Join us on Wednesday, November 5th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Innovations in Intimate Partner Violence Research: Centering Lived Experience in Capacity-Building and Large-Scale Projects, featuring Dr. N. Zoe Hilton, Dr. Elnaz Moghimi, Elke Ham, Sevil Deljavan, Jaden Chong, and Nikoo Aghaei from Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care.
Wednesday, November 5th, 2025
12 – 1:30pm MST
This webinar, hosted by the Waypoint Research Institute, will highlight innovative research and capacity-building initiatives addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in mental health contexts. Presenters will share findings from recent and ongoing projects that partnered with people with lived experience, including the IPV Service Study, the RESPECT study (Research framework for Engaging intimate partner violence Survivors as Partners in Empowering Collaborative Transformation), arts- and design-based approaches to knowledge mobilization, and the Government of Ontario–funded MHAV-HEARTS (Mental Health Anti-Violence Hub for Empowerment, Advocacy, Resilience, and Trauma Support) project. Together, these initiatives reflect a commitment to participatory research, collaboration across disciplines, and the development of tools and practices that support professionals, empower communities, and improve outcomes for those affected by IPV.
About the Speakers
Dr. N. Zoe Hilton is the Research Chair in Forensic Mental Health at Waypoint and a Professor at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health. A fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, she has spent 35 years at Waypoint as a clinician and researcher. Her work focuses on justice-involved individuals, intimate partner violence (IPV) risk assessment, and trauma among psychiatric workers. She led the development of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) and currently leads the SSHRC-funded CELIA IPV project, expanding IPV risk assessment to new populations. She holds degrees from the Universities of Southampton, Cambridge, and Toronto.
Dr. Elnaz Moghimi joined Waypoint Research Institute as a research scientist in early 2023. A health scientist by training, Elnaz holds a PhD in Kinesiology and Health Science. Her graduate work focused on compulsive overeating, eHealth interventions, and the treatment experiences of women with binge eating disorder. Subsequent to her PhD, she joined Queen’s University Online Psychotherapy Lab, where she focused on online mental health interventions in a myriad of populations. Her current work focuses on lived experience partnerships and services development for individuals impacted by intimate partner violence.
Elke Ham is the Research Psychometrist at Waypoint and Project Coordinator of ODARA 101. With 15 years of research experience, she has co-authored 35 peer-reviewed articles and numerous knowledge translation products. Her work focuses on intimate partner violence, risk assessment, clinical outcomes, and workplace trauma. As a Certified ODARA Trainer, she leads ODARA 101—an e-learning program that has trained over 15,000 professionals worldwide. Elke also serves as Director and past Board Chair of the Community Legal Clinic of Simcoe, Haliburton, and Kawartha Lakes.
Sevil Deljavan is a Research Coordinator at the Waypoint Research Institute with a Master’s in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences from Western University. Her work focuses on lived expertise and participatory research, including child protection and high-conflict families. At Waypoint, she leads engagement for a Government of Ontario–funded project on intimate partner violence (IPV) in mental health contexts, advancing equitable, patient-oriented research and policy.
Jaden Chong is a recent graduate student who completed her Masters in the Design for Health Program at OCAD University. She has also completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at Toronto Metropolitan University, and has completed a certificate program with the University of British Columbia in Biomedical Visualization and Communication. Jaden is very passionate about finding ways to integrate design and art within the healthcare space. Her research interests include Health Design, Knowledge Mobilization and Arts-based Research.
Nikoo Aghaei is a third-year medical student at Queen’s University passionate about the intersection of healthcare, innovation, and design. She has led initiatives promoting women’s empowerment and community engagement and holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees in psychology and biochemistry from McMaster University. In her free time, she enjoys volleyball and making art.