Tell us about your role at UHN and how long you have been in this role.
I am a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Sonya MacParland’s lab at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and the Ajmera Transplant Centre as well as Dr. Gary Bader’s lab at the University of Toronto's Donnelly Centre. My research focuses on using single cell genomics to study the human liver.
What are you passionate about in your role at UHN?
My research has always focused on human health. The opportunities I have had to engage with patients and positively impact their health have been incredibly motivating. At UHN, I can directly engage with clinicians and patients to understand the most pressing questions and challenges in the field.
How does your work help to advance UHN's vision of A Healthier World?
My work contributes to the understanding of childhood liver diseases, including rare metabolic and immune disorders. We aim to shed light on the intricate cellular aspects of the pediatric liver, which has been less explored compared to adult livers. By using single-cell RNA-seq—a technology that identifies what genes are active in each cell—to examine healthy pediatric livers, we are building a crucial foundation of knowledge. This knowledge will be pivotal in comprehending the progression of pediatric liver diseases, ultimately facilitating better diagnostics and treatment options for young patients, aligning with UHN's commitment to improving global health.
What makes UHN an ideal place to advance health research?
The team spirit here at UHN is key to push forward our health research. I delve deep into computational biology and sometimes I can get wrapped up in the nitty-gritty details and lose sight of the broader perspective. The regular collaboration with the translational research team, clinicians, patient partners and fellow researchers keeps me grounded and helps me see the bigger picture.
Do you have any interests outside of work?
I am passionate about the outdoors and thrilled to be back in Canada to spend more time out in the woods.
What do you see for the future of health research, and what gets you excited about it?
I think we are at an amazing point for biomedical research. The high-throughput techniques that have previously been used mainly for basic research have become much more widely available and robust. I think that we will get to see more and more of them directly used for to translational and clinical applications.
How to Participate in You @TeamUHN
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