Our Team
Bilal Qureshi
Founder & Executive Director
“MIA began from my experience growing up in Pakistan, where there was little emphasis on research and academia, both institutionally and socially. Throughout high school, research was never presented as a real path. Coming to UoT changed that. I entered an environment where research was central, and at the same time, I noticed a clear lack of Muslim representation in these spaces.
That gap led to the creation of MIA. It is an effort to cultivate a community rooted in curiosity, encourage research, and support stronger Muslim representation within academia. We happily embrace that Muslims are not a monolith and value diversity in background, culture, and levels of religiosity. Anyone who aligns with our core values of curiosity, respect, and ethically grounded research is welcome to be part of this work.”
Jana Ali
Executive Director
“MIA reflects a balance I had been searching for when first coming to Canada. Growing up in Dubai, Muslim identity was present and understood in professional spaces, but research and academic community were not always emphasized as visible paths. When I came to Canada, I found the reverse. Academic and research opportunities were everywhere, but Muslim identity was often less visible within those spaces.
Joining MIA as an executive lead allowed me to help build a space where those two worlds could meet. For me, MIA represents the belief that Muslim identity and scholarship do not need to exist separately. It is a community where curiosity, research, and representation can grow together, and where opportunities are created at the same time.”
Meet Our Team
Bilal Qureshi
Founder/Executive Director
Jana Ali
Executive Director
Hala Abdelhadi
Outreach Director
Muhammad Patel
Chapter Development Director
Anas Jabban
Outreach Director
Ezzah Asad
Marketing Director
Zeyad Abdelrahman
HR Director
Muntaha Almahjub
Chapter Development Director
Mustufa Khan
Academic and Cultural Engagement Officer
Atikah Tariq
Officer - Pakistan
Areeb Kamal
Website Lead
Aisha Adamu
Chapter Outreach
Eshaal Asad
Social Media Volunteer
Meet Our Advisory Board
Dr. Ali Salahpur
Dr. Amira Mittermaier
Dr. Nada Moumtaz
Dr. Mohamad Alkhaldi
Dr. Tahir Shaaran
Dr. Atiqa Hachimi
Dr. Shafique N. Virani
Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Toronto
Dr. Vinay Khetia
Lecturer, Religious Studies, University of Toronto & Academic Director, Shia Research Institute Toronto
Dr. Heba Mostafa
Associate Professor of Islamic Art & Architecture, University of Toronto
Dr. Anver Emon
Professor & Canada Research Chair in Religion, Pluralism and the Rule of Law, University of Toronto
Dr. Rana Dajani
Professor of Molecular Biology, Hashemite University & Founder of We Love Reading
Dr. Sameena Eidoo
Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Dr. Tahir Shaaran
Teaching-Stream Faculty, Department of Physics, University of Toronto