Learn About Our Students

The ODPRN Student Training Program aims to engage with students to develop capacity in drug policy research in Ontario. Our program provides students from across Ontario the opportunity to access online training, webinars and networking with scientific academic researchers and ministry representatives. Below are the students enrolled in the 2024 Drug Policy Research 101 program.

Abdullah Al-Saffar

Abdullah is a practicing pharmacist in Ontario and currently pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Toronto. Abdullah has an academic and professional interest in leveraging real-world evidence data to inform decision-making processes within drug policy and clinical practice.

Sarah Clarke

Sarah Clarke is a part-time MSc student in Health Systems Research at the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Sarah is particularly interested in policies related to pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical opioids and how these policies influence mortality and other outcomes for people who use drugs.

Martin Ho

Martin is a PhD student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Pharmacy studying pharmacoepidemiology. He is very interested in using real-world evidence on drugs to inform clinical practice and drug policy.

Katharine Mackett

Katharine Mackett is a PhD candidate in the Health Research Methodology program at McMaster University, specializing in Clinical Epidemiology. Katharine completed her MSc in Medical Sciences and has experience in clinical biochemistry. Her current research focuses on equitable implementation of evidence-based care for individuals living with diabetes.

Jessica Mor

Jessica Mor is a Registered Nurse and PhD Candidate within the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto. Jessica’s doctoral research aims to examine the role of private, third-party companies in fostering partnerships between patient advocates and the pharmaceutical sector. 

Suhani Patel

Suhani Patel is a MSc candidate at Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, where she leverages her rich medical background in Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology to advance research in Drug Safety and Policy. Her work focuses on enhancing patient outcomes through systematic reviews and the development of innovative knowledge translation tools. Suhani is dedicated to contributing to evidence-based drug policy reforms and enhancing healthcare outcomes through her involvement in the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network.

Shiva Shahabi

Shiva is a first-year MSc student in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University working under the supervision of Professor Behnam Sadeghirad. They are currently working as a research assistant at Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre focusing on methodological challenges, designing, conducting, and analyzing data in systematic reviews conducted on pain management. Their thesis aims to explore psychological treatments for the management of chronic non-cancer pain. Prior to starting my Masters, Shiva completed a Doctorate in Dental Surgery at Hamedan Medical University in Iran.

Freddy Shogry

Freddy is a graduate student, completing his MSc in Pharmacoepidemiology and Health Services research at the UofT Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. He is currently working with Dr. Suzanne Cadarette on generating RWE about osteoporosis pharmacotherapy. He is also a practicing pharmacist in Ontario who hopes to contribute through his research to informing evidence-based policy making and clinical decisions.

Alumni Students