Director

Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman is an allergist and clinical immunologist who made history as the first Black woman to serve as president of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). In that role, she led one of Canada’s largest physician organizations, advancing system-level transformation and advocating for equitable, high-quality care across the province.

Dr. Abdurrahman brings a strong foundation in clinical excellence and evidence-based practice. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Toronto, completed her pediatrics residency and subspecialty training in Allergy and Clinical Immunology at McMaster University, and holds a master’s degree in statistics with a specialization in biostatistics.

A longstanding contributor to physician governance, Dr. Abdurrahman has served on the OMA Board of Directors and previously chaired its Governance and Nominating Committee. She has also served on the board of OntarioMD and during her residency training, she served on the board of the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Abdurrahman contributed to vaccination equity and culturally responsive public health initiatives through the Black Scientists’ Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccine Equity and the Black Health & Vaccine Initiative. She also contributed to provincial clinical guidance as a member of the Ontario Science Table’s Drugs & Biologics Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group.

Her leadership has been recognized with several honours, including the 2025 Science and Technology Award from Afroglobal Television, the 2025 Donald Stark Award for Excellence in Leadership from the Canadian Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation, and the 2024 First Black Award from the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario in recognition of her achievement as the first Black woman president of the OMA.