Dr. Kwame McKenzie
Project Lead/Founder
Dr. Kwame McKenzie is the CEO of the Wellesley Institute, which works in research and policy to improve health and health equity. He is a practicing psychiatrist, a full Professor at the University of Toronto and Director, Office of Health Equity at CAMH.
As an international expert on the social causes of illness and the development of equitable social policy and health systems, Dr. McKenzie has advised health, housing, education and social services ministers in Canada and the U.K. and has authored more than 260 peer reviewed papers and six books.
He is a member of the National Advisory Council on Poverty, and recently co-chaired Canada’s Expert Task Force on Substance Use. He has also worked as a consultant to the World Health Organization. Dr. McKenzie has been a columnist for The Guardian and The Times and a presenter for BBC Radio, and he is regularly published in the Toronto Star.
Dr. Akwatu Khenti
Project Lead/Founder
Akwatu Khenti is Director of Community Resources at the City of Toronto’s Social Development, Finance and Administration Division. He is a Special Advisor to the City of Toronto’s COVID 19 equity initiative and Chair of the Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity. He is an affiliate scientist with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research (IMHPR) at CAMH and an assistant Professor with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Akwatu developed an anti-stigma intervention for primary health care in Ontario and has co-led regional drug research capacity building with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission. He has taught a variety of courses, including the Fundamentals of Black Mental Health. Akwatu is formerly the Assistant Deputy Minister for Ontario’s Anti-Racism Directorate as well as CAMH’s Director of Transformative Global Health. He has a PhD in health policy and equity from York University and was appointed as a member of the Council of Canadian Academies’ Expert Panel on Socio-Economic Impacts of Science and Health Misinformation.
Dr. Natasha Williams
Project Lead/Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Natasha Williams is a Clinical Psychologist, Radical Self-Care, Wellness and Leadership Expert, and one of the founding clinical directors of Allied Psychological Services in Toronto, Canada, which is an anti-oppressive, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual psychological clinic. Dr. Williams is also a bestselling author, an international professional speaker, and a certified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion corporate trainer.
Dr. Williams is a media expert and a regular guest contributor for the CTV Television Network and the CBC and she has been featured in several publications such as Chatelaine, Reader’s Digest, The National Post, and the Huffington Post.
Acknowledgements
We would like to also acknowledge the strategic guidance of the Advisory committee, the expertise of subject matter experts and the efforts of the project team.