Monisha is a fourth year MD and Master's student in Systems Leadership & Innovation at the University of Toronto, with a previous BHSc degree from McMaster University. She's been an advocate for social isolation in older adults after seeing the heartbreaking impacts of isolation on her grandmother before she passed away. Monisha is passionate about building a society that is kinder to older adults and socially accessible to all.
Geoff is a fourth year MD and Master's student in Systems Leadership & Innovation at the University of Toronto. His passion for SSIPP stems from early caregiving experiences of his grandfather with dementia. This led him to volunteer at long-term care facilities as a youth activity coordinator to help seniors combat loneliness. Geoff's previous volunteer work with refugees, immigrant youths, and Canadian war veterans further inspired him to advocate for social justice. Outside of SSIPP, he enjoys breakdancing in his spare time.
Victoria O’Driscoll
Victoria (Tory) O’Driscoll is a fourth year MD student and recent graduate of a Master’s degree in Systems Leadership & Innovation at the University of Toronto. Tory is passionate about health promotion and social equity, with an interest in systems-level innovations that address the social determinants of health. Advocating for the better health and social inclusion of older adults is extremely important to Tory, as she has seen first-hand the positive impact that social connection has on physical and mental health through both her personal experiences with her grandparents and her volunteering experiences. These passions have fueled her desire to help further grow the SSIPP program to reach older adults nation-wide.
My name is Misha and I am a second year medical student at the University of Toronto. I am currently involved at the national level of SSIPP as the Co-Chief Operating Officer. I first got involved with SSIPP last year as the Officer of External Relations and have been a volunteer at the Toronto chapter for these past two years. I absolutely love having the opportunity to interact with the older adults at the local and national level and it’s been a pleasure to work alongside like-minded individuals to improve social connectedness in our communities!
Hi, My name is Jamila! I am a second year student at the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University! I was very excited to get involved with SSSIPP as a first-year medical student and now, to expand my involvement as one of the Co-Coordinators. Having lived in a rural community and witnessing first-hand the impact of isolation on older-adults I love seeing relationships develop between volunteers and community members!
Hey! My name is Aleena and I am a first year medical student at the University of Toronto! I am super excited to be the Chief Financial Officer of SSIPP this year and look forward to working with our volunteers and fellow execs! I have worked in finance for many years and currently serve as the VP Finance for Medical Society at UofT, so I am very happy to be able to serve a similar role here. I have worked in similar organizations and have seen first hand the positive impact that communication can have on everyone, especially older adults. I look forward to working with the team and making a difference to help everyone get through these tough times!
My name is Navpreet and I am a first year medical student at University of Calgary. This year, I’m one of the two co-directors of external and internal relations and I’m also excited to be volunteering with the Calgary SSIPP chapter. Since my undergrad years, I've enjoyed working with older adults and I look forward to playing an active role in supporting the health of older adults in the community through SSIPP!
My name is Jae and I'm a second-year medical student at the University of Toronto. I first got involved with SSIPP by volunteering with the local chapter, and witnessed how meaningful a 30 minute conversation could be for a senior, especially during times of isolation due to the pandemic. I look forward to working on existing and new initiatives with the team!
Tulip Marawi
Shilpa is a first-year MD student at the University of Toronto, with previous MSc and BMSc degrees from Western University. Her passion for advocacy to improve seniors’ lives stems from her personal experiences with her grandparents while growing up and from the strong relationships she built with long-term care residents as a therapeutic recreation volunteer. As the Education and Advocacy Officer for SSIPP, she aims to create a more inclusive environment for older adults of all backgrounds and abilities to participate in our programs, and establish a streamlined training regimen to best support our volunteers nation-wide in promoting social wellness among older adults.
My name is Amy and I am a second year medical student at the University of Ottawa. I am one of the Research and Evaluation team co-leads along with Victoria. I first got involved with SSIPP in first year as a volunteer coordinator because I wanted to help reduce social isolation in the older adult population in Ottawa. I have also been volunteering with SSIPP since spring of 2021 and really enjoy talking with my older adult buddy and fostering a friendship. Through interviews, discussions, and surveys with older adults, volunteers, and other executive members, we hope to continue improving the program and reducing social isolation.
University of Toronto (founding chapter)
Monisha Persaud
Geoffrey Sem
Victoria O'Driscoll
Sumana Naidu
Nitish Dhingra
Laura Diamond
Natalie Pitch
Lauren Kanee
Catherine Meng
Grace Huang
University of Saskatchewan
University of Ottawa
Jennifer Rowe
Evelyne Guay
Chelsea Haliburton
Celina DeBiasio
Stephanie Chevrier
University of Toronto, Mississauga
Andrea Rossos
Emily Evans
Sarah Khan
Catherine Meng
Grace Huang
University of Manitoba
Kaleigh Ducas-Mowchun
Ann Ding
Kara Frejuk
Nebojsa Oravec
Sarah Moore
Chin-Vern Tan
Scott MacKay
Western University
Jia Yan Zhang
Karina Liubchenko
Erika Haberfellner
Trent University
Madison Farago
Brianne Elbers
Katelyn Bell
Dr. Kirsten Woodend
Say hello!