Speakers

Award-winning Inuk singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark is one of Canada’s most unique artists. She blends the Inuktitut and English languages with contemporary pop music arrangements to tell the stories of her people, the Inuit of Arctic Canada. She is Canada’s first Inuk artist to win a Juno Award (her work has earned her three) and a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement, and to be named an Officer of the Order of Canada. She also holds several Honourary Doctorate degrees and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Dr. Aviroop (Avi) Biswas is a scientist at the Institute for Work and Health and an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on promoting sustainable employment and preventing worker injury and chronic diseases through the development of effective and equitable workplace health promotion policies. A key aspect of his work involves creating evidence-based recommendations for safe, practical physical activity tailored to the diverse needs of workers across various occupations and backgrounds. Dr. Biswas is also the president of the Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH), a non-profit organization.

Dr. Sandra Dorman is a full professor in the Faculty of Health at Laurentian University. She completed her doctoral degree in physiology/pharmacology and her research program focuses on health promotion and disease prevention in the occupational setting. Her research team leads participatory, field research and evaluation interventions to understand how to build successful health intervention programs to comprehensively protect workers from injuries and illness. Dr. Dorman’s current area of focus is heat stress prevention, particularly with wildland firefighters and mine workers.

Dr. Sarah Henderson is the scientific director of Environmental Health Services at BCCDC and the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH). She is also a professor (partner) in the University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health. Dr. Henderson oversees a broad program of applied research, surveillance, knowledge translation, and training to support evidence-based public health policy and practice in British Columbia and across Canada. She has been studying the health effects of climate change for more than 20 years.

Xabier Irastorza has been working at the Prevention and Research Unit of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) since August 2007. He is a senior research project manager leading the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER), whose fourth edition was completed in 2024. Before joining EU-OSHA, Xabier worked at the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), where he managed the European Restructuring Monitor.

Travis Woodworth, a band member of Millbrook First Nation near Truro, Nova Scotia, is a passionate advocate for workplace safety and a leader in culturally inclusive safety program development. As the Planner for Glooscap Health and Safety, Travis specializes in creating innovative safety initiatives tailored to Indigenous communities and diverse workplaces across multiple sectors, including fisheries, public services, and small businesses. Travis bridges traditional knowledge with modern safety practices to create environments where safety thrives. He is committed to helping organizations reduce injuries, build trust, and foster inclusive workplaces that meet the needs of Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees alike.

Dr. Amin Yazdani is the founder and executive director of the Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness & Performance at Conestoga College. He is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Waterloo, chair of the Research Ethics Committee, and adjunct faculty at Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences. Dr. Yazdani’s research focuses on developing innovative solutions to prevent workplace injuries. He employs a field-to-lab-to-field research methodology, integrating anthropometry, exposure assessment, and field data collection to advance work and health research. This approach helps to better understand the risks and generate practical, evidence-based solutions to improve workplace safety, performance, and productivity.