Paul Esemu-Ezewu is a second-year medical student at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine - University of Toronto. He graduated from McMaster University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Sciences and worked as a radiological technologist for a year before starting medical school. Paul is passionate about mentorship and giving back to the community of Black medical learners that paved the way for him to be here today.

Dr. Ayodele Odutayo is an Adult Nephrologist. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree at UofT in 2013 and completed his Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Epidemiology from 2013-2017, both at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. His research focuses on clinical trials examining cardiovascular and kidney disease and is co-funded by the Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Research.

Dr. Oluwatobi (Tobi) Olaiya is a resident physician in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at McMaster University. He also completed his Doctor of Medicine and a Master of Health Research Methodology at the same institution. His research is in hand and microsurgery in the domains of clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, and evidence synthesis. He is passionate about creating opportunities and supporting Black learners and other equity-seeking groups to achieve their best.

Dr. Mojola Omole is a Breast Surgical Oncologist and General Surgeon. Her journey in medicine began at the University of Toronto, where she earned her medical degree before pursuing a residency in general surgery at McMaster University.

As a global surgical oncologist and General Surgeon, Dr. Omole has brought her expertise to diverse communities in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Nicaragua. Currently, she works at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto while also lending her insights as a sought-after consultant for anti-Black racism and anti-oppression training. Additionally, Dr. Omole chairs the special issue in the CMAJ dedicated to addressing Anti-Black racism in medicine.

Dr. Chantal Phillips is a first-year resident in the Family Medicine Stream of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Program at the University of Ottawa. She recently received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Toronto in June 2023, and completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Medical Science at Western University in 2018. She has a passion for community-focused health research and interventions, with experience leading and supporting projects focused on Toronto’s Black communities via her role as project manager for the Black Health Alliance over the past two years, including culturally relevant health communications during the pandemic and leading an innovative community research project that assessed the impact of COVID-19 on Toronto’s Black communities (“Perspectives on Health and Wellbeing in Black Communities in Toronto: Our Health, Our Way”). Dr. Phillips has become increasingly clinically and socially interested in Black adolescent/youth health and has co-created a longitudinal health promotion and primary care initiative via her Family Medicine program to increase access to primary care for marginalized youth and their families, including mental health assessments and counselling, for Black and racialized high school students in Ottawa. She aspires to work at the intersection of public health and primary care as a family doctor and leader of high-quality, innovative community programming.

She is currently President of the Black Resident Physicians of Ontario (BRPO) under the Black Physicians Association of Ontario (BPAO) and aims to intentionally use her role to increase supports for residents, including the inaugural Bootcamp Brunch.

Jude Sanon is a third-year psychiatry resident training in Toronto. He graduated from the University of Toronto's medical school in 2022 and has a Haitian Canadian background. He was drawn to psychiatry by the prospect of deepening his understanding of mental health and treating mental illness. Near the end of medical school, he discovered that psychiatry was where his personality fit best. Jude loves working in multidisciplinary teams and continues to learn about life from everyday interactions with his patients. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active with running and weightlifting, listening to new music, and doing photography.

Cheikh is a 2nd-year medical student at the University of Toronto and formerly served as the Co-President of the Black Medical Student Association. He graduated from McMaster University in April 2022 with an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences undergraduate degree. His research interests are varied and include health equity, AI in medicine, and medical education. Beyond academics, he distinguished himself through varsity soccer achievements. His impact extends beyond the athletic field, where he has equally distinguished himself for his community contributions and grassroots initiatives — mainly, efforts to dismantle accessibility barriers in youth recreational sports and promote marginalized youth engagement in STEM-related fields.