Edith-Rose Cairns

In 2009 Edith-Rose graduated from the University of New Brunswick Saint John and moved 4400km to a remote First Nations community in Northern Manitoba. During H1N1 she was deployed to a myriad of communities across the north, but then settled into her role as public health nurse / nurse supervisor at the Ilford Community Health Centre. The past three years were challenging as she was the only licensed health care professional living on-site, but this experience was incredibly rewarding and greatly enhanced her practise. She has earned CNA certification in community health nursing (a credential shared with just 700 other nurses across the country), and she has been a member of the Community Health Nurses of Canada’s political action and advocacy committee. Edith-Rose has a keen interest in immunization, communicable disease, and sexual health and hopes to continue working with the aboriginal population.

Kellee Hodge, MPH

Kellee Hodge received her Bachelors of Nursing from University of Manitoba in 2006. She has worked in HIV clinical care, unplanned pregnancy and STI care, and as a clinician in a drop-in centre for sex-trade workers. Additionally she has been involved as a Nurse Researcher in a study examining STI & BBP knowledge and behaviours in Manitoba Correctional Centres, as well as for a study piloting Point-of-Care HIV testing in an Emergency Department. Kellee’s research interests include the social drivers of HIV, trans health issues, and STI/BBP prevention strategies following mass displacements of populations. 

 Ian W Jones, MPAS, PA-C, CCPA

Ian was a Firefighter-Paramedic (Critical Care) for 15 years before becoming a Certified Physician Assistant through the University Of Washington MEDEX-NW and has worked in in Washington and rural Alaska before his return to Canada.  Currently he is the Program Director for the University of Manitoba Master Physician Assistant Studies program.  He has experience in national level advocacy as President of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants.  Ian’s current interest in the Master of Public Health Program is to develop a better understanding of population health and health workforce issues.

Leslie Copstein, MPH

Leslie Copstein is an international medical graduate. She received her degree in Medicine in Brazil, in 1993 and did residency in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. She obtained a Master of Science in Nephrology at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, in 2006. Through her medical practice in Brazilian Public Health System, she had contact with preventive medicine, health actions oriented to populations and health promotion strategies. Her interests are health issues in vulnerable populations, women’s health and aging. 


∗ web coordinator: Iryna.Tsybukh@med.umanitoba.ca