MHRE

About the Program Director

Full name: Camila Chacon

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Calgary, AB

Education: BSc in Physiology (McGill University), MSc in Physiology & Pathophysiology (University of Manitoba), current PhD student in Physiology & Pathophysiology (Chopek Lab, University of Manitoba)

Interests/Hobbies: Astrophotography, foodie, working out, salsa dancing, travelling

Career Aspirations: Combining curiosity for research and translating it into a career in industry.

As a note to interested trainees, I hope you remain open to different opportunities and allow yourself the space to explore your different interests! There are endless opportunities to get involved in research and I hope this program piques your interest in a topic you may not have necessarily had exposure to before.

2023-2024 MHRE Committee (In alphabetical order)

Full Name: Caleigh Guillou 

Photo & bio coming soon…

Full Name: Cara Follows

Hometown: Winnipeg, MB

Education: B.Sc Major Microbiology

Interests: reading, traveling, spending time with friends and family, volunteering

Career aspirations: I hope to continue my education into medicine or a medical related field. I want to work with at risk communities, helping to provide them with medical care and access to resources to help them succeed. I also would like to work with the disabled community, helping integrate those living with a disability into society while also raising awareness for the importance of acceptance and equality for all.

Full Name: Clarissa Nitafan

Hometown: West St. Paul, MB

Education: B.Sc Microbiology Co-op

Interest/Hobbies: I like trying new coffee places around the city

Career Aspiration: In the future I hope to do research related to public health.

Full Name: Hiruni Jayaratne

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Kandy, Sri Lanka

Education: Bachelor of Science, Biology

Interest/Hobbies: Baking, drawing & trying out new restos and cafes with friends 🙂

Career Aspiration: I hope to study medicine and health sciences following my Bachelor’s, to ultimately be able to serve and aid as a health care professional in my community!

Full Name: Jamie Sookhoo

Pronouns: He/him

Hometown: Trinidad and Tobago.

Education: BSc. Biology and Biochemistry (UWI), M.Phil Veterinary Virology (UWI).

Interests/Hobbies: Self-defense, Krav Maga, Canadian Armed Forces PRes..

Career Aspiration:  Federal research scientist working to strengthen Canadian biosecurity, emergency preparedness and response to natural and man-made biological threats.

Full Name: Lauren MacGowan

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Petty Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

Education: BSc (Honour’s) Psychology, Memorial University

Interests/Hobbies: Traveling, playing piano, singing, dancing, graphic design

Career Aspirations: I hope to further my education and continue my career in medicine and research with the hope of improving care for children.

Full Name: Leena Regi Saleth

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Education: M.Tech Biotechnology, currently pursuing PhD in Dept of Physiology & Pathophysiology

Interests/Hobbies: Home gardening, Art/Crafts, Explore new places/ restaurants, Food Photography, Church Children’s Ministry

Career aspirations: Health Science Researcher in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Full Name: Noor Imran

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Winnipeg

Education: Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology

Interest/Hobbies: Reading, Community Service and practicing calligraphy in Arabic and Urdu

Career Aspiration: Medicine or Research (or maybe both if I am lucky!)

Full Name: Samuel Akinola

Pronouns: he/him

Hometown: Oyan, Nigeria

Education: MSc Candidate, Pharmacy

Interests/Hobbies: Music (Songwriting, Vocal production), Sports (Soccer, Basketball), Hiking

Career aspirations: Having my biotech company

Full Name: Shahin Shabanipour

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Tehran, Iran

Education: M.Sc., currently pursuing PhD in the College of Pharmacy

Interests/Hobbies: playing chess, coin collection
Career aspirations: I am passionate about academia and aim to become a university professor, dedicating my career to research and lecturing

2023-2024 Ad-Hoc Committee Members

Full Name: Aurelien Caron

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Paris

Education: BSc in neurosciences, Master in neurodegenerative diseases

Interests/Hobbies: Programming, travel, Muay Thai

Career aspirations: Lead my own research group

Full Name: Parisa Tabeshmehr

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Winnipeg, MB

Education: Neuroscience PhD Student – Physiology and Pathophysiology (MSc) – Genetics (MSc) – Cellular and Molecular Biology (BSc)

Interests: Yoga and Mindfulness, Camping and Nature Photography

Career aspirations: My passion for neuroscience and dedication to advancing our understanding of neurodegeneration mechanism drive my academic and research pursuits. I started my research in the field of neurological disorders when I was doing my first MSc in 2016, in Iran. Joining University of Manitoba in 2020 for my second MSc’s program, I encountered this opportunity to pursue my research goals as an international student to uncover the underlying mechanism of Alzheimer’s disease.  As there is no limit to research, I decided to continue this journey. Therefore, I started my PhD program in the “Neuroscience Research Program”, in the department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, in September 2023. In my current project, my focus is on the interplay of neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity in neurodegeneration, mainly in Alzheimer’s disease. My overarching career aspiration is to contribute groundbreaking research findings, publish influential papers, and eventually play a pivotal role in the development of therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases with the aim of impacting individuals and society as a whole.

Full Name: Shaikh Mehdi Hasan

Pronouns: He/him

Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Education: PhD Student in CHS, BSS Anthropology (SUST), MPH (IUB), MBA (PUB)

Interests/Hobbies: Travelling, playing cricket, volunteering.

Career aspirations: My career goal is to become a scientist and contribute to designing and implementing effective health service delivery models.

2023-24 MHRE Instructors

• Chris-Tiann Roberts
• Elise Gork
• Geoff Gelley
• Heba Elgubtan
• John Aguilar
• Julie Donahue
• Mackenzie Alexiuk
• Mikayla Hunter (she/they)
• Nicole Robak
• Pranav Mishra
• Saeid Maghsoudi
• Tara Tourloukis

About the Program Director

Hi everyone! My name is Camila Chacon and I am a PhD student in the department of Physiology and Pathophysiology studying spinal cord injury. Prior to my PhD studies, I completed a MSc at the U of M in Physiology and Pathophysiology and a BSc in Physiology at McGill University. 

As the Program Director of MHRE for 2022/23 and 2022 MHRE Instructor, I am excited to support you in this training experience! I want to help you develop new skills that will make you a better trainee in health sciences. I highly encourage all students to participate in MHRE and to use this experience to explore your interests within the health sciences! This program is a stepping stone to guide your future educational goals. 

Please feel free to email me mhredirector@hsgsa.org for any questions/discussions

2022 MHRE Committee (In alphabetical order)

Full Name: Alexa Pommer (she/her)

Hometown: Winnipeg, MB

Education: 3rd year, Bachelor of Health Sciences 

Interests: dance, playing piano, spending time with friends and family, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Harry Potter 

Career aspirations: Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I plan on continuing my education in medicine and research. My ultimate goal is to become a public health physician. This career would allow me to gain and apply the interdisciplinary skill set required to evaluate the health of populations and develop strategies to improve health.

Name: Amy Lloyd (she/her)

Hometown: Winkler, MB

Education: Bachelor of Science, General

Interests/Hobbies: Playing soccer and violin, snowboarding, dancing and coaching basketball. 

Career Aspirations: Coming from southern Manitoba, I aspire to help promote healthier lifestyles in rural and underserved communities through pursuing a career in medicine or another health care related field.

Full name: Cara Follows

Hometown: Winnipeg, MB

Education: B.Sc Major Microbiology

Interests: reading, traveling, spending time with friends and family, volunteering

Career aspirations: I hope to continue my education into medicine or a medical related field. I want to work with at risk communities, helping to provide them with medical care and access to resources to help them succeed. I also would like to work with the disabled community, helping integrate those living with a disability into society while also raising awareness for the importance of acceptance and equality for all.

Full Name: Eldrec Ralph Genzola Abanto (he/him)

Hometown: Winnipeg

Education:  UofM faculty of Science – majoring microbiology

Interests: I love to workout and play basketball. I enjoy spending my free time with my dog who I am allergic to.

Career aspirations: I’m still on the fence on either becoming a dentist or entering the medical industry to become a general doctor or specializing in dermatology or anesthesiology

Name: Jamie Sookhoo (he/him).

Hometown: Trinidad and Tobago.

Education: BSc. Biology and Biochemistry (UWI), M.Phil Veterinary Virology (UWI).

Interests/Hobbies: Self-defense, Krav Maga, Canadian Armed Forces PRes..

Career Aspiration:  Federal research scientist working to strengthen Canadian biosecurity, emergency preparedness and response to natural and man-made biological threats.

Name: Paul Jerard Layug (he/him)

Hometown: Manila, Philippines

Education: 4^th Year Honours Genetics, Minor in Chemistry

Interest/Hobbies: calligraphy and watercolour painting

Career Aspiration: I hope to pursue a career in translational medicine as it incorporates two of the things that never fail to intrigue me– basic science research and clinical medicine– while fueling my creative side through innovation.

2022-23 Instructors

• Courtney Marshall 
• Hannah Zhang
• Jess Crawford 
• Katrina Armstrong 
• Leena Regi Saleth 
• Luis Perez Davalos 
• Mackenzie Alexiuk
• Michaela Palmer 
• Miyosha Tso Deh            
• Molly Pratt 
• Pranav Mishra 

About the Founder/ Program Director

Hi everyone! My name is Toby Le and I am a PhD student in the department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Before coming to Winnipeg, I completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences with an Honors Specialization in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Western, Ontario.

As the Founder/Program Director of MHRE , I am here to support YOU in this training experience and to help you develop new skills that will make you a better trainee in health sciences. Also, I highly encourage all students to participate in this MHRE program and to use this experience to explore the health sciences so that you can make the most informed decisions about your future educational and career goals.

For discussions and/ or questions, please feel free to email me let6@myumanitoba.ca

2021 MHRE Committee (In alphabetical order)

Full Name:  Akshi Malik
Hometown: Delhi, India
Education:  Bachelors of Science in Life Sciences, Masters in Medical Physiology
 Interest/Hobbies(s): Cooking and dancing
Career Aspirations: My current research focus is on chemotherapy induced cardiotoxicity and understanding the mediating role of ER-stress. I aim to strengthen my research techniques and work for Industry in future. 

Full name: Cara Follows

Hometown: Winnipeg, MB

Education: B.Sc Major Microbiology

Interests: reading, traveling, spending time with friends and family, volunteering

Career aspirations: I hope to continue my education into medicine or a medical related field. I want to work with at risk communities, helping to provide them with medical care and access to resources to help them succeed. I also would like to work with the disabled community, helping integrate those living with a disability into society while also raising awareness for the importance of acceptance and equality for all

Full Name: Chloe McElheron

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Education: I am currently in my final year of my B.Sc. with a major in Psychology and a minor in Biology

Interest/Hobbies(s): 

Career Aspirations: After my undergrad, I hope to pursue a graduate degree.  Afterwards I plan to have a career in the field of forensic science.

Full Name:  Emily Barker

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Education:  Bachelors of Science, Genetics

Interest/Hobbies(s): Roller Derby, Music, Pottery

Career Aspirations: In the future I hope to help run research programs in rare genetic disease, or complete research important to rural areas.

Full Name: Javad Alizadeh

Hometown: Iran

Education: I got my M.Sc from UofM and now Im a PhD student at the Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Sciences and I have been working on lung cancer metastasis for my odctorate thesis project.

Interest/Hobbies(s): I’d say I have a wide range of hobbies. I love to explore resteurants and meuseum in the city, trying new food recipes, playing tennis and volleyball. 

Career Aspirations: I would like to be ahealth sciences researcher in future as my career and this could be in different sectors and workplaces.

Full Name: Kohavit Kleitman

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Education: Bachelor of Science, Microbiology

Interest/Hobbies(s): listening to music, binge-watching Netflix series, and finding any excuse to get Starbucks

Career Aspirations: I am particularly passionate about medical microbiology and immunology-based therapeutics and aspire to make a difference in the lives of patients through research.

Full Name: Marina Costa Fujishima   

Hometown: Brasilia, Brazil     

Education: BSc Microbiology minor Chemistry

Interest/Hobbies(s): eat sushi

Career Aspirations: would like to become an independent research in the Health Sciences Field – with particular interest in Mucosal Immunology.

Full Name: Nolan Sean De Leon

Hometown: Winnipeg, MB

Education: Bachelor of Science (joint major in biochemistry and microbiology; cooperative designation) – Université de Saint-Boniface | MSc candidate (Physiology and Pathophysiology) and medical student – University of Manitoba

Interest/Hobbies(s): Strength and Conditioning Athlete/Coach, Martial Artist, Music Composer/Performer, CalligrapherCareer Aspirations: I plan to pursue a career as a clinician scientist (MD, PhD). As a physician, I always want to be thinking of ways I can make the patient experience better and improve treatment options. As a researcher, I want to be able to question our current information, identify gaps in knowledge and create a structured plan to act and gain a deeper understanding of health. I believe that by bringing the worlds of research and practice together, I can make a lasting impact on child health for today, and for the future.

Full Name: Paul Jerard Layug

Hometown: Before coming to Winnipeg (~4 years ago) with my family, I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines.

Education: 3^rd Year Honours Genetics, Minor in Chemistry

Interest/Hobbies(s): In my spare time, I love to do watercolour painting and calligraphy!

Career Aspirations: I hope to pursue a career in translational medicine as it incorporates two of the things that never fail to intrigue me– basic science research and clinical medicine– while fueling my creative side through innovation.

Full Name: Rebeca de Oliveira Camargo
Hometown: Curitiba / Brazil
Education: Master’s in Physiology and Pathophysiology (University of
Manitoba – 2019 – Current), Medicine (Faculdade Evangelica do Parana / Brazil – 2011 – 2017)
Interest/Hobbies(s): Cooking , Pyrography and Dancing
Career Aspirations: Disseminate reliable science and encourage students.

Full Name: Sanjana Chauhan
Hometown: Winnipeg/India
Education: PhD Neuroscience
Interest/Hobbies(s): Reading, Art and craft
Career Aspirations: I see myself as an established
scientist in the coming years in a research institution.

Full Name: Sarah Llew-Williams

Hometown: Kingston Ontario

Education: Honours Bachelors of Health Sciences (Athletic Therapy)

Interest/Hobbies(s): playing sports, outdoor activities, singing

Career Aspirations: want to finish my Masters Physician Assistant Studies and start working in a much needed area of health services.