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WISE Mentors

Meet our amazing mentors that make the mentorship program possible

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Dr. Karen Mossman, Ph.D

Department of Medicine

Dr. Karen Mossman, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. Her research focuses on how viruses interact with their hosts and how to use this knowledge for novel therapies. She has held senior administrative positions including Vice President Research. Internally at McMaster and externally with various organizations, she has advocated for support for women in all areas of science, including leadership positions. 

Dr. Mayu Nishimura

Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour 

Dr. Mayu Nishimura is a teaching-stream Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour. She is interested in the development of visual perception and cognition, and more recently, evidence-based pedagogical practices. She has had fantastic female mentors who supported her during her career, and she hopes to share the lessons learned with future aspiring female scientists and academics.

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Dr. Amy Gillgrass

Department of Medicine - Immunology Research Center and Institute for Infectious Disease Research 

Dr. Amy Gillgrass is an Assistant Professor at McMaster University and is part of the McMaster Immunology Research Centre and the Institute for Infectious Disease Research. Dr. Gillgrass started this position in 2019, so she is a relatively new
professor. Her lab's work centers around using mouse models to investigate pathology and new therapeutics for infectious disease and cancer. Prior to becoming a professor, Dr. Gillgrass also worked in a Biotech company as a Scientist so she has industry experience as well. 

Dr. Shelir Ebrahimi

Chemical Engineering

Dr. Shelir Ebrahimi is a UBC graduate and a former NSERC postdoctoral fellow in the field of Chemical-Environmental Engineering. Her research has focused on developing new physical, chemical, and biological methods for water and wastewater treatment. She has also investigated the presence and removal of microplastics in drinking water treatment plants. Besides her research, Shelir dedicated herself to engineering education. During her PhD, she was awarded two prestigious TA awards and a scholarship for teaching in higher education. Shelir was named “2016 Rising Star” of UBC, due to her contributions to teaching and engineering education. After having years of teaching experiences at the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and the University of Guelph, In July 2019, Shelir joined McMaster in a teaching stream position between the Chemical Engineering Department and the Engineering 1 program. 

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Claire Tuckey 

Kinesiology 

Claire Tuckey is an assistant professor in the department of kinesiology. She did her MSc at Brock University in the Motor Skill Acquisition Laboratory and earned her PhD at McMaster in the Sensorimotor Behaviour Laboratory. Claire now has a passion for teaching kinesiology courses that vary from Foundations of Kinesiology for first-year students to experiential courses in research labs and professional placements, to motor development and human factors upper-year courses. She empathizes with students as they explore career paths that align with their interests and is always there to support them in their journey. In her free time, Claire enjoys watercolor painting and spending time with her cat, Stanley. 

Sara Andres

Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Sara is an associate professor in the department of Biochemistry, director of the Biomedical Discovery & Commercialization program and a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research. Her lab studies DNA repair with a focus on protein structure and function. She also co-manages the macromolecular x-ray crystallography facility, working collaboratively with other groups to meet their structural research ne

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Dr. Ada Tang

School of Rehabiliation Science

Dr. Ada T ang (she/her) is a physical therapist, Professor and Assistant Dean (Rehabilitation Science) in the School of Rehabilitation Science, and a McMaster University Scholar.
Dr T ang and the MacStroke Canada research team are focused on examining the impact of exercise on cardiovascular health, fitness, and function after stroke. Physical activity and exercise can help combat risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and recurrent stroke. Dr. Tang and her team incorporate important
considerations of sex, gender, and other variables related to recovery after stroke, always with a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, along with environmental sustainability. 

Adrea Larraga Urdaz, Ph. D

Andrea has always been driven by a curiosity to understand the natural world. This passion led her to pursue a Biotechnology degree in Spain, where she discovered her fascination with analytical techniques and their applications. During her studies, Dr.
Andrea Larraga Urdax spent a year in Poland working in the Virology Department, which deepened her interest in research. Afterwards, Andrea went on to complete a Master’s in Analytical Chemistry and a PhD in chemical, biochemical, and structural analysis with computational modelling. Now, she is excited to further grow personally and professionally as part of McMaster University as a Postdoctoral researcher. 

Dr. Luciana Macedo

School of Rehabilitation Science 

Dr. Luciana Macedo is an Associate Professor at the School of Rehabilitation Science and Academic Lead of the MIRA-IPRC Aging and Pain Program. Her research focuses on the assessment and management of chronic pain including precision rehabilitation. She is a first-generation immigrant to Canada, mother of two, who has many lessons learned from her life in academia within multiple institutions and research groups. 

Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud, BSc, MSc, MD, FRCPC (Int Med, Crit Care) 

Dr. Fox-Robichaud (she/her) is a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and a Critical Care Medicine Specialist and Scientific Director of Sepsis Canada, a nationally funded research network, and holds the Hamilton Health Science Chair in Sepsis Research. She has over 150 peer-reviewed publications reflecting broad academic interests including animal models of sepsis, translational medicine, health services research and clinical trial

Robin Cameron 

Robin Cameron is a plant biologist whose primary research interest is to understand the plant immune response, or in other words how plants defend themselves from microbial infections. Her research team of graduate and undergraduate students uses plant pathology, molecular genetics, biochemistry, genomics and proteomics to investigate plant immunity. Robin’s long-term goal is to use the fundamental information discovered by her research team to create disease-resistant crops to enhance yields and reduce pesticide use.

 

Her teaching goals include instilling an interest in the fascinating life of plants. Robin wants students to understand that plants are not just standing around, but are super aware of what goes on around them which allows them to respond and adapt in amazing ways.

 

In terms of service to the University and more broadly, Robin endeavours to improve the learning environment for undergraduate students to allow them to succeed and she enjoys mentoring students at every stage (graduate, undergraduate, high school) to help students reach their full potential. 

Dr. Zoe Li  

Dr. Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at McMaster University, Canada. She teaches courses on environmental engineering and civil engineering capstone projects. Her research focuses on environmental risk analysis and management, and she is regularly recruiting graduate students. By leveraging advanced machine learning and probabilistic techniques, she introduces novel uncertainty quantification methods to water and environmental modelling and develop robust tools to support pertinent risk analysis and management. Dr. Li is excited to mentor and inspire the next generation of women engineers and scientists. 

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Dr. Lesley MacNeil

Dr. MacNeil is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. She is a basic scientist who uses a small worm, C. elegans, to understand the molecular mechanisms that explain how environmental factors regulate
neurodegeneration. Dr. MacNeil completed her PhD at the University of Toronto in the Department of Medical Genetics and her post-doctoral studies in the program for Systems Biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. 

Dr. Lyn S. Turkstra, Ph. D, Reg-CASLPO (She/Her/Elle)

Dr. Lyn Turkstra is a speech-language pathologist by training, and is head of the SLP program at McMaster. Dr. Turkstra has a background in neuroscience, and her research focuses on how brain injury affects cognition and communication in adolescents and adults with traumatic brain injury.

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