Our Team
Primary Investigator
Operations Team

Naym Uddin Roby
Clinical Research Coordinator
McMaster University
Leads recruitment efforts for the ASHA study in Ontario.

Farah Khan
Research Coordinator III
Population Health Research Institute
Experienced in Canadian medical research and project coordination.

Gurleen Gill
Bachelor of Science, Biology Major
University of British Columbia
Motivated to contribute to the South Asian community through research.

Olu Odole-Akinyemi
Research Coordinator
McMaster University
Research Coordinator with 10+ years in clinical research and project management. Supports ASHA initiative with operational and financial expertise. Master's in Public Health.

Dipika Desai
Program Manager
Population Health Research Institute
Program Manager overseeing studies like START and SAHARA. Holds a B.Sc. in Food and Nutrition and a M.Sc. in Human Nutrition.
Research Volunteers

Shlok Panchal
Honours Health Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Level III
McMaster University
Passionate about hypertension, family predispositions, and aiming for a career in surgery.

Aleena Jivraj
Honours Life Sciences, Level IV
McMaster University
Dedicated to pediatric healthcare and understanding hypertension in diverse populations to improve child health outcomes.
Hetvi Raimugia
Honours Life Sciences, Level IV
McMaster University
Joined ASHA to empower the South Asian community by raising awareness about health risks.

Saini Manivannan
Honours Health Sciences, Level IV
McMaster University
Leading recruitment efforts and participant contact for the ASHA study.
Heather Mary Ajoy
Honours Biomedical Sciences (BSc), Level III
Toronto Metropolitan University
Social media team member creating engaging content to promote the ASHA study.

Navya Vyas
Honours Health Sciences, Level IV
McMaster University
Driven by a passion to contribute to community health through the ASHA study.

Neha Chandrasekaran
Biological Science (BSc), Level IV
University of Guelph
Social media team member raising heart health awareness and promoting the ASHA study.

Namagal Gowrikanthan
Honours Life Sciences, Level V
McMaster University
Contributing to solutions that support healthier lifestyles for South Asians.

Eisha Arvikar
Health Sciences HESE, Level IV
McMaster University
Passionate about addressing cardiovascular health disparities in South Asian youth.

Diya Jakhu
Honours Life Sciences, Level IV
McMaster University
Focused on raising awareness of hypertension in South Asian communities to reduce health disparities.

Jiya Rawal
Honours Health Sciences, Level III
McMaster University
Passionate about pediatric and obstetric care, and addressing cardiovascular risks in South Asians.

Omar Maqsood
Honours Life Sciences, Level V
McMaster University
Exploring pediatric care and health challenges prevalent in South Asian communities.

Ocean Mehta
Honours Life Sciences, Level III
McMaster University
Honours Life Sciences II student contributing to community health initiatives within the ASHA study.

Manchit Kalra
Honours Health Sciences, Level IV
McMaster University
Focused on public health research for underrepresented minorities. Aspiring physician improving health outcomes in disadvantaged communities.

Sharangi Vijitharan
Honours Health Sciences, Level III
McMaster University
Involved in recruitment and data analysis for the ASHA study. Hopes to contribute to meaningful research on hypertension risk in South Asian children and gain deeper understanding of research processes.

Shreya Kanani
Arts & Science, Level IV
McMaster University
Assists with participant recruitment across multiple sites and conducting thesis research on the impact of physical activity on blood pressure in South Asian communities.

Saikeerthana Sundar
Life Sciences - Origins of Disease Specialization, Level IV
McMaster University
ASHA study trainee involved in recruitment, enrollment, appointments, sub-studies, social media management, and data analysis. Contributing to pediatric and South Asian health research.

Sahith Rajkumar
Honours Biochemistry, Level II
McMaster University
Actively involved in research and recruitment, leading development of new location for Tamil community outreach. Contributes to poster presentations and supports ASHA 2.0 launch.

Devanshi Parikh
Life Sciences I
McMaster University
Volunteer recruiter spreading awareness about cardiac health in the South Asian community. Committed to making a difference in others' lives through health education.

Anika Jain
Health Sciences
Western University
Committed to advocating for health awareness in the South Asian community and encouraging thoughtful, everyday health decisions through recruitment efforts.

Ahmad Rehman
Honours Life Sciences, Level V
McMaster University
Participating in recruitment and data analysis to gain direct experience with all facets of conducting research studies, from participant recruitment to data analysis.

Arun Nadarajah
Research Volunteer
McMaster University
Involved in recruitment and Actigraph data cleaning. Joined to help advance healthcare for the South Asian community in ways that reflect lived experiences.
Co-Investigators
Former Members
- Rochelle Nocos
- Natalie (Campbell) Williams
- Sukhmani Rai
- Devanshi Parikh
- Archie Soni
- Rani
