Meet Our Team
Our team consists of interdisciplinary researchers, students, and community partners who work together to address social health inequities, systemic racism, and climate justice.
Graduate Student
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Karamat Ayotola Kelan
Karamat Ayotola Kelani is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. She earned an MSW in Social Work (2004) and a B.Ed in Adult Education (2000) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Her research focuses on health inequities and access to care for marginalized and underserved populations. She employs mixed methods and community-based approaches to explore these issues. Her long-term goal is to develop culturally relevant mental health interventions tailored to the unique challenges of these communities. She is currently a graduate research assistant at the Black and Racialized Senior Neighbourhood Lab, University of Manitoba, working on the project Defining Key Elements of Culturally Appropriate Interventions and Strategies for Black Older Adults.
Fond Udoh
Fond Udoh is a PhD Candidate in Department of Economics at the University of Manitoba, specializing in Health, Feminist, and Development Economics. Her interest lies in policy-relevant research that seeks to minimize inequities and brings feminist critique into microeconomics and macroeconomic debates. She is the Research Assistant on Barsnlab’s community-based participatory research project seeking to promote climate justice by centering the lived experiences of aging racialized populations during extreme weather events titled “Exploring Differential Vulnerabilities, Decision-Making and Preparedness During Climate Change-Related Weather Emergencies Among Black and Racialized Older Adults in Winnipeg.
Graduate Research Student
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Osborn Kabingu Mutapa
Osborn Mutapa is a PhD student in the faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. He obtained a MSc in Global Ageing and Policy from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom with support of the Commonwealth scholarship, an MA. in Development studies from the University of Lusaka, Zambia and a BA. in Development Studies from Zambian Open University, Zambia.
Osborn’s Ph.D. project titled ” Climate Change, Poverty and Vulnerability: Assessing the Livelihood Implications of Climate Change on Older adults in Kazungula District, Zambia”
In addition to his Ph.D. research project, Osborn is contributing to several other projects in Dr. Ojembes’s lab, including:
Exploring differential vulnerabilities, decision-making and preparedness during climate change-related weather emergencies among Black and racialized older adults in Winnipeg.
Defining Key Elements of Culturally Appropriate Interventions/Strategies for Black Older Adults.
Research Areas of Interest
Osborn’s research interests focus on understanding aging experiences for older adults in resource constrained settings, Comparative Social Policy adaptation in Community building, and how the Indigenous Knowledge systems are being applied in the continuum of care amid the challenges posed by climate change.
Gloria Boateng
Gloria Boateng is a PhD student in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. She holds a Master’s degree in Disability Studies from the University of Manitoba and a Bachelor of Science in Disability and Rehabilitation Studies from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.
Her research interests center on disability and social justice, with a focus on amplifying the voices and lived experiences of marginalized and vulnerable populations including persons with disabilities, women, and older adults. Her master’s thesis, “Surviving on the Streets: Examining the Situation of Women with Disabilities in Central Ghana,” explored the daily realities of women with disabilities who rely on street-based livelihoods through petty trading or begging. Her doctoral research investigates the aging experiences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Gloria is also a published author and co-author of peer-reviewed articles that examine gender equity in education and barriers to vocational rehabilitation for persons with disabilities in Ghana. Her publication, “We Too have Arrived”: The Shifting Gender Balance in the Post-Basic Education System in Ghana, appeared in the International Journal of Gender & Women’s Studies. She also co-authored “Challenges Associated with Vocational Rehabilitation for Persons with Disability in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana,” published in Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development.
Through her research and advocacy, Gloria aims to contribute to inclusive policy development and culturally informed interventions that promote dignity, equity, and access for underserved groups.
Fond Udoh
Fond Udoh is a PhD Candidate in Department of Economics at the University of Manitoba, specializing in Health, Feminist, and Development Economics. Her interest lies in policy-relevant research that seeks to minimize inequities and brings feminist critique into microeconomics and macroeconomic debates. She is the Research Assistant on Barsnlab’s community-based participatory research project seeking to promote climate justice by centering the lived experiences of aging racialized populations during extreme weather events titled “Exploring Differential Vulnerabilities, Decision-Making and Preparedness During Climate Change-Related Weather Emergencies Among Black and Racialized Older Adults in Winnipeg.
Trang Trinh
Trang Trinh is a fourth-year Psychology major in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba. As an international student in Canada, Trang has developed a deep empathy for immigrants navigating the complexities of life as minority group members in a multicultural society. This personal journey, combined with her academic passion for psychology, has inspired her commitment to supporting individuals from marginalized communities facing mental health challenges.
Under the mentorship of Professor Ojembe, Trang is completing her thesis titled Stories of Strength: Coping and Psychological Resilience Among Black Older Adults. She also contributes to ongoing research at the Black and Racialized Senior Neighbourhood Lab, where she assists with multiple projects, including Aging in a Changing Climate: The Impact on Racialized Older Adults and Exploring Preferences and Strategies to Increase the Utilization of Adult Day Programs and Senior Community Centres by Black Older Adults in Manitoba.
Trang’s long-term goal is to pursue graduate studies and build a career in social work, where she aims to apply her knowledge of psychology to more effectively support individuals and communities facing mental health challenges on a broader, societal level.