Ms. Shusmita Rashid

Shusmita Rashid is an executive healthcare leader and communicator with over 15 years of experience driving system-wide transformation across complex health and social care systems. She is recognized for her expertise in strategic planning, partnership development, and applying knowledge mobilization and implementation science to translate research and innovation into real-world impact.

Currently, as Executive Director, Change the Conversation at Diabetes Canada, Shusmita leads a national initiative to reduce stigma, strengthen public understanding, and mobilize collective action to reframe how Canadians think and talk about diabetes. Previously, as Director of Knowledge Mobilization and Strategic Relations at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and Baycrest Academy, she oversaw strategic partnerships, communications, and programming, leading cross-functional teams to accelerate the co-design, validation, and adoption of innovations in aging and brain health. Earlier at the Knowledge Translation Program at St. Michael’s Hospital, she managed national and global health service research projects and delivered widely recognized training in knowledge translation and implementation science.

Shusmita’s governance experience includes currently serving on the boards of Quinte Health and the International Federation on Ageing, where she contributes system-thinking perspectives and expertise in innovation, equity, and public health. She is also an expert reviewer for Gates Foundation–funded global health projects, supporting the assessment and stewardship of high-impact initiatives worldwide.

Shusmita’s global perspective is shaped by living across three continents and delivering 45+ international talks and workshops, positioning her as a collaborative, future-focused executive leader and trusted advisor on research impact, health innovation, and evidence-informed system change.