Dr. Amy Wright’s program of research seeks to understand the experiences of parents with young infants and toddlers, with a focus on Indigenous parenting and cultural safety. Recent work includes how Indigenous mothers experience using health care services to meet the health needs of their infants and demonstrates an urgent need for cultural safety and TVIC training for everyone working in health care. Other community-engaged projects aim to address the needs of Indigenous fathers caring for infants, and to understand the strengths and service needs of gender-diverse Indigenous parents. Dr. Wright has experience in community-based approaches to research, collaborating with Indigenous communities to meet their research goals. Her research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Dr. Wright also works clinically as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at McMaster Children’s hospital.

Jessy Dame is a very proud Two-Spirit, Métis, Certified Registered Nurse. Jessy was a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal in September 2024. Jessy’s family is from Treaty 1 and 2 territory, which is known today as Winnipeg and St Rose-du-lac. Jessy has worked within Neonatal/Postnatal health. He currently works casually within a queer sexual health clinic in downtown Vancouver. Jessy is the Indigenous Sex and Gender Leader within the Indigenous Wellness team and the Director of Two-Spirit Health with the Community Based Research Centre. Through these roles Jessy is able to work with and for the Two-Spirit community to create resources and advocate for services.

Tracey Galloway is an anthropologist and health researcher who works closely with northern communities. Her research program examines opportunities for policy improvement in the areas of health and food security.

Dr. McIlduff obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology in Canada, with the support of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, and has worked in early childhood intervention in a rural School Division in Canada. Cari completed her PhD in Australia exploring best practice methods and cultural safety in working with Indigenous Peoples.  Cari has authored a parenting module for families who have or are experiencing trauma and/or toxic stress within the Positive Parenting Program.  She co-developed, evaluated and authored the Model of Engaging Communities Collaboratively with Indigenous communities across five countries; a model of culturally safe methodology for community capacity building and social change that was piloted across 42 communities in the Kimberley region of north Western Australia.  Cari is dedicated to working with Indigenous communities globally to support, promote and hold space for self-determination, community-led social change and research agendas for what is required in each unique Indigenous community. Cari’s research interests are in mental health, epigenetics, effects of colonization that continues to oppress Indigenous Peoples globally, cultural safety, effects of racism, social change/justice, and child and family wellbeing.

Dr. Andrew Hatala's research interests include arts-based methodologies, community psychology, community-based participatory research, critical social science, ethnography, Indigenous methodologies, medical and psychological anthropology, and qualitative health research. Dr. Hatala's research focuses on youth wellness, health, and resilience within urban Canadian contexts, as well as exploring diverse healing practices for mental illness and chronic conditions in both Canadian and Belizean Indigenous communities. He examines the social and cultural determinants of health as root causes of health inequities and supports cultural strengths, local Indigenous knowledge, and positive aspects of a community that are needed to promote resilience, health equity, and constructive social transformation.

Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle is a member of Timiskaming First Nation (Algonquin) born and raised in Toronto. She is an Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health working at the intersection of Indigenous health and education to find solutions to social inequities

Jessica Pace is the Knowledge Program Manager at the IDHC. She specializes in community-based research with Indigenous communities, with expertise in Indigenous health, program development, and topics such as healthy aging, food sovereignty, and men's wellness.