Alumni

Weni Chen BSc. (Hons)

Weni graduated from U of T with a major in Global Health. She joined CPRU in the summer of 2013. She enjoys photography, reading magazines and cooking. Her goal is to travel around the world and eat different types of cuisines.

Sara Ghandeharian BSc. (Hons)

Sara is currently pursuing her M. Sc. Degree with Dr. Lucia Gagliese, and her research is  is to better understand the association between health care worker factors and pain assessment in older people with cancer and delirium.  Her interest in aging research began while completing her honours degree in the Department of Psychology at Acadia University. During this time, she volunteered and worked with older adults on a regular basis in various community and institutional settings, in addition to completing her honours thesis into self-perceptions of aging and successful aging. Sara’s other research interests include health psychology, palliative or supportive care, and psychosocial adjustment to chronic conditions. Sara’s future goals include a career in clinical research and psychotherapy. At York University, Sara is the Vice President of the Graduate Research Association of Students in Public Health, and the Student Representative for the Canadian Association on Gerontology. In her spare time, she enjoys eating out, cooking, rock climbing, biking, and spending time with her partner and friends.

Maryam Kara

Maryam is currently pursuing her B. Sc. in Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University. Her interest in pain anxiety research began when she took a course on the psychology of health and chronic disease with Dr. Gagliese. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cycling, playing soccer, and traveling.

Dr. Kenneth Mah

Dr. Kenneth Mah completed his BA(Hon.) in psychology at the University of Winnipeg. He obtained his PhD in clinical psychology from McGill University under the supervision of Dr. Irving Binik. After working 13 years with Dr. Gerald Devins at the UHN, investigating determinants of quality of life in cancer, Dr. Mah joined the CPRU in the fall of 2015. In his downtime, Dr. Mah reads voraciously and is addicted to his Kobo e-reader. During a recent hiatus, he completed the certificate program in publishing at Ryerson University.

Nadine Narain

Nadine joined CPRU in the fall of 2016. She has a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and an Honours BSc. in Psychology and Human Biology from U of T.  During her clinical occupational therapy placements, she was fascinated by the interactions between biopsychosocial factors and symptoms of chronic illnesses. She then sought an opportunity with Dr. Gagliese to further enhance her critical understanding of these factors in the ageing population. Through clinical research and practice, Nadine hopes to improve healthcare delivery that will result in better quality of life and increased engagement in meaningful activities. Nadine’s other interests include working with vulnerable populations globally. She was one of the clinic operation executives for IMAGINE, a U of T student initiative group that provides free holistic care to under-served and homeless populations in downtown Toronto. Currently, she is a board member of Global Brigades Canada, an international non-profit organization that supports underprivileged communities in developing countries.  In her spare time, Nadine enjoys baking, exploring cuisines and cultures, nature walks and spending time with her family, friends, and dog.

Mary Schmitz

Mary is currently completing her B.Sc. in Psychology at the Glendon Campus of York University with a specialization in neuropsychology. She became interested in the relationship between psychology, aging, and pain after personal experiences and will be pursuing an independent study project with Dr. Gagliese in the fall of 2016. She hopes to pursue supplementary studies in nursing or speech-language pathology after  her undergraduate degree. In her spare time, Mary enjoys playing soccer, working downtown in a restaurant, and studying languages.

Vanja Cabric

Nancy Ciccone MSc.

Gianluca D'Angelo BSc. (Hons)

Gianluca  graduated from the University of Toronto with a major in genetics and minors in psychology and geography.  Since an early age, he has had a passion for science.  He hopes to pursue a career as a medical doctor. His hobbies and interests include cycling, politics, reading, and video games. He also enjoys part-taking in family traditions, such as, large meals, philosophical debates, and movie time.

Susan Fleury

 Kritika Ganapathy

Kritika is currently a second year arts student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She has been with the CPRU since 2010 and her research interests lay in the impact and ethics of scientific research on laws and legislation. In her spare time she enjoys cycling and tinkering with computers

Lynn Gauthier, PhD

Carol Graham BSc. (Hons)

Carol graduated from York in 2012 with a BSc. in Kinesiology and joined the CPRU shortly after. She is considering going to graduate school and has an interest in the health and behavioral sciences. She enjoys competitive sports like rugby and track and has a Beagle puppy named Pythagoras or Pi for short. She recently left the team to pursue medical school in Australia.

Tamara Harduwar, BSc. (Hons)

Tamara completed her Bachelor of Science degree in biology at the University of Western Ontario and recently joined the CPRU team in August 2013. Before becoming employed in the CPRU, she worked in the psychosocial oncology research department at PMH. She is currently completing a Masters of Business Administration at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, exploring Toronto, trying out new food, and spending time with her family and friends.

Rebecca Harrison BSc. (Hons)

Rebecca completed her Bachelor of Science at Queen's University in Life Science. She joined the CPRU in September 2013. Her goal is to go to medical school and become a doctor. In her spare time, she enjoys drawing, writing stories, and playing with her dog, Keeva.

Tony Huang

Tony is currently studying medical sciences at Western University. He joined the CPRU this summer as an IMS student to learn about the emerging field of narrative health research. He aspires to become a physician, and is excited to gain clinical research experience at the Pain and Aging Lab. He enjoys finding creative ways to volunteer in the community, from teaching chess to residents at a local retirement home to directing Western’s Musicbox Children Charity- an organization which promotes the healthy development of children by offering free music lessons to children from underprivileged families. In his spare time, Tony enjoys playing piano, listening to classical music, learning new board games, and surfing the internet.

Dustin Kahn, MFSc.

Dustin completed his Masters of Fitness Science under the supervision of Dr. Gagliese in 2013. His research passion lies in the therapy and improvement of overall quality of life in cancer pain research. He also has a keen interest in fitness testing and different training techniques. Dustin has been a trainer for various varsity sports teams and enjoys helping people improve their health and fitness levels. He is a competitive triathlete and enjoys playing hockey and any sport in his spare time.

Sinthuja Kaneshanathan

Sinthuja finished her undergrad at U of T Scarborough (Specialist Integrative Biology and Major Health Studies). Currently, she is in her second year of George Brown College's Health Information Management Program.

Melissa Luczon

As an undergraduate student, Melissa worked as a part-time employee for a pharmaceutical company as an Patient Access & Outcomes Research Assistant/Support Manager. She also volunteered at Princess Margaret Hospital before becoming employed as a summer Research Assistant. In 2007, Melissa completed her Masters of Science with Dr. Lucia Gagliese of the CPRU, during which time she also co-authored publications related to postoperative, chronic, and cancer-related pain. Currently, Melissa is the Manager for a maternal and infant health research program at the University of Toronto. She enjoys travelling with her husband, spending time with family and friends, music, yoga, and spoiling her chow chow, named Kingston, with belly rubs and hard-boiled eggs.

Liz Midence, Phd

Dr Liz Midence completed her BSc (Hon) in Biochemistry and MSc in Microbiology/Immunology at the University of Ottawa. She obtained her PhD in Health Sciences at the start of 2016 from York University, where her work focused on investigating health outcomes in women with heart disease. She joined the CPRU in the Summer of 2016 – she will be studying age related patterns in cancer pain. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, exploring Toronto, and trying out new food.

Ermias Nagatu

Ermias is currently in his final year of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University. He previously worked as a research assistant for several pain management studies at St. Michael’s Hospital within the Department of Emergency Medicine. After obtaining his BSc, he plans to continue engaging in research and pursue a career in medicine. In his spare time he volunteers at a complex care and rehabilitation hospital, tutors science and math to high school students at his local community centre, and is part of an executive team that promotes physical activity as a means of prevention and treatment for disease on campus. He also enjoys mountain biking, snowboarding, cooking new dishes, meditating, and spending time with his family and friends.

Nina Nikzad

Nina is in her final year of specialized honours program in Kinesiology and Health Sciences at York University. In the future she wishes to pursue her career in the medical field. Nina joined the CPRU as an undergraduate researcher in the summer of 2015. She also enjoys special effect makeup, watching movies, trying new restaurants and biking.

Katherine Nunes, BSc . (Hons)

Katherine has a BSc in Global Health and Biochemistry from the University of Toronto and is a recent addition to the CPRU. She hopes to pursue a future career in the medical field as doctor or nurse in rural Ontario, but is currently focused on gaining experience in clinical research. She has a dog named Buffy (the Vampire Slayer) and enjoys snowboarding, practicing her Italian and crocheting in her spare time.

Arpit Patel

Arpit is currently in his 4th year of medical school, and living in New York City. He is hoping to start a surgery residency program in 2013, and in another 6-7 "short" years, should be a practicing physician!

Rebecca Rodin

Rebecca graduated from McGill in June 2012, with a BA in Philosophy and the Social Studies of Medicine. She completed a Masters in Medical Anthropology at the University of Oxford and is currently attending the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. In her spare time, she enjoys bike riding, traveling, snowboarding, and playing her guitar and all kinds of board games.

Kim Thao Tran

Kim completed her BSc. and MSc. in Kinesiology and Health Science at York University and worked in the CPRU as a research assistant for 3 years.  She is currently in second year of medical school and living in Dublin, Ireland. Kim has a penchant for traveling, photography and collecting salt & pepper shakers.

Victoria Treister, BSc. (Hons)

Victoria has a BSc. in Biology from York University. She worked in the CPRU from 2011-2013 and hopes to continue working in healthcare. She has a particular interest in public health, specifically in the determinants of health and disease. She helps maintain the community garden at Toronto Western Hospital and has a cat named Mara who likes eating Cheetos.

Ashley Wood BSc. (Hons), BA (Hons)

Ashley was a member of the CPRU from 2008-2013 and has recently started working as an analyst in the MSH Wellness Centre. Her passion for research extends into areas such as quality of life and well-being and she hopes to continue in research in the future. In her spare time she volunteers with the David Suzuki foundation and has a wide variety of pets including two cats named Fez and Marley and several fire belly toads.

Danny Yim

Danny is currently attending McMaster University and pursuing a major in Honour Biology and a minor in Biochemistry. He will be applying to optometry school after his 4th year.

Past Volunteers

Casey Chu

Casey  is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences at Western University. She has a strong interest in humanitarian work and enjoys volunteering for various organizations in her community. Her ambition is to one day apply her passion for science and medicine to conduct research in the healthcare industry. In her spare time she likes to go on hiking trips with family, read biographies and play the piano.

Maitri Gupta

Maitri is a fourth year student at UofT majoring in Neuroscience, specializing in mental health studies. She joined the lab as a volunteer in the summer of 2015. Currently, she is working towards a career in public health policies and mental health. In her spare time, she enjoys eating various cuisines, hiking, reading and dancing.

Rhea Harduwar BSc. (Hons)

Rhea recently joined the CPRU as a volunteer in June 2014. This year, she also graduated from U of T majoring in psychology. In the future, she wants to pursue a  career as a mental health consultant. In her spare time, she likes painting, drawing and reading books.

Rouzbeh Ostadsharif Memar

Rouzbeh Ostadsharif Memar is currently a second year student at University of Toronto. He specializes in Pathobiology (Laboratory Medicine) and Immunology. He enjoys being involved in the lab, playing video-games and I enjoy trying different kinds of tea!

Nicole Smith

Nicole is currently in grade 11 at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute. She joined the CPRU as a co-op student in the fall of 2015. After high school, she plans on pursing a Bachelor of Science in Health Science. Her goal is to go to medical school and become a doctor. In her spare time, she enjoys to read, run, and spend time with her family and friends.