social Work from Carleton University.

Dr. Klajdi Puka

Senior Behavioural Scientist

Klajdi is a Senior Behavioural Scientist at Impact Canada, where he advances the health and well-being portfolio. This includes guiding and coordinating the work of fellows embedded at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Canada (HC), as well as others involved in the Health, Attitudes, and Behavioural Insights Tracker (HABIT) survey. He also plays a key role in strengthening collaborations and efforts between the Impact Canada, PHAC, and HC to enhance the integration of behavioural science in public health initiatives.

Klajdi is also an adjunct professor in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University. Previously, he was a scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto, Ontario). He has developed and led a prolific research program focused on mental health research and the evaluation of behavioural interventions.

Klajdi holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a HBSc in Psychology, bringing a strong interdisciplinary perspective to his work.

Dr. Justin Savoie

Behavioural Science Fellow

Justin is a Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit using behavioral science to effectively support Canada’s response to misinformation and disinformation. Justin is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto where his academic interests center on the use of technologically and computationally enabled methods to study public opinion, political behaviour, and Canadian politics. In addition to his academic work, Justin has been involved for several years in a Lead role in data science with Vox Pop Labs, a social enterprise building survey-based web applications fostering democratic engagement that have been used by millions across the world.

Dr. Shelbie Sutherland

Behavioural Science Fellow

Shelbie is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office. She uses her understanding of human behaviour to provide actionable insights designed to improve policies and programs for Canadians. Shelbie draws on her experience as a senior strategist and behavioural science consultant, where she worked closely with leaders in governments and other organizations around the world to identify evidence of barriers that prevent people from achieving their goals. Using an understanding of these barriers, she collaborates with partners to design solutions that support people’s decision‑making and deliver positive social impact.

Shelbie earned a PhD in developmental psychology from the University of Illinois and a Master of Applied Science from the University of Waterloo. She was also a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Paniz Tavakoli

Behavioural Science Fellow

Dr. Paniz Tavakoli is a Behavioural Science Fellow with Impact Canada, currently working with Health Canada's Tobacco Control Directorate. She is also a lecturer at the University of Ottawa, teaching courses in psychology and neuroscience.

Prior to her work at Health Canada, Paniz completed a placement at the Public Health Agency of Canada where she sought to better understand the barriers to the uptake of public health measures for combatting respiratory infectious diseases.

Paniz received her PhD from the University of Ottawa in Psychology with a specialization in Cognitive Neuroscience in 2017. She then completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and McMaster University. During this time, her research focused on using neuroscientific techniques to predict mental health outcome in adolescents with suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

Prior to joining the Impact and Innovation Unit, Paniz worked as a researcher at the Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research.

Dr. Maryse Thomas

Behavioural Science Fellow

Maryse is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office. Her work combines behavioural science and quantitative research methods to design, test, and evaluate innovative solutions to complex public policy challenges. Before joining the unit, Maryse worked as a research scientist at Innodem Neurosciences and SilicoLabs, where she used eye movements and motion analysis to investigate brain-behaviour relationships in clinical and research settings.

Maryse earned a PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a leading vision and hearing research hospital. Her research explored how the brain adapts in response to sound, investigating how factors like noise, learning, attention, and movement shape our hearing.

Dr. Kaian Unwalla

Behavioural Science Fellow

Kaian is a behavioural science Fellow working with the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office in the Environment and Climate Change department.

Kaian received her PhD in psychology from McMaster University. She investigated how we represent our bodies, and how our bodies interact with our surroundings. Prior to this position, she worked as a behavioural scientist at a market research firm providing actionable insights to help businesses address their challenges and questions.

Dr. Sarah Wall

A/Lead, Behavioural and Data Science

Sarah is a Senior Behavioural Scientist of the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. She is responsible for coordinating and supporting Behavioural Science (BeSci) research activities to meet objectives and requirements of the Program of Applied Research on Climate Action (PARCA). She also provides ongoing support and mentorship to the Fellows as they apply BeSci insights and methods in a government context.

Prior to this role, Sarah was an Impact Canada BeSci Fellow at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). During that time, she supported the application of BeSci to the COVID-19 pandemic response and other public health priorities. She worked with interdisciplinary partners to generate and apply BeSci evidence to public health guidance, communications, and policy. She also helped to build capacity for BeSci across PHAC and helped to develop PHAC’s Office of Behavioural Science.

Sarah has a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, where she also earned her Master of Arts (Social Psychology) and Honours Bachelor of Arts (Social Psychology).

Dr. Michael Weiss

Behavioural Science Fellow

Michael is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit, working on the Program of Applied Research on Climate Action in Canada (PARCA). His work focuses on the ongoing national survery of Canadians' attitudes, beliefs and action regarding climate change.

Prior to joining the IIU, Michael was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Montreal. His academic work on music cognition explored the development of musical capacities using a variety of computational, behavioural, and neuroscientific methods.

He received a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto.

Alyssa Whalen

Senior Advisor

Alyssa is a Senior Advisor on the Behavioural Science team in the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. In this role, she applies principles and methods from Behavioural Science and other human-centred approaches to address complex policy and program challenges. Since joining the IIU in 2018, Alyssa has been a central contributor to the growth of the Behavioural Science team and the success of numerous priority-driven projects, including research supporting the Government’s response to COVID-19.

Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Alyssa researched and studied at Queen’s University, concentrating in consumer behaviour and decision-making research. She holds a Master of Science in Marketing and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Queen's, as well as certificates in Business and Social Impact.

Laura Portal Avelar

Challenge Prize Fellow

In her role as an Impact Canada Challenge Prize Fellow, Laura is currently working at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on the development and delivery of challenges that support producer mental wellbeing.

Prior to her current role, Laura was responsible for supporting and collaborating with federal departments and external partners on initiatives under Impact Canada, and for advancing the Impact and Innovation Unit's digital presence. Over her federal government career, Laura has worked to advance regulatory, legislative and corporate initiatives in Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Laura was educated at the University of Ottawa and holds a Master in Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Political Science and Public Administration.

Vivian Harbers

Challenge Prize Fellow

Vivian Harbers is an Impact Canada Challenge Prize Fellow currently working at the Canadian Space Agency. Vivian is responsible for the development and delivery of challenges that support human health during deep space exploration and may support remote communities on earth. Prior to her current role, Vivian was a Challenge Prize Fellow at Natural Resources Canada, where she was responsible for overseeing the Oil Spill Response Challenge. Before joining the Privy Council Office, Vivian was as a Project Manager at the University of Guelph, where she worked on academic research projects addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Vivian has work experience in the domains of: vaccine perspectives and trust, the psychology of close relationships, and mathematical and computational thinking in early childhood education.

Vivian holds a Master’s degree in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Guelph and an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and North American Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Lorah Jensen

Challenge Prize Fellow

Lorah Jensen is a social impact professional focused on advancing outcomes-based program design and social innovation in the nonprofit sector. She recently completed her MBA in Community Economic Development at Cape Breton University, where her applied research, Advancing Social Impact Measurement in the Canadian Nonprofit Sector: Understanding Current Barriers to Adoption, examined how nonprofits can better integrate data-driven impact strategies.

Previously, Lorah served as Manager, Loan Portfolio at Windmill Microlending, leading a national team responsible for client engagement, financial performance, and impact metrics. Her work reduced application processing times, strengthened portfolio management, and enhanced outcomes measurement practices. She also led key elements to Windmill’s financial software redesign, to support organizational growth. She also serves as a volunteer Chair of a community enhancement group, leading local initiatives in events and fundraising.

Lorah is passionate about building practical systems that turn community needs into measurable outcomes. She holds an MBA in Community Economic Development from Cape Breton University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Development and Political Science from Saint Mary’s University.

Dr. Ademir-Paolo Vrolijk

Senior Policy Advisor

Ademir is a Senior Policy Advisor at Impact Canada. He is responsible for measuring, analyzing, and reporting on the immediate and long-term impacts of the Challenge portfolio. He also supports the design of new Challenges and mentors Impact Canada's Fellows on the challenge process.

Ademir draws on his academic work for this role. His research studied the use of innovation challenges in complex, technical contexts and open innovation approaches in government agencies. This experience allows Ademir to translate academic findings into practice and communicate Impact Canada's insights to open innovation scholars and practitioners.

Before joining the Privy Council Office, Ademir was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Ready Lab at the University of Toronto. He was also a Visiting Fellow at the Laboratory for Innovation Sciences at Harvard (LISH) at Harvard University--a centre of excellence for open innovation. Ademir holds a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Carleton University.

Jon Yazer

Challenge Prize Fellow

Jon is an Impact Canada Challenges Fellow who will be supporting the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in developing a MarineSpatial Planning Challenge Prize.

Prior to becoming a Challenge Prize Fellow, Jon led and assisted multiple concurrent negotiations to advance reconciliation with Indigenous groups for the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Before joining federal government, he pursued public interest work in municipal government and in the non-governmental sector. He brings over eight years of experience and applied skills in strategic research, analysis and communications to his role at Impact Canada.

Jon has a Master’s degree in Global Governance from the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western University.

Dominique Léonard

Senior Analyst

Dominique is a Senior Analyst on the Data and Measurement Strategies team. She is working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to explore new ways of analyzing and using data to advance measurement and reporting of GHG emissions-related policies, programs, and investments.

Before joining Impact Canada, Dominique held diverse research and evaluation roles in the public and not-for-profit sectors, including most recently as Senior Evaluator at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. She brings over 15 years of experience in applied social policy research, large-scale experimental demonstration projects, and program evaluation.

Dominique holds a Master of Education from the University of Ottawa and is a Credentialed Evaluator.

Nathan Templeton

Multimedia Communications Officer

Nathan Templeton is a Multimedia Communications Officer at Impact Canada. He is responsible for supporting design and communications products across the unit. Nathan brings experience in web development, user-experience design, and graphic design. He holds a diploma in Interactive Media Design from Algonquin College.

Tarab Hussain

Policy Analyst

In her role as a Policy Analyst on People & Talent, Tarab leads core staffing processes, including recruitment, documentation, and onboarding, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. She manages the Fellowship recruitment campaigns, develops outreach strategies with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and analyzes demographic data to support senior management presentations and reporting. Tarab also contributes to corporate reporting efforts, developing material for Departmental Plans and Results Reports, and plays a role in coordinating all-staff meetings and professional development sessions.

Before becoming a Policy Analyst, Tarab held various roles within the IIU. As a Communications Officer, Junior Research and Policy Analyst, and Junior Communications and Project Officer, she managed the IIU’s digital presence and strategy, advancing priorities through social media, web content, and partnerships with federal departments and external stakeholders.

Tarab studied at University of Ottawa, concentrating in Genomics. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biopharmaceutical Science from the University of Ottawa, and a Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Affairs from Algonquin College.

Odele Nunes

Project Assistant

As the People & Talent Project Assistant, Odele assists in overseeing the delivery of Impact Canada's Fellowship program and provides staffing support for the organization.

Prior to her role at the Privy Council Office, she worked at Health Canada, supporting the administration of the Decompression program.

Odele holds a Degree Certificate in Commerce and a Postgraduate Diploma in Special Education. She is a dedicated community health professional with over 20 years of experience in supporting and advocating for people with disabilities.

Kassandra Ranni

Student

Coming soon...