People

Robert Cribb, Founder & Director

Robert Cribb is founder and director of the Investigative Journalism Bureau and an investigative reporter at the Toronto Star. He has received national and international reporting awards for investigations into offshore tax evasion, child exploitation, human trafficking, dangerous doctors, environmental threats and public safety. He was part of the international reporting team that produced the Pulitzer Prize-winning Panama Papers investigation in 2017. Cribb is founder of the National Student Investigative Reporting Network, past president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, the first international board member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, current president of Canadian journalism charity Veritas – Advancing Journalism in the Public Interest and is co-author of Digging Deeper: A Canadian Reporter’s Research Guide (Oxford University Press). Cribb is recipient of both the Massey Journalism Fellowship and the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy Reporting. He teaches investigative reporting at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism and the University of Toronto. robert.cribb@utoronto.ca

Robert Steiner, Assistant Professor and Director of the Dalla Lana Fellowship in Journalism and Health Impact

Robert Steiner began his career as a global finance correspondent for The Wall Street Journal with postings in New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo, where he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, won two Overseas Press Club awards and the Inter-American Press Association Award. After leaving The Wall Street Journal, Steiner received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and then worked as a business strategy executive, first at The Boston Consulting Group and later as Group Vice President in charge of Strategic Planning for Bell Globemedia, parent of the Globe and Mail and CTV. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Steiner served as Assistant Vice President of the University of Toronto in charge of Strategic Communications. He lives in Toronto with his wife, daughter and son.

Wendy-Ann Clarke, Reporter

Wendy-Ann Clarke is a multimedia journalist with a passion for exploring the ways in which history, culture, sociology, psychology, and other disciplines intersect to bring greater understanding to the news stories of today. Clarke’s in-depth investigative reporting on First Nations health care reflects her deep commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and advancing equity in journalism. A former track-and-field athlete and coach, prior to joining the IJB, she worked with CBC Sports covering a wide range of sporting disciplines and reported on athletics during the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Clarke has also worked with the Catholic Register newspaper, where she reported on a range of important issues and received several honours.   wendyannclarkeijb@gmail.com

Masih Khalatbari, Reporter

Masih Khalatbari is a multimedia reporter based in Toronto. He has worked on long-form investigations featured in print, podcasting and documentary film. His stories have appeared in the Toronto Star, TVO, CBC and Canada’s National Observer. masih.khalatbari@gmail.com

Ryan McMahon, Indigenous Affairs Reporter

For nearly two decades, Ryan McMahon has been a trailblazer in Indigenous comedy, podcasting, and storytelling. An independent creative known for forward-looking, bold and irreverent storytelling, he’s an award-winning writer, an acclaimed journalist, a highly sought-after keynote speaker, and one of the best Indigenous comedians working today. Most recently, McMahon’s docuseries, Thunder Bay (CRAVE TV, 2023), was nominated for three 2024 Canadian Screen Awards including Best Factual Series, Best Direction – Factual, and Best Writing – Factual. Ryan is a proud dad to Ella, Jane, Sam, and Thomas. He lives in Hamilton, ON with his partner Madeline and children. ryan.mcmahon@utoronto.ca

Rhythm Sachdeva, Reporter

Rhythm Sachdeva is a Toronto-based immigration reporter and Dalla Lana School of Public Health Journalism and Health Impact fellow. She has reported for several prominent organizations, including The Canadian Press, the Toronto Star, CTV News, and the Times of India, delivering standout A1 features and impactful and data-driven stories for national audiences.  rhythm.sachdeva@mail.utoronto.ca 

Démar Grant, CJF Black Journalism Fellow

Demar Grant is a Toronto-based journalist and the 2024 CJF Black Investigative Journalism Fellow. He was formerly a staff reporter with the Toronto Star, where he covered arts and sports. Prior to that, he served as editor-in-chief at CJRU.ca, leading the site’s film section and expanding its news and music coverage. Grant also worked as a staff writer for Tip of the Tower, focusing on Toronto sports, particularly the Raptors. His feature article, “The Nike Crown League Experience,” was included in the Best Canadian Sports Writing anthology. Grant can be reached at demarjgrant@gmail.com.

Denise Haggerty, Journalism Administrative Assistant

Denise Haggerty is the Journalism Administrative Assistant for the Fellowship in Journalism and Health Impact program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Denise has fulfilled this administrative role since the fall of 2018. Prior to joining U of T, Denise worked at the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes and CBC Radio-Canada.

Max Binks-Collier, Contributing Reporter

Emma Jarratt, Contributing Reporter

Emma Jarratt is an investigative multimedia journalist in Toronto. She holds a Master of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University. Emma is the Executive Editor of Electric Autonomy Canada and previously freelanced in print and broadcast, specifically concentrating on investigations, the green energy and transportation sectors, conflicts and politics. Her work has appeared in The Globe & Mail, VICE and on CTV’s Canada AM, CTVNews.com and W5. Her work will (hopefully) continue to appear in the Toronto Star. Emma can be reached at emmacrjarratt@gmail.com.

Lance Roller, DLSPH Journalism and Health Impact Fellow

Lance Roller is a researcher, data analyst and Dalla Lana School of Public Health Journalism and Health Impact fellow. Throughout his career, he has co-written numerous publications in academic journals that include The Lancet and the BMJ. His proficiency in analytics allows him to skillfully handle databases for investigator and industry-led projects, using Python, SQL and Tableau. Through his analytical expertise and tech savvy, Lance is poised to make an impact in investigative journalism.

Stacey Kuznetsova, Reporter (Intern)

Stacey Kuznetsova is a Toronto-based journalist and intern at the IJB. Stacey also serves as News Editor at Excalibur Publications – the York University community newspaper, reporting on institutional accountability and campus investigations. Some of her previous work focused on 2SLGBTQIA+ spaces, the quality of healthcare
services, and underspending on maintenance and repairs. Stacey can be reached at stacey.kuznetsova@gmail.com

Dori Seeman, Reporter (Intern)

Dori Seeman is a Toronto-based reporter with a passion for community engagement and innovative storytelling. A recipient of the Schulich Leaders award and York School graduate, Dori has demonstrated academic excellence and leadership. With experience in teaching robotics and computing and organizing STEM initiatives, Dori seeks to blend creative arts with technology to foster meaningful connections. dori.seeman24@gmail.com

Neil Seeman, Senior Academic Advisor

Founder and Chairman of Riwi Corp., and Senior Fellow at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation.

Blair Bigham, Scientific Consultant and Reporter

Blair is an award-winning journalist, scientist and physician who trained in emergency and critical care medicine at McMaster and Stanford Universities. He was a Global Journalism Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs,  Associate Scientist at St Michael’s Hospital, and Education Scholar at Stanford. His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, newscasts, podcasts and medical journals. He is co-host of the CMAJ Podcast and director of education and scholarship at healthydebate.ca.

He witnesses the relationship between wealth and health on a daily basis, and reports on the undertold stories of patients, healthcare providers, and the systems that help or fail them.