Our people
The Impact Canada Initiative is led by a Centre of Expertise housed within the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office, which also manages this platform in partnership with Government of Canada departments.
Since its launch in 2017, the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU) has remained focused on working with federal departments, other levels of government, and external partners to support the implementation of inventive programs and services designed to improve social, economic, and environmental outcomes for citizens. In particular, the IIU focuses on improving outcomes for citizens by using a set of innovative approaches designed to achieve greater public value in program and service delivery.
Our leadership team
Rodney Ghali
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet
Rodney Ghali
Rodney Ghali is the Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet of the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. He is responsible for implementing 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, focused on improving impact, accountability and value for Canadians.
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, aboriginal 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
Chad Hartnell is the Director of Operations of the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Government of Canada’s Privy Council Office. In this role, he leads work under Impact Canada, a cross-government initiative that works in partnership with government and non-government organizations in applying innovative financing approaches (e.g., challenge prizes, pay-for-results projects), new partnership models, impact measurement methodologies and behavioural insights in priority areas.
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.
Samantha McDonald
Director of Operations
Samantha McDonald
Samantha McDonald
Director of Operations
Samantha McDonald is the Director of Operations for the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. In this role, she leads work under Impact Canada, a cross-government initiative that works in partnership with government and non-government organizations in applying innovative financing approaches (e.g., challenge prizes, pay-for-results projects), new partnership models, impact measurement methodologies and behavioural science in priority areas.
Samantha has been applying her innovative and resourceful policy skills within the not-for-profit, provincial and federal governments for 20 years including work on immigration, seniors’ policy, health promotion, and the Prime Minister’s apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians.
Valérie Anglehart
Senior Lead, People and Talent
Valérie Anglehart
Valérie Anglehart
Senior Lead, People and Talent
Valérie Anglehart is the Program Coordinator at the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU). She is responsible for working in close collaboration with stakeholders inside and outside government to help deliver on key priorities, including the IIU’s Innovative Staffing Program. Prior to this role, she was the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, Results and Delivery. Valérie was responsible for providing administrative leadership and developing procedural and copy edit guides for this newly established Secretariat. Valérie has an extensive background in Executive support. She has also led on the data validation exercise of the Order-in-Council transfers to Shared Service Canada, and worked on the Executive Performance Management and Talent Management Programs at Global Affairs Canada. A key strength that anyone interacting with her will appreciate is her humility and her ability to develop strong lasting partnerships.
Dr. Lauryn Conway
Senior Lead, Behavioural Science
Dr. Lauryn Conway
Dr. Lauryn Conway
Senior Lead, Behavioural 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 Lead, Policy and Innovative Finance
David Donovan
David Donovan
Senior Lead, Policy and Innovative Finance
David is Senior Lead, Policy and Innovative Finance at the Impact and Innovation Unit. Before joining the Privy Council Office, David was responsible for advancing private sector partnership and international development finance efforts at Global Affairs Canada. He has held roles in public, private, and academic sectors. David is the former research director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen's University. He has published a number of articles relating to the international promotion of democracy, and on democratic and Parliamentary reform in Canada. He has also presented his views on democratic governance before a number of Parliamentary Committees and international conferences. David graduated with a BA (Honours with Distinction) in Political Studies and Master's in Public Administration from Queen's. He is also a Sauvé Fellow of the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation based in Montréal.
Julie Greene
Senior Lead, Capacity and Partnerships
Julie Greene
Julie Greene
Senior Lead, Capacity and Partnerships
Julie is responsible for developing partnerships and building capacity for the Federal government to use outcomes-based funding approaches, including Challenge Prizes and pay-for-success projects. Her team’s current portfolio of projects span social determinants of health, environment and inclusion.
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. Previously, Julie worked to advance tobacco control and mental health initiatives, and has always been passionate about understanding how to motivate and measure behaviour change.
Julie 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. Raised in the federal Health Portfolio, with feet firmly planted in policy, program and research positions, she is looking to further contribute to the systemization of public sector innovation.
Dr. Michael Haber
Senior Lead, Public Engagement
Dr. Michael Haber
Dr. Michael Haber
Senior Lead, Public Engagement
Dr. Michael Haber is Lead, Public Engagement, at the Impact and Innovation Unit. In this role, he is responsible for collaborating with federal departments and external partners to advance Impact Canada Challenge Prizes and Initiatives, and for supporting the IIU’s digital delivery model.
Before joining the Privy Council Office, Michael spent 10 years with Health Canada as a Human Therapeutic Product Assessment Officer, a project manager, and most recently, as the department’s Government of Canada Entrepreneur to the Deputy Minister Task Force on Public Sector Innovation.
Michael was educated at McGill University and holds a Doctorate and Master of Science in Neuroscience, a Graduate Certificate in Biotechnology, and a Bachelor of Science in Physiology.
Jessica Leifer
Senior Lead, Behavioural Science
Jessica Leifer
Jessica Leifer
Senior Lead, Behavioural Science
In this role, she is responsible for leading the Behavioral Science team’s collaborations with federal departments and external partners to apply BeSci insights to improve the impact of various government programs and policies.
Prior to joining the Privy Council Office, Jess worked for a U.S.-based BeSci organization where she managed a large portfolio of projects applying BeSci insights to improve health and well-being, combat poverty and inequality, and build financial capability in partnership with governments, non-profit organizations, and businesses locally and internationally. Jess also worked as an Social Impact Bond Fellow for the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing where she advised non-profit organizations interested in developing social impact bonds and innovative finance programs.
Jess received her Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, she researched self-control and willpower with Dr. Angela Duckworth. Jess is passionate about experimentation, and using data and evidence about what works to drive innovation and demonstrable social impact.
Executive Support
Saskia Jarvis
Senior Advisor, Operations
Saskia Jarvis
Saskia Jarvis
Senior Advisor, Operations
Saskia is a Senior Advisor at the Impact and Innovation Unit. She is responsible for providing support for various IIU activities, including building networks with federal departments and external partners to foster collaboration and advance the Government of Canada's experimentation and innovation agenda. She also provides support for the Deputy Ministers Task Force on Public Sector Innovation.
Before joining the Privy Council Office, Saskia worked on a variety of health-related policy initiatives, with a focus on health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Saskia has experience in advancing private sector partnerships, and provided policy support for The Play Exchange, a national competition that sought transformative ideas to create healthier, active lifestyles for Canadians.
Saskia graduated from Carleton University with a BA (Honours) in Sociology and a Master's of Arts in Sociology.
Jessica Ly
Executive Assistant
Jessica Ly
Jessica Ly
Executive Assistant
Jessica is the executive assistant to the Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet at the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU). In her role, Jessica serves as a primary contact for external offices and provides executive and administrative support to the Assistant Secretary and this office.
Prior to working at the IIU, Jessica worked at Health Canada as a management executive assistant for a number of senior offices. Jessica has 10 years of experience as an executive assistant in the federal government and a former work background in hospitality and store management.
Trevor Nugent
Executive Assistant
Trevor Nugent
Trevor Nugent
Executive Assistant
Trevor is the Executive Assistant to the Director of Operations at the Impact and Innovation Unit. In this role, he provides administrative support for the Director of Operations, secretariat support for IIU Management Meetings, and other administrative functions.
Prior to his role at the IIU Trevor has over 13 years experience working for the Government of Canada, including administrative functions on various international development projects implemented by the Canada School of Public Service in China, Russia, and the Commonwealth Caribbean and more recently working with PCO’s Results and Delivery Unit and LGBTQ2 Secretariat.
Behavioural Science
Daniel Almeida
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Daniel Almeida
Daniel Almeida
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Prior to earning his Ph.D. in neuroscience at McGill University, Daniel completed a B.Sc. (Hons) with High Distinction in Physiology and Psychology at the University of Toronto. Daniel’s doctoral work utilized post-mortem human brain samples coupled with psychological autopsies rich with information, to understand the long-term impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain. His work, specifically, investigated epigenetic mechanisms underlying the link between childhood abuse and suicide. Daniel brings to the impact fellowship program a long history of collaborating with researchers, citizen scientists and science advocates passionate about advancing our understanding of the brain.
Matthew Blackshaw
Behavioural Science Fellow, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Matthew Blackshaw
Matt is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office.
Prior to the Fellowship, Matt has spent most of his career working in non-partisan roles in and around democratic institutions. Most recently, he worked as an Analyst at the Library of Parliament, where he provided custom research on social policy and economic issues to MPs and Senators.
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.
Sofia Deleniv
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Sofia Deleniv
Sofia Deleniv
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Sofia is an applied behavioural scientist working with the Impact and Innovation Unit of the Privy Council Office and Environment and Climate Change Canada on helping Canada meet its ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets.
Sofia received her doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, where she studied the brain mechanisms of perception and decision-making. Prior to joining the Impact and Innovation Unit, she held applied behavioural scientist positions at consulting firm BEworks and, more recently, the Canadian office of The Behavioural Insights Team. There, she worked on applying behavioural insights to challenges ranging from COVID-19 vaccine uptake to financial app regulation and mental illness diagnosis.
Dr. Amanda Desnoyers
Behavioural Science Fellow, Employment and Social Development Canada
Dr. Amanda Desnoyers
Dr. Amanda Desnoyers
Behavioural Science Fellow, Employment and Social Development Canada
Amanda is a Behavioural Scientist and Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit located in the Privy Council Office. Her current placement is with Employment and Social Development Canada within the Canadian Education Savings Program where she is exploring how behavioural science can be used to help increase awareness and decrease barriers to accessing educational savings incentives such as the Canada Learning Bond.
Prior to this current role, Amanda supported the Government of Canada’s response to COVID-19. Specifically, she supported the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring in Canada (COSMO) longitudinal study that surveyed Canadian’s on their perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours surrounding COVID-19.
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. Nicholas Diamond
Behavioural Science Fellow
Dr. Nicholas Diamond
Dr. Nicholas Diamond
Behavioural Science Fellow
Nicholas is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit. He is using behavioural science and quantitative approaches to understand the problem of misinformation and disinformation, and he will be working with partners at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to help with the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to this position, Nicholas completed a PhD in psychology at the University of Toronto and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He investigated human memory using real-world and virtual reality experiments, neuroimaging and electrophysiology, and a focus on age-related memory changes.
Dr. Maral Yeganeh Doost
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Dr. Maral Yeganeh Doost
Dr. Maral Yeganeh Doost
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Maral received her doctorate from the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, in Neuroscience 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 content creator for a management consulting firm. She has also worked as an independent behavioural science consultant with non-profit organizations.
Kaitlyn Fallow
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Kaitlyn Fallow
Kaitlyn Fallow
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Kaitlyn completed a PhD in Cognition and Brain Sciences in 2021 at the University of Victoria, where she continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow until taking this position. Her work explored some of the basic mechanisms of human memory and how people make memory-related decisions, with particular attention to some of the challenges of analyzing and interpreting data from recognition memory experiments.
Caitlyn Gallant
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Caitlyn Gallant
Caitlyn Gallant
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Dr. Caitlyn Gallant is a Behavioural Scientist and Fellow within the Impact and Innovation Unit located in the Privy Council Office. In this role, she will provide a behavioural science lens to support the public health research portfolio.
Previously, Caitlyn was a Postdoctoral Fellow at York University in the Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Lab where she focused on understanding the mental health needs of children and youth with brain-based challenges and the ways mental health services can be optimized to better care 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.
Dr. Tyler Good
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Dr. Tyler Good
Dr. Tyler Good
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Tyler is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit who will be working with partners at Office of Strategic Policy and Planning at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). In this role, he will provide a behavioural science lens to many initiatives at PHAC including the governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to this position, Tyler completed a PhD in psychology at the University of Toronto where he studied the long-term consequences of concussion using large-scale network modeling and multivariate statistical techniques.
Jacob Graham
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Jacob Graham
Jacob Graham
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Jacob is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office, where he will be working to bring behavioural science insights to policy spaces.
Jacob holds an honours bachelor’s degree in economics (first class) from the University of Calgary and a master’s degree in economics from the University of British Columbia, where the focus of his education was on applied game theory and consumer theory. His master’s thesis explored the intersection of behavioural economics and labour theory through differential analysis of COVID-19 work-from-home policies. Prior to joining the IIU,
Jacob worked at the Canada Energy Regulator where his research focused on economic analysis of hydrogen as a viable energy alternative for Canadians.
Kathryn Harper
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Kathryn Harper
Kathryn Harper
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Katie is a Behavioural Science Fellow with Impact Canada. She will be working within Environment and Climate Change Canada, helping to apply a behaviour science approach to government communications.
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 Psychology (focusing on lifespan development) from Ryerson University in 2021.
Dr. Kyle Hubbard
Behavioural Scientist
Dr. Kyle Hubbard
Dr. Kyle Hubbard
Behavioural Scientist
Kyle is a Behavioural Scientist in the Impact and Innovation Unit at the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. He works with the IIU’s Behavioural Science Team to expand the Federal Government’s capacity to apply behavioural science (BeSci) to key priority areas including COVID-19 and climate change.
Prior to joining the core Behavioural Science 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 service initiatives; and helped build capacity for using experimentation and evidence-based decision making wherever possible.
Kyle holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (educational psychology) from McGill University.
Arvin Jagayat
Behavioural Science Fellow
Arvin Jagayat
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.
Erik Jansen
Behavioural Science Fellow, Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada
Erik Jansen
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.
Christine Kormos
Behavioural Scientist
Christine Kormos
Christine Kormos
Behavioural Scientist
Christine Kormos is joining the Impact and Innovation Unit to support on the public health file. She comes to the IIU from her position as a Senior Behavioural Scientist at the BC Behavioural Insights Group.
Christine holds a BSc (Psychology and Biology) from Queen’s University as well as a MSc and PhD in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Victoria, where she applied behavioural insights to address decision-making challenges related to climate change. Christine has also worked previously as a Behavioural Scientist for the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, through the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship program, as well as a Behavioural Economics Consultant on energy-related projects. Outside of work, Christine enjoys spending time with her partner and young son.
Karissa Leduc
Behavioural Science Fellow, Communications Community Office
Karissa Leduc
Karissa Leduc
Behavioural Science Fellow, Communications Community Office
Karissa is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office. She will be working with the Communications Community Office (CCO) on issues pertaining to misinformation.
Karissa completed a Bachelor’s degree in psychology at McGill University and a Master’s degree in learning sciences at Université de Sherbrooke. She is currently finishing her Doctoral degree in Educational Psychology (Human Development) at McGill University. Through her research, she applied behavioral insights to parent communications about cyberbullying, and studied youth social interactions on digital media.
Vivian Li
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Vivian Li
Vivian Li
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Vivian is a Behavioural Scientist partnering with Natural Resources Canada, applying a behavioural science and experimentation lens to education and adoption initiatives around zero emission vehicles.
Prior to joining the Impact & Innovation Unit, she led the research program and consumer insights strategy for multiple leading household brands at Procter & Gamble Canada.
Vivian was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, and holds a PhD in Psychology from Yale University.
Elliot MacDonell
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Elliot MacDonell
Elliot MacDonell
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Elliot is a Behavioural Science Fellow with Impact Canada. He received his Doctorate in Psychology (Social/Personality Concentration) from Brock University in 2021. His academic research focused on the relationship between personality and antisocial behaviours, as well as psychometrics and the challenges of measuring latent constructs.
Prior to working with Impact Canada, Elliot worked as a Research Associate within the Goodman School of Business at Brock University. In this role, he consulted on research examining the challenges faced by refugees seeking asylum in Canada.
Harry MacKay
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Harry MacKay
Harry MacKay
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
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.
Angela Mastroianni
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Angela Mastroianni
Angela is a Behavioural Science Fellow with the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Privy Council Office.
She 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.
Anthony Murkar
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Anthony Murkar
Anthony Murkar
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Anthony Murkar received his PhD from the University of Ottawa (Ottawa, ON) in Psychology with a specialization in Behavioural Neuroscience in 2020, and followed this with a postdoctoral fellowship at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research. He is also a Psychology lecturer at Lakehead University in the areas of psychopharmacology and neuroscience.
Prior to joining the Impact and Innovation Unit, he worked on pre-clinical and clinical pharmacological experiments to discover new treatment strategies for mental health disorders. His work has also focused on the neurological mechanisms behind the memory-altering qualities of medicinal plants.
Jay Olson
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Jay Olson
Jay Olson
Behavioural Science Fellow, Natural Resources Canada
Dr. Jay Olson is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office.
He holds a PhD in Psychiatry from McGill University and did his postdoctoral training in Psychology at Harvard University. Jay has developed behavioural interventions targeting a range of topics including medical error, smartphone addiction, behavioural disorders, and jet lag. He hopes to apply his interdisciplinary knowledge to improve the effectiveness and uptake of government programs.
Brian Pereira
Behavioural Science Fellow
Brian Pereira
Brian Pereira
Behavioural Science Fellow
Brian is a Behavioural Science Fellow within the Behavioural Science team at the Impact and Innovation Unit. He will be working on applying behavioural science research in response to COVID-19, including projects related to misinformation and disinformation.
Prior to joining the Fellowship program in April 2021, Brian worked at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health studying predictors of substance use behaviour in young adult populations.
Brian holds a Master of Science in Neuroscience from Western University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Toronto.
Klajdi Puka
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Klajdi Puka
Klajdi is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit and the Public Health Agency of Canada. He is also an adjust professor in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University.
Prior to this position, Klajdi 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.
Justin Savoie
Behavioural Science Fellow
Justin Savoie
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.
Colin Scott
Behavioural Science Fellow, Communications Community Office
Colin Scott
Colin is an academic and applied social research practitioner working at the intersections of psychology and political science. His research focuses on intergroup relations, migration and settlement, and civic engagement.
Prior to joining the Impact and Innovation Unit as a Behavioural Science Fellow within the Privy Council Office, Colin worked as a lecturer, consulted for non-profit organizations and research groups in Canada and Latin America, and has published academic research on issues related to diversity, inclusion, and civic engagement.
Colin is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Concordia University and holds a Ph. D in Political Science from McGill University, as well as Masters’ degrees in Psychology (University of Guelph) and Political Science (Memorial University of Newfoundland).
Dhawal Selerka
Behavioural Scientist
Dhawal Selerka
Dhawal Selerka
Behavioural Scientist
Dhawal is a Behavioural Scientist with the Impact and Innovation Unit, Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. He is responsible for applying insights from the behavioural sciences (e.g. social psychology, cognitive sciences, etc.) across a range of files, including how the government communicates with its citizens, using experimental methods and techniques.
Prior to working with the core team at the IIU, Dhawal was placed at Transport Canada to help apply behavioural science across numerous programs and domains, including boating safety, organizational safety, and policy formulation.
Prior to his current role, Dhawal was a graduate student with the University of Toronto where he received a Master of Arts (Psychology)
Annabel Sibalis
Behavioural Science Fellow, Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada
Annabel Sibalis
Annabel is a Behavioural Science Fellow working within the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Her work applies behavioural insights and research expertise to the investigation of mental health and wellbeing outcomes for Canadians.
Prior to this role, Annabel was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH) where she led a community-based research initiative investigating the mental health needs of youth in underserved communities across Toronto.
She received her PhD in psychology from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in 2021.
Paniz Tavakoli
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Paniz Tavakoli
Paniz Tavakoli 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 mental health disorders and to predict prognoses in comatose patients. Paniz is also a lecturer at the University of Ottawa, teaching courses in psychology and neuroscience.
Prior to joining the Impact and Innovation Unit, Paniz worked as a researcher at the Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research and as a Policy Analyst at the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Nick Thompson
Research Associate
Nick Thompson
Nick Thompson
Research Associate
In this role, he executes statistical analysis to generate policy insights targeted at assisting the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response. In addition to his work with the Privy Council Office, Nick is currently completing a Master of Public Policy at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Before joining the Impact and Innovation Unit, he was a Research Associate at the Munk School’s Policy, Elections and Representation Lab where he helped launch a dashboard visualizing data on jurisdiction-level policy responses to COVID-19. Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen’s University.
Currently Most Interested in… The application of Python to problems requiring statistical analysis. In particular, the use of Python to engage in automated approaches to analysis and large-scale data manipulation.
Kaian Unwalla
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Kaian Unwalla
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.
Thomas (Tom) Vargas
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Thomas (Tom) Vargas
Thomas (Tom) Vargas
Behavioural Science Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Tom is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit, where he will support efforts to integrate behavioral science and public policy.
Prior to this position, Tom completed a PhD in political science from the University of Minnesota and a postdoctoral fellowship at McMaster University. His fields of study were comparative public policy and quantitative methodology. Before graduate school, he worked at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) helping to translate academic research into public policy action.
He earned a Master’s in Public Policy from the College of William & Mary, and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.
Sarah Wall
Behavioural Science Fellow
Sarah Wall
Sarah Wall
Behavioural Science Fellow
Sarah Wall is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit within the Privy Council Office. She will also be working within the Public Health Agency of Canada to support the application of Behavioural Science and experimental methods to their continued response to COVID-19.
Sarah is educated at Wilfrid Laurier University where she earned her Master’s degree in social psychology, and is working concurrently on completing her Doctorate in social psychology, with a focus on motivation and decision-making in close relationship domains.
Michael Weiss
Behavioural Science Fellow, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Michael Weiss
Michael is a Behavioural Science Fellow at the Impact and Innovation Unit.
Prior to this position, Michael was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Montreal. His academic work explored cognition of music with a focus on how musical capacities develop, using a variety of computational, behavioural, and neuroscientific methods. He received a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto.
Alyssa Whalen
Advisor
Alyssa Whalen
Alyssa Whalen
Advisor
Alyssa is an 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 across the Government of Canada. During Alyssa’s time at the IIU, she has carried out numerous priority-driven projects as an applied researcher, and played a leading role in scoping and coordinating the team’s program of Behavioural Science research supporting the Government’s response to COVID-19.
Prior to joining her current role, Alyssa researched and studied at Queen’s University, concentrating in consumer behaviour and decision-making research. From Queen’s, she holds a Master of Science in Marketing and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, as well as certificates in Business and Social Impact.
Challenges
Laura Portal Avelar
Senior Advisor
Laura Portal Avelar
Laura Portal Avelar
Senior Advisor
In her role as Senior Advisor, Laura is 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.
Nolan D'Souza
Challenge Prize Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Nolan D'Souza
Nolan D'Souza
Challenge Prize Fellow, Public Health Agency of Canada
Nolan is working alongside the Public Health Agency of Canada to support the design and implementation of their Diabetes Prevention Challenge.
Prior to joining the Privy Council Office, he worked with community agencies, hospitals, and government to support health and social service delivery strategy for marginalized communities in Ontario’s COVID-19 hotpots. He is also a genetic counsellor, and has provided frontline clinical care and worked on provincial genetics strategies. He continues to work on genetics policy and best practices in Canada.
He is a Certified Health Executive and Certified Canadian Genetic Counsellor. He has a Master’s in Health Administration and a Master’s in Medical Genetics from the University of Toronto.
Nolan is excited to create the space to surface solutions that improve the health and wellbeing for as many people as possible.
Vivian Harbers
Challenge Prize Fellow, Canadian Space Agency
Vivian Harbers
Vivian Harbers
Challenge Prize Fellow, Canadian Space Agency
In her role as Challenge Prize Fellow, Vivian is working with Natural Resources Canada to oversee the design and implementation of a Challenge Prize to address oil spills in Canada.
Prior to joining the Privy Council Office, Vivian was Project Manager of a COVID-19 research project, investigating social dimensions of the pandemic, vaccine perspectives, and trust amongst Canadians.
Vivian holds a Master’s in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Guelph, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and North American Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Meghan MacDonald
Challenge Prize Fellow, Canadian Space Agency
Meghan MacDonald
Meghan MacDonald
Challenge Prize Fellow, Canadian Space Agency
Meghan is a Challenge Prize fellow working with the Canadian Space Agency.
Prior to joining the Privy Council Office, Meghan was a National Consultant with Veterans Affairs Canada supporting the implementation of a more balanced service delivery model for Case Management Services for Veterans. This included rolling out a national method for determining client complexity, developing new tailored service standards and other tools and processes that support improved outcomes for Veterans across Canada.
Meghan holds a Masters in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Bachelor of Social Work from Dalhousie University, a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Economics from Mount Allison University and is a Registered Social Worker and part-time clinical therapist.
Deena Newaz
Challenge Prize Fellow, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Deena Newaz
Deena Newaz
Challenge Prize Fellow, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Deena Newaz is joining Impact Canada as a Challenge Prize Fellow with seven years of experience working in education policy, research, and impact evaluation across three continents.
Prior to joining Impact Canada, Deena worked as an Impact Partnerships Manager at ImpactEd, a non-profit based in London, UK. She managed a team and led mixed method impact evaluations for schools, charities, and the Department for Education to promote evidence-based decision making. She also brings program design and policy experience from her role at the World Innovation Summit for Education where she managed several youth fellowships programs and curated global policy events to advocate for equitable education interventions.
Deena holds an MPhil in Education and International Development from the University of Cambridge and a B.Sc. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She is passionate about leading a life committed to social justice and community-led change.
Policy
Meghan Corbett
Junior Research and Policy Analyst
Meghan Corbett
Meghan Corbett
Junior Research and Policy Analyst
Meghan is a Junior Research and Policy Analyst on the Policy Team at the Impact and Innovation Unit. In this role, she uses behavioural science, policy analysis, and statistical analysis to support IIU initiatives, with a focus on developing applied policy insights. Meghan holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology from the University of Guelph and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Victoria. As part of her Masters thesis, she used a behavioural economics framework to study heat pump adoption among Canadian homeowners.
Kieran Findlater
Senior Policy Advisor
Kieran Findlater
Kieran Findlater
Senior Policy Advisor
Kieran is a Senior Policy Advisor and climate policy lead at the Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU). Having co-developed the IIU’s behavioural science-based Program of Applied Research on Climate Action, he leads research and analysis for the policy team’s ongoing contributions in climate change and environment-related areas, as well as contributing topical and research expertise to the IIU’s expanding portfolio of policy and behavioural science activities.
Before joining the Privy Council Office, Kieran spent 15 years leading policy-focussed research at the intersection of economics, psychology, sociology and climate science, primarily related to human behaviour in response to climate change. He has published a diverse slate of peer-reviewed articles evaluating individual, institutional and societal responses to complex sustainability problems in climate, energy, water, forestry, agriculture and beyond.
Kieran earned his PhD at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, where he is now also an Adjunct Professor. He holds MSc and BSc degrees related to earth and atmospheric sciences.
Annamarie Grant
Research and Policy Analyst
Annamarie Grant
Annamarie Grant
Research and Policy Analyst
Annamarie is a Junior Research and Policy Analyst on the Policy and Innovative Finance team at the Impact and Innovation Unit. In this role, she is responsible for providing analysis and support on IIU initiatives crossing the policy and behavioural science functions. 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 (Honours) in Political Science and Public Administration from York University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Victoria.
Darren McKee
Senior Policy Advisor
Darren McKee
Darren McKee
Senior Policy Advisor
Darren is a Senior Policy Advisor on the Policy team at the Impact and Innovation Unit.
Before joining the Privy Council Office, Darren has held diverse policy roles in various Government of Canada organizations, including: corporate governance at Treasury Board Secretariat; environmental science at Environment and Climate Change Canada; harassment and violence prevention at Employment and Social Development Canada; and strategic foresight at Policy Horizons.
Darren holds a Master of Science (Experimental Psychology) from Dalhouise University and a Master of Public Administration from Queen's University. Darren is passionate about using evidence and critical thinking to have the most effective impact on the world.
Anke Shi
Junior Research and Policy Analyst
Anke Shi
Anke Shi
Junior Research and Policy Analyst
Anke is a Junior Research and Policy Analyst on the Policy and Innovative Finance team at the Impact and Innovation Unit. In this role, she is responsible for providing support and analysis on IIU initiatives crossing the policy and behavioural science functions.
Prior to this position, she worked at Canada Revenue Agency, University of British Columbia, and Statistics Canada in various roles. Anke holds a BA in International Relations from the University of British Columbia.
Public Engagement
Laura Portal Avelar
Senior Advisor
Laura Portal Avelar
Laura Portal Avelar
Senior Advisor
In her role as Senior Advisor, Laura is 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.
Laurie Bennett
Senior Graphic Designer
Laurie Bennett
Laurie Bennett
Senior Graphic Designer
Laurie is the Impact and Innovation Unit’s Multimedia Communications Officer. She focuses her efforts on increasing accessibility to the work of the IIU through the development of engaging publications and web-based products.
Prior to her work with the IIU, Laurie served as VP of operations for Transpath, a medical diagnostics firm, and also did work as a videographer and online courseware developer for the University of Alberta.
Laurie has an honours diploma in Interactive Media Design, and is currently pursuing a Bachelors in Education with a specialization in Adult Learning and Digital Technologies.
Elysabeth Breton
Graphic Designer
Elysabeth Breton
Elysabeth Breton
Graphic Designer
Elysabeth is a Multimedia Communications Officer for the Impact and Innovation Unit's Public Engagement team. Her main focus is on creating visually consistent content for the IIU's digital platforms while conveying ideas that engage, inform, and inspire.
Elysabeth graduated with honours from Alberta University of the Arts with a bachelor's degree in design and visual communications with a major in graphic design.
Tarab Hussain
Junior Research and Policy Analyst
Tarab Hussain
Tarab Hussain
Junior Research and Policy Analyst
Tarab is a Junior Research and Policy Analyst on the Public Engagement team at the Impact and Innovation Unit. In this role, she is responsible for advancing the IIU’s digital presence, and supporting various IIU initiatives within the policy and behavioural science domains.
Prior to joining the IIU, she worked with Simon Fraser University to support the execution of Pivot Canada, a pan-Canadian research project centered on post-pandemic recovery.
Tarab holds a Honours Bachelor of Science in Biopharmaceutical Science with a specialization in Genomics from the University of Ottawa, and is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Affairs from Algonquin College.
Chris Soueidan
Senior Visual Designer
Chris Soueidan
Chris Soueidan
Senior Visual Designer
Chris is the Impact and Innovation Unit’s Visual Designer. He is focused on developing the digital brand behind the IIU and its related visual products. Chris worked as a user experience designer in the Information Technology Bureau at Global Affairs Canada, collaborated on web design projects with Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, led the accreditation product design for the G7 Summit and runs Loogart, a Canadian visual design studio. He specializes in illustration, brand identity design, motion graphics, user experience and web. Chris holds a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University in Montreal.