Staff Biographies

 

Ian Newhouse, BPE, MSc, Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology where his principal teaching and research interests are in the area of exercise physiology. In particular, Ian has done research in mineral metabolism and the effects of supplementation (i.e. iron and magnesium) on human performance and health.  In more recent years Ian has focused his energies on interprofessional education and care.  This has been a natural extension of serving as Dean of the Faculty of Professional Schools (Social Work, Nursing, Kinesiology, Gerontology, Public Health, and Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism) from 2001-2008.

 

Ruth Wilford is an Education Planner with the Centre. As such, she helps to plan and facilitate educational programs for formal and informal care providers of older adults. In this regard, for example, Ruth is the Project Coordinator for the Thunder Bay Age Friendly Project, researcher for the Senior Friendly Acute Care Strategy with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, the Chair of the Geriatric Mental Health Planning Institute, the Chair of the Aging and Developmental Disability Education Committee and the Co-Editor of the Caring Connection Newsletter. As well, Ruth sits as the CERAH representative on numerous city/regional and provincial committees.

 

Linda Pisco is a graduate of Lakehead University (M.A., Sociology). She has worked in a number of fields including health planning, adult education, developmental disabilities, volunteer management and employment skills training. Linda is responsible for the planning, organization and delivery of a wide variety of CERAH educational events. She is a long time palliative care volunteer with Hospice Northwest. In addition to a keen interest in a variety of outdoor activities she enjoys travel.

 

Jessica is a graduate of Lakehead University (MA in English with a Specialization in Women's Studies).  She also completed her Bachelor of Education in 2005.  Jessica has a background in adult education and employment skills training.  In her role as an Education Planner with CERAH Jessica assists with the development and facilitation of a variety of formal and informal palliative care education events throughout Thunder Bay and region.  She is also very involved in website development and CERAH publications.  When she is not at the Centre, Jessica is most likely hiking with her Golden, riding her motorcycle, or travelling somewhere new. 

 

 

Holly Prince is currently employed at Lakehead University's Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH) as an Aboriginal Palliative Care Research Coordinator. She has a Master's in Social Work from Lakehead University and a Native Mental Health Worker Diploma from Confederation College . She is married and is the mother of a beautiful daughter named Gabrielle. She is also a member of the Red Rock Indian Band. Holly coordinates research on Palliative Care in First Nations communities and is currently involved in creating and delivering culturally appropriate palliative care education to community health care workers and family caregivers and facilitating the development of palliative care programs in First Nations communities using existing local resources. This research is being conducted by Holly Prince and Dr. Mary Lou Kelley from Lakehead University on behalf of the Kenora Chiefs Advisory.

 

 

Veronica Fobister

Aboriginal Community Developer 

Email: vfobiste@lakeheadu.ca

Veronica is employed with CERAH as the Aboriginal Community Developer for the Grand Council Treaty 3 area. She currently works with three First Nations to develop palliative care programs in the communities. She has been involved in palliative care since 1999 when employed with the Kenora Chiefs Advisory and is one of the four women who developed the First Nations resource on palliative care.  She is married with two daughters and two step children and together they have seven grandchildren. 

 

 

Alesha completed her social work undergraduate degree in her home province of New Brunswick at Saint Thomas University in 2006.  Wanting to explore the country she moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta and worked in long term care for nearly three years.  Discovering that geriatric care is her passion she moved to Thunder Bay to complete her Master's of Social Work with a specialization in gerontology.  Currently, Alesha is a Research Assistant at CERAH working on projects that are in the field of palliative care, long term care, rural health and interprofessional collaboration.  Outside of office hours she spends her time exploring the great outdoors with her overly energetic Border Collie, Gordie.

 

Carrianne Agawa is a Research Coordinator at CERAH.  She has a Master's in Education from Lakehead University and a BA degree in Psychology from Algoma University.  She has worked in a number of areas such as mental health, working with First Nations youth, adult education and instructor for Sault College, Oshki-Pimache-O-Win, and Confederation College.  She is also a Life Skills Coach.  She is the Research Coordinator for AHHRI and is currently involved in researching, developing, and facilitating culturally competent curriculum for participating health disciplines within Lakehed University.  She is also the new coordinator for FLIC and SPICE and is an Aboriginal Regional Facilitator for the Canadian Cancer Society.

 

Darlene is working at CERAH as a Resource Consultant on the Geriatric Interprofessional Interorganization Collaboration (GiiC) project and the Building Capacity for Interprofessional Collaborative Care in Long Term Care (DCICC-LTC), also known as the Bridges to Care project.  She has worked in health care as a nurse for many yearsin the acute care, long term care, continuing complex care, and in the community in various roles from providing primary care to managerial positions.  Geriatrics has been a special interest of hers throughout her career.

 

 

Jessica completed a BA in Gerontology at Lakehead University in 2008.  She returned to complete the one year HBSW and is currently beginning the Masters in Social Work with a collaboration in Gerontology at Lakehead.  Throughout her studies Jessica has been very interested in working with the elderly.  She volunteered at several long term care facilities in Thunder Bay and also worked at a local retirement home.  She was the Lakehead University student representative for the Canadian Association on Gerontology.  Jessica is currently helping with research pertaining to palliative care in long term care, and Age-Friendly Thunder Bay. 

 

Debbie is the Education Initiatives Assistant and she has been working at the Centre since 2001.  She is responsible for all office administration and provides assistance to all full and part-time staff.  Deb is an integral part of the daily activities at the Centre and a key contributor to all educational events.

 

 

Diane graduated from the Confederation College's Office Administration - Medical Program in 1993, and since then she has been employed in various Administrative Assistant positions in long-term and contract work with companies throughout the city.  Most recently she has operated a home-based transcription business working for Dr. Mary Lou Kelley and several of her colleagues in transcribing interviews and focus groups for a variety of research projects.  She is very excited about her new position at CERAH and she looks forward to assisting the researchers and assistants in their projects.