CBRC is excited to share the first three keynote speakers for Summit 2026: Building Our Futures.
Taking place in Toronto, ON, from October 29 to November 1, 2026, our annual knowledge exchange and capacity-building conference on 2S/LGBTQIA+ health brings together leading voices from across our communities to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and inspire action. This year's keynote speakers will share their expertise, lived experiences, and bold ideas to inspire meaningful conversations and advance equity in 2S/LGBTQIA+ health.
Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden
(she/her)
Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden is a Black queer femme scholar and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CIHR) in Black Health Studies at Dalhousie University, shaped by Toronto's Black and queer diasporic communities and activism. Grounded in Black queer feminist thought and critical race theory, her transdisciplinary research centres community knowledge co-creation, examining how blood donation policies, health governance, and data practices reproduce anti-Black (homophobic) racism.
She founded Dalhousie's Black Studies Research Institute (STEMM) and co-leads the Black Health Education Collaborative. Her award-winning book, Got Blood to Give: Anti-Black Homophobia in Blood Donation, received the 2025 George Borden Writing for Change Award.
Manon Massé
(she/her)
Manon Massé has served as the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA) for Sainte-Marie–Saint-Jacques since 2014 and was co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire from 2017 to 2023. A long-time advocate for social justice, she serves as the Second Opposition Group Critic for issues affecting 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as relations with First Nations and Inuit communities.
She has become a leading voice on social justice, community issues, and human rights, notably contributing to the historic recognition of Montréal's Gay Village as a place of emancipation for 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities. Her career has been defined by leadership, advocacy, and a steadfast commitment to the values of inclusion, justice, solidarity, and reconciliation.
She will conclude her term as an MNA in October.
Jad Sinno
(they/them)
Jad Sinno, PhD, is the Director of Research at Community-Based Research Centre and an Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. They are a queer, non-binary, and Shami Arab bringing over a decade of community organizing and lived experience to their research.
Jad is a social epidemiologist and critical mixed methodologist with research interests including the social and cultural determinants of health for multiply marginalized queer populations, including mental and sexual health care and human-computer interactions.
Stay tuned as we reveal more program highlights in the coming weeks. For more information and to register, visit www.cbrc.net/summit_2026.
