The NanoMedicines Innovation Network (NMIN) is pleased to introduce the 2021-22 Executive Committee of its Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Network – the NMIN HQP Network (NHN).
The NHN Executive Committee is comprised entirely of NMIN HQP, and plays a leadership role in the planning and realization of NMIN’s HQP programs, activities and other opportunities.
Its elected 2021-22 members are:
Ka-Yee Grace Choi
Chair, President
University of British Columbia
Grace is a postdoctoral fellow supervised by NMIN researcher Dr. Robert Hancock. Her research focuses on the development of alternative/ adjunctive treatments to protect against antibiotic resistant organisms.
Sams Sadat
Vice-President
University of Alberta
Sams is a PhD candidate supervised by NMIN researcher Dr. Afsaneh Lavasanifar. His research interests include pharmaceutics, drug delivery, and vaccine formulation using biomaterial-based nanoparticles.
Talita de Francesco Calheiros
Member-at-large
University of Victoria
Talita is a PhD candidate at University of Victoria under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Moffitt. Her research focuses on developing polymeric nanoparticles for the delivery of both anticancer drugs and functionalized gold nanoparticles for combination therapy and theranostics.
Quinn Matthews
Events Director
University of Toronto
Quinn is an MSc candidate supervised by NMIN researcher Dr. Keith Pardee. His current research focuses on using lipid nanoparticles to improve CAR T cell therapy, a recently adopted and extremely effective cancer therapy.
Fariba Saadati
Events Director
University of British Columbia
Fariba is a Research Associate supervised by NMIN researcher Dr. Marco A. Ciufolini. Her research focuses on the development of structurally novel lipids can be used to encapsulate and deliver therapeutic nucleic acids in lipid nanoparticle form. Selective delivery of nucleic acids to target tissues is an important consideration guiding lipid design.
Shahla Shojaei
Regional Director – West-Central
University of Manitoba
Shahla is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Labouta’s lab at the College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, and her research focuses on the development of a recirculating placenta-on-a-chip model to study the effect of shear stress on nanoparticle biodistribution and function.
Liza Silverman
Regional Director – Pacific
University of Victoria
Liza is a PhD candidate supervised by University of Victoria Professor Matt Moffitt. Her research focuses on co-encapsulating SN-38 and curcumin in polymer nanoparticles for cancer treatment.nanoparticle biodistribution and function.
Michael Valic
Member-at-large
University of Toronto
Mike is a PhD candidate supervised by NMIN research Dr. Gang Zheng. His research focuses on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modelling of theranostic nanomaterials.
Wesley Walker
Regional Director – Ontario
University of Toronto
Wesley is an MSc candidate supervised by NMIN researcher Dr. Gang Zheng. His research is focused on developing nanoemulsion platforms to expand the use-case of otherwise potent photosensitizers which are limited by their poor water solubility.
Jennyfer Zapata-Farfan
Regional Director – Quebec-Atlantic
Polytechnique Montréal
Jennyfer is a PhD candidate at Polytechnique Montreal, where she is supervised by NMIN researcher Dr. Michel Meunier, and at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Her research expertise includes electronic instrumentation, biophotonics, optics, and nanoplasmonics applied in ocular gene therapy.The mandate of the NMIN HQP Network (NHN) Executive Committee is to enhance research and professional networking opportunities for NMIN research trainees and new professionals.
New appointee (as member-at-large) Michael Valic says: “As an NMIN trainee, my work has benefited tremendously from the network’s high-quality programming and resources. It is my desire to continue growing the professional resources available to trainees and promoting research excellence within our network.”
The NMIN 2021-22 NHN Executive Committee will serve for a one-year term. See the full profiles of its members here.