About Us

COVID-19 Resources Canada is a grassroots initiative, started in March 2020 with the objective of facilitating Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since its start, COVID-19 Resources Canada has:

  • Recruited and deployed thousands of volunteers in pandemic-related initiatives across the country;

  • Tackled misinformation through community discussion forums, expert written articles and social media campaigns;

  • Created databases to help scientists working on COVID-19 projects find funding opportunities and collaborators, exchange reagents, and list their projects and expertise.

Our goals are to:

  • Serve as a reliable source of information and expertise for COVID-19 research in Canada

  • Support COVID-19 capacity-building in public health, research, anti-misinformation and grassroots initiatives

  • Provide Canadians with access to information about the COVID19 vaccinations through online kitchen table style discussions.

Map of Canada containing socially distanced, mask-wearing Canadians

Our Story

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of Canadian researchers, clinicians and community members joined together to form COVID-19 Resources Canada – an organization committed to providing logistic and scientific support to COVID-19 response efforts across our country.

In Phase 1 of our project we recruited over 6000 Canadians with expertise in data analytics, programming, laboratory research, mental health, public health and contact tracing to help support community and government needs. Together, our group members contributed more than 140,000 hours of work to initiatives including contact tracing, PCR testing, vaccine development research and more.

As the pandemic wore on and vaccines were developed, Canadians had a new need: a place where they could discuss vaccine safety with expert physicians and immunologists in an open and judgment-free way. In response, COVID-19 Resources Canada hosted over zoom sessions, where we spoke with over 25,000 Canadians about the safety and development of the various COVID-19 vaccines.

Finally, as COVID-19 infection rates decreased and government restrictions were eased, Canadians told us they wanted greater clarity about how to return to work, family, and social gatherings in safe ways. Our group once again pivoted – hosting daily “COVID Discussions” webinars where we discussed important topics like masking, mental health and safe ways to gather.

In our 30 months of operation, COVID-19 Resources Canada volunteers devoted a total of 140,000 hours. We have spoken with 25,0000 Canadians and impacted millions more through our support of community and government initiatives, improving vaccine uptake, and outlining thoughtful ways for Canadians to balance the risks of COVID-19 while attending to their personal and family needs.

As of July 2022, COVID-19 Resources Canada has once again entered a new chapter – one that allows our core members to focus on their priorities outside of this group. While we will no longer be as active as we used to, you will still see us from time-to-time as we collaborate with our partner. We will keep you updated on our newest projects through this website.

We are grateful to have been able to serve Canadians throughout the pandemic. We look forward to continuing many of the conversations we have started .

 

Sincerely,

The COVID-19 Resources Team

Our Team

Co-Founders

Guillaume Bourque PhD

Co-founder, Central Admin Team

Tara Moriarty PhD

Co-founder, Central Admin Team

Core Team

Hira Brar

Infographic Specialist

Michelle Brazas PhD

Project Manager Central Admin Team

Grace Yaeeun Kim

Research Assistant

Fatima Tokhmafshan MSc

Research Database Manager & Science Communications Co-Lead

Amanda Frucci

Communications and PR

Adrielle Houweling

PNP, ECBA, MSc

Eoghan Moriarty

Solutions Architect Web Team

Volunteer Regional Leads

Akinola Alafiatayo PhD

Atlantic Provinces Lead

Carolyn Cummins PhD

Ontario Co-Lead

Tanya Dahms PhD

Saskatchewan Lead

Glen Pyle PhD

Ontario Co-Lead

Yanet Valdez Tejeira PhD, MSc

British Columbia Lead

Fatima Tokhmafshan MSc

Quebec Lead

Alberta Lead

Vacant Position – All volunteers are welcome!

Northern Lead(YU, NWT & Nunavut)

Vacant Position – All volunteers are welcome!

Vaccine Conversations Workshop Facilitators

Kimberly Gauthier PhD

Facilitator

Eric Kwabia

Facilitator

Kadence Bunke PhD

Facilitator

Adeyinka Onikan MD, MPH, PMP

Facilitator

Wendy Stanyon PhD

Facilitator

Wendy Stanyon PhD

Facilitator

Anna Cooper Reed BSW, MSW

Facilitator

Neal den Hollander PhD

Facilitator

Past Contributors

  • Janet McElhaney, MD
  • Karen Maxwell, Professor
  • Mary Ann Kizhakechethipuza, Business Analyst
  • Christine Charnock, Volunteer
  • Paul Chen, PhD Student, University of Toronto
  • Vivian Cheung, MSc
  • Lindsay Dayton, MSc
  • Peter Fairman, PhD
  • Hortense Gallois, Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University
  • Sara McPhee-Knowles, BBA Instructor
  • Daman Kandola, PhD Candidate
  • Jenny Lau, C19 Volunteer
  • Amy Ly, C19 Volunteer
  • Kelly McLean, P. Eng, PMP
  • Yann Joly, Associate Professor, Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University
  • Palmira Granados, PhD, DCL, LLM
  • Amir A. Imani, PharmaD
  • Lindsay Dixon, PharmD
  • Walid Houry, PhD
  • Nicole Bastam, PhD
  • Kimberley Gauthier, PhD
  • Simon Foote, MSc
  • B. Adrienne Caldwell, MSc
  • Aleeza Gerstein, Assistant Professor, University of Manitoba
  • Greet Kallikorm, Project Manager
  • Erin Liu, PhD Student, McGill University
  • Geneviève Marchand, Volunteer
  • Chinmaya Sadangi, PhD
  • Serge McGraw, Associate Professor, Dept. Obstetrics-Gynecology, Université de Montréal
  • Alyaa Mohamed, Volunteer
  • Léa Décarie-Spain, Postdoc
  • Janet Cho, Volunteer
  • Alyaa Mohamed, Volunteer
  • Catherine Jordan, BA, Harvard Medical School
  • Alyson Kelvin, PhD
  • Jon Nhan, PharmD
  • Maria Sanchez Osuna, PhD
  • Carlye Jensen, MD
  • Janet McElhaney, MD
  • Ayesha Rashid
  • Mira Maximos PharmD, MSc ACPR BScPhm
  • Artyom Korenevsky, PharmD BSc
  • Abe Kanofsky
  • Matthew Hacker Teper, MSc
  • Thomas Lynch
  • Peter Cheung
  • Farah Qaiser, MSc, Graduate Student, University of Toronto
  • Pardis Riahi, Volunteer
  • Roman Soler, UI Designer, Front/Backend Developer, CEO of Cactushive Inc.
  • Ilke van Hazel, PhD DDS, Dentist, Researcher
  • Ma’n H. Zawati, Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University
  • Bensun Fong, PhD
  • Leesa Khlich, RHN
  • MScEemaan Thind, MPH
  • Prital Patel, PhD
  • John Oyston, MD
  • Tristen Simms
  • Leesa Khlich, RHN MSc
  • Amy Tan, MD
  • Urfa Arain
  • Sean Moriarty, BSc
  • Junior Dias, MSc
  • Cynthia Feng, MSc
  • Zain Chagla, MD
  • Reanne Booker, MN BSc
  • Linda Dresser, PharmD
  • Anna Boczula, PhD
  • Krishana Sankar, PhD