Our Team

Dr. Anya McLaren Barnett is a pediatric respirologist at McMaster University, with special expertise in sleep medicine. She is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at McMaster. She has founded the social media account The Sleep Gap, which shares evidence-based sleep tips for families.

Dr. Sharon Smile is a developmental pediatrician at Holland Bloorview Kids’ Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, and is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and an EDI Champion in the Division of Developmental Pediatrics. Sharon has a broad range of experiences relating to neurodevelopmental disabilities, EDI, parent/caregiver engagement, and feeding difficulties.

Dr. Semipe Oni is a first-year resident in General Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She recently moved from Toronto to Vancouver and has an interest in advancing health equity for children and families in racialized communities.

Blessing Nkennor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in health studies and international development studies from the University of Toronto. She has significant global health and community advocacy experience, with a focus on political-economy and racialized communities and their intersections with health. In her spare time, Blessing enjoys doing her favourite things: filmmaking and photography.

Althea Frank Esho is the Clinical Director at Beyond The Spectrum. She holds a Master’s of Applied Disability Studies with a concentration in Applied Behavioural Analysis from Brock University, and is a Board Certified Behavioural Analyst. Althea has been in the field for over 15 years and brings with her a breadth of experience and knowledge. She has always enjoyed working with children of all ages and abilities and working with their families on their journey to achieving their goals. Althea is an advocate for social justice, diversity and inclusion in her clinical practice, within the community and at home with her two young girls.

Dr. David Esho is an academic family physician at the University Health Network. Prior joining the Toronto Western Family Health Team, he worked as a rural family physician in Northern and Southwestern Ontario. He currently holds a faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. He works as an attending physician on the Toronto Western Hospital Family Inpatient service. He also serves as the physician lead for the Toronto Western Hospital Family Health Team specialized diabetes program. He currently serves as co-lead for the Toronto chapter of the BPAO’s Black Health and Wellness Initiaitve. He has presented his work at the Family Medicine Forum as well Ontario College of Family Physicians’ Annual Scientific Assembly.

Dr. Natasha Johnson (MD, FAAP, FRCPC) is the Associate Chair, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and an Associate Professor with the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University and McMaster Children’s Hospital in Ontario. A passionate advocate for children, youth, and families affected by racism and other types of oppression, she works with pediatric leadership and community partners to guide a strategic vision to promote anti-oppression and anti-racism. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Pat Mandy Inclusion Award for outstanding contributions towards the inclusion and support of gender-diverse youth. In 2016, she established a clinical service providing gender affirming care to trans and gender diverse youth and their families – the first of its kind at McMaster Children’s Hospital. In March 2022, this clinic received a generous $500,000 grant from TD to expand its services. As a founding member of the Anti-Racism Coalition in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster, she continues to lead transformative change in healthcare, with a focus on marginalized youth, those who have been historically oppressed, and equity-deserving populations. Natasha’s parents immigrated to Canada from Jamaica. She was born and raised in Montreal where she did her medical training and where her parents still live. She is a single mother to two teen boys