“Are we addressing or augmenting inequalities?”
Asked Dr. Marabel Carabali as a panelist at CAnD3’s Keynote Address that took place at McGill Faculty Club on June 3rd, 2024. This inquiry served as a cornerstone for the conference's theme, "Structural Inequities in Health: Looking to the Past and Future". This capstone event marked the culmination of the 2023-2024 Training Program and brought together experts to discuss the evolution of concepts and methods surrounding health inequities and aging, as well as persistent challenges in addressing the needs of aging society.
Dr. Marabel Carabali speaking at the 2024 Keynote Address Event.
Dr. Arjumand Siddiqi led the first part of the discussion, delving into the evolution of research on structural determinants of health. She explored how the accessibility and quality of data have transformed and influenced the ability to identify and analyze health disparities, enabling researchers to uncover complex patterns and relationships that were previously obscured.
Following Dr. Siddiqi's exploration, Dr. Carabali turned the spotlight on contemporary challenges in assessing inequalities, particularly focusing on racial disparities. She discussed the strengths and limitations of current methodologies, highlighting the complexities of capturing and interpreting data on racial inequalities. Dr. Carabali also emphasized opportunities for advancement through innovative analytic techniques and interdisciplinary approaches, underscoring the need for ongoing innovation and thoughtful inquiry in addressing health disparities. The whole keynote lecture can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
Fostering the Next Generation of Population Data Scientists
The CAnD3 2024 Keynote Address marked a significant milestone in the program's journey, showcasing the achievements of four Fellow cohorts who successfully completed the rigorous year-long training in population data science and computational social sciences. The event also welcomed the incoming fifth cohort, setting the stage for continued growth and innovation.
At the heart of CAnD3's mission is its comprehensive training program, which delivers a trifecta of modules: substantive introductions to cutting-edge population research topics, hands-on skills training in various research methods and tools, and invaluable professionalization insights for career development. This holistic approach caters to researchers across Master's, PhD, and postdoctoral levels, fostering a new generation of interdisciplinary experts.
Dragons' Den: Where Data Meets Storytelling
A highlight of the program, the "CAnD3 Dragon's Den Competition," took center stage at the Keynote Address. This year, for the first time in CAnD3's history, the competition was held in person, adding an extra layer of excitement and engagement. Fellows were challenged to present complex data visualizations in just two minutes, showcasing their technical skills and storytelling abilities. The competition, which progresses through preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds, you can watch the full version here. Join us in congratulating this year's winners:
- 1st place: C-Section Risk: The Pandemic Effect - Maria Ahmed and Kate Marr-Laing
- 2nd place: Countries’ child-rearing values and children’s subjective well-being - Chris Borst
- 3rd place: Mapping the Intersection: Average Wait Time for Housing in Relation to Minority Household Percentage - Pratik Mahajan, Bertram Melix, and Megan Skowronski in third.
CAnD3 Director Dr. Amélie Quesnel-Vallée and the "Dragons" present certificates and gifts to the CAnD3 Dragon's Den winners. From left to right, Kate Marr-Liang, Maria Ahemd, Chris Borst, Megan Skowronski, and Bertram Melix. Pratik Mahajan is not pictured.
The event also featured poster sessions throughout the day, where Fellows and CAnD3 staff presented their groundbreaking research, further demonstrating the program's commitment to advancing population studies. See below the list of poster presenters for the day:
- Do tobacco taxes reduce inequalities in smoking during pregnancy? Evidence from Finland - Rachel Ganly, 2021-22 Fellow
- Income-based Inequalities in Household Spending on Health Services in Canada - Dr. Emmanuelle Arpin, McGill University
- When is Resilience Enough? Examining Health-Effects across Intersections of race/ethnicity, sex, and income - Dr. Tyler Bruefach, 2021-2022 Fellow
- Sociodemographic Determinants of Mobility Decline among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Findings from the CLSA - Ogochukwu Kelechi Onyeso, 2024-25 Fellow
- Studying Social Interactions Using Digital Trace Data - The Case of Older Adults, Migrants, and Family Ties - Dr. Sofia Gil-Clavel, 2021-2022 Fellow
- What’s the Difference? Disparities in Risk of Cesarean Deliveries among Racialized Populations - Maria Ahmed, 2023-24 Fellow
From left to right: Fellows Maria, Rachel, and Ogochukwu present their research.
Bridging Academia and Real-World Challenges
The Keynote Address underscored CAnD3's dedication to fostering interdisciplinary and intersectoral approaches addressing challenges in aging societies. This commitment is realized through the program's experiential learning opportunities, connecting Fellows with governmental, non-profit, and private sector partners for internships and hands-on research projects.
During the Partners & Fellow Showcase, our Fellows and partner organizations highlighted their collaborative research projects, demonstrating the real-world impact of CAnD3's initiatives. The Showcase began with a presentation by Indigenous Services Canada, featuring Jennie Thompson and Fellows Shannon Mok, Akwugo Balogun & Chris Yurris. The second presentation was given by Knowli Data Science, with Emily Šaras and Fellow Tim Arthur. SE Health’s presentation was given by Margaret Saari and Fellow Kate Marr-Laing. Following that, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada presented, with Paola Ortiz Loaiz and Fellow Sophie Liu. Next, Environics Analytic took the stage, represented by Sarah Greene and Fellow Regan Johnston. The final presentation was from Canadian Institute for Health Information took the stage, featuring Geoff Hynes and Fellow Khandideh Williams.
This was followed by two "Meet-the-Partners" events: a rapid-fire panel featuring representatives from various organizations, and a speed networking session, allowing Fellows to engage directly with potential employers, paving the way for future collaborations and learning experiences.
From top to bottom, Emily Šaras, CEO of Knowli Data Science and Fellow Tim Arthur; Paola Ortiz Loaiz, Senior Research & Evaluation Analyst of the IRCC and Fellow Sophie Liu.
Empowering the Next Generation: CAnD3's Pan-Canadian and Global Initiative in Population Analytics for Aging-Related Decision-Making
As CAnD3 continues to forge connections between academic research and practical applications, the 2024 Keynote Address served as both a celebration of past accomplishments and a launching pad for future innovations in population data science and computational social sciences.
Since its inception in 2020, CAnD3 has successfully trained 75 Fellows, with additional 26 new Fellows joining for the 2024-25 Academic Year. The program's success is further evidenced by the $4.1M in pledged cash and in-kind support from 39 partners and the $2.5M Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant that established CAnD3. Moreover, the program's impact extends beyond training, with 42% of Fellows' internships being extended and 70% of those extensions resulting in offers of full-time positions post-internship. Detailed information about these accomplishments can be found in CAnD3's annual reports.
With less than half of the program remaining, CAnD3 is poised for even greater achievements. The consortium eagerly anticipates the future contributions of its Fellows, who are set to become leading population researchers and professionals, making significant impacts in communities and societies across Canada and beyond.
The CAnD3 Team sincerely thanks Drs. Arjumand Siddiqi, Marabel Carabali, partner representatives, the judges (Dragons) the Fellows, all in-person and online participants, and the staff at the Faculty Club for making our 2024 Keynote Address a success. All photos by Kyle Jones. View the full gallery here.
