Diana Akku D'Souza

Diana Alli D’Souza, a trailblazer, has created a unique tapestry on equity diversity and inclusion,  combining her indomitable spirit on social justice and interfaith for underserved,

underrepresented and vulnerable populations in Toronto and globally. She developed over 21 outreach programs including IMAGINE, a homeless clinic, fundraising concerts/medical book drives to Canadian Indigenous kids and medical schools in some war-torn African continents and global borders. She co-founded the University of Toronto (UofT), Faculty of

Medicine Summer Mentorship Program in the Health Sciences opening doors for Black and

Indigenous high school students with more than 1200 students leading promising careers in medicine, health care, and other fields; tutoring programs for thousands of struggling middle and high school students.

 Diana has served on numerous Board of Directors including Governing Council for six years, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (Canada), Build our Wealth, Change Your Future (Learning Partnership Canada), Woodgreen Community Service, and University task forces and committees. She is the recipient of multitude of awards including: more than ten UofT medical school graduation awards given to her by medical students for role-modelling, compassion and excelling the students experience; U of T’s Centre for Health Promotion individual award for her passion, dedication and long years of commitment in serving the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of students on campus as well as the larger Toronto community for the past 30 years; and the 2001 UofT Chancellor’s Award for outstanding contributions by an administrative staff member, and co-recipient of the Faculty of Medicine’s Aikins esteemed teaching award. For her concern for the welfare of students and her dedication to student life evident in her contributions as a member of the Governing Council, Diana received UofT’s most prestigious Arbor Alumni Award.She has also been recognized locally by many community organizations and nationally by Association of American Medical College Northeast Group on Student Affairs for student advocacy. She is the recipient of the prsstigious the Order of Ontario, and the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal,  The 2022 Top Canadian ImmigrantAward, The 2023 Desii Achievers Award (one of the top South Asian Canadian Awards), the Medal of Distinction by the National Ethnic Medial Press  Council of Canada (2023) and very recently the most coveted Black Business Profesional Association  Black Excellence Canadian Harry Jerome Award in Diversity. 

On retirement in 2012, the Clinician Investigator Trainee Association of Canada established the“Diana Alli Community Service Award” recognizing her enormous contributions nationally.UofT’s medical students established the graduating “Diana Alli Award”.

Unstoppable, she founded “Access Empowerment Council” for disadvantaged youth globally, especially marginalized Indigenous youth in the Himalayas,, India serving sxix months a year as a philanthropist and English teacher.