Growing up, Saredo Mohamed Bouraleh watched her parents, immigrants from Somalia and Djibouti, face multiple challenges as they built their lives in Ottawa.
“I saw firsthand that systems are not always designed with marginalized communities in mind,” says Mohamed Bouraleh. “It shaped me, and I vowed to become the bridge across health barriers for people who are often unheard.”
On June 8, she will graduate with a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. Selected as her program's valedictorian, she is already making a meaningful impact in communities.
“I vowed to become the bridge across health barriers for people who are often unheard.”
Saredo Mohamed Bouraleh
— Master of Science in Epidemiology, 2026
An obvious choice
Mohamed Bouraleh grew up in a low-income household, navigating financial pressures during her education. The first in her family to pursue higher education, she graduated magna cum laude from uOttawa with an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences before beginning her master’s.
“I was accepted into multiple graduate programs, but I chose to remain in Ottawa because of my deep connection to the community that raised me and continues to inspire my work,” she says.
Embracing epidemiology, she reasoned, would allow her to study health inequities at a population level.
She was well positioned to pursue her dream given its close alignment with the Faculty of Medicine’s strategic plan, in which social accountability is a priority mandate—aligning health systems and medical education with the needs of the communities they serve.
“This framework resonated deeply with me,” she explains. “It reflects both my lived experiences and my commitment to advancing equitable and community-responsive care.”
Where research meets communities
Having an impact, says Mohamed Bouraleh, means more than identifying disparities.
“It means actively working toward solutions grounded in community realities and lived experiences,” she says.
She sought out research and community involvement as part of her studies to align her work with issues she cares deeply about.
“Community engagement is not an addition to my work; it is the foundation of it,” she says. “It’s how we move from assumptions to understanding, and from intention to meaningful impact.”
“Community engagement is not an addition to my work; it is the foundation of it.”
Saredo Mohamed Bouraleh
She was strongly influenced by the work of Dr. Claire Kendall, associate dean of social accountability at the Faculty and Mohamed Bouraleh’s thesis supervisor at the Bruyère Health Research Institute.
“Through my training alongside Dr. Kendall and other professors I examined systemic barriers to care, especially in primary care access and workforce distribution, deepening my understanding of how structural factors shape health outcomes,” she says.
The findings of Mohamed Bouraleh’s thesis, "Ontario Medical Schools' Contribution to a Socially Accountable Primary Care Workforce," underscore the need for policy and training reforms to support a socially accountable workforce.
The timing of obtaining key datasets in her research taught her adaptability, patience, and about making progress despite uncertainty.
“It shaped my solutions-based mindset, directly influencing how I approach research,” she says.
Bringing system-level change
Now armed with a toolkit of skills to study health inequities at a population level, Mohamed Bouraleh is already bringing meaningful, system-level change.
Through research roles at uOttawa and the Institut du Savoir Montfort, along with positions at the Public Health Agency of Canada and Indigenous Services Canada, she has contributed to work spanning maternal and child health, communicable disease control and health system access—work highly reliant on community engagement.
“The community involvement of dedicated faculty and students like Saredo is enabling us to carry out our priority mandate of strong communities through partnerships,” says Dr. Kendall. “It is vital for ensuring that research, education and care remain aligned with the needs of the communities we serve.”
Leading and supporting initiatives focused on women’s health have been integral to Mohamed Bouraleh’s graduate studies. She has created spaces for culturally responsive education around preventive care, mental health and reproductive health, including organizing the recent Rooted in Wellness, a community-based women’s health event at Restore Medical Clinics.
Her leadership roles have focused on representation and mentorship. As vice-president of the Black Med Collective, she helps create opportunities for Black students interested in health careers, including outreach to high school students. She has organized research colloquia focused on Black francophone populations, and is currently developing a national mentorship platform for Black students in epidemiology and public health.
Leading with purpose
Mohamed Bouraleh’s efforts have been recognized through multiple scholarships and awards, including a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship.
She envisions a career at the intersection of epidemiology, research and community engagement. She may pursue a PhD as her interests evolve, but her commitment to equity, advocacy and socially accountable work remains constant.
“As long as I continue to lead with purpose, resilience and passion,” she says, “I am confident in my ability to create meaningful impact in whatever role I pursue.”
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All photos except where indicated: Saredo Mohamed Bouraleh
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