SPEAKERS

January 18, 2022

Matthew Geddes

11:00am-12:00pm

Matthew is a Career Specialist at the University of Calgary. He assists graduate students in achieving their career goals through collaborative individual consultations and interactive workshops. He is passionate about bringing new resources and research-based practices to individuals, as a lifelong learner. He is especially interested in the intersection of positive psychology and career development.

Charlotte Anyango Ong’ang’a, PhD

12:00pm-1:00pm

Charlotte Anyango Ong'ang'a holds a PhD in Linguistics, and is the Career Development Specialist for PhD students. Her expert linguistic knowledge is applied in the areas of Resume and CV Writing, Networking, Interview tips, Job Search Strategies, and Workplace Communication. Charlotte has taught Linguistics and provided career guidance at higher education institutions for over 12 years, and she currently facilitates Career Development workshops at the University of Calgary.

Shaun Moore

1:00pm-1:30pm

Originally from Scotland, I studied Applied Biomedical Science in Glasgow. At the University of Calgary in 2012 to I began my PhD in the lab of Dr. Aaron Goodarzi, in the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute. Following the completion of my thesis and PhD project, I decided to move into a biotech company that was focused on developing small molecule inhibitors to target DNA repair pathway. After two years at Artios, and having enjoyed my transition from academia to industry, I obtained a Senior Scientist position at Astrazeneca where I am currently working on the development of a compound directed toward an epigenetic target for cancer therapy.

Ray Turner

1:30pm-2:00pm

Raymond J. Turner is a multi-ethnic multi-generational Canadian. Academic career began with a B.Sc. (1985) in Biochemistry / Chemistry followed by a Ph.D. (1990) in Biophysical Chemistry. Post-Doctoral training (1990-1994) was obtained in Molecular and Microbial Biochemistry and in Technology Transfer. In January 1998, was recruited to the University of Calgary and is presently appointed as Faculty Professor of Science. Has received awards of excellence in research and excellence in graduate student supervision from the University of Calgary. Awarded the Western Universities Speaker Lectureship from the Canadian society of Chemistry in 2015. Research interests are multidisciplinary from metal toxicity/sensitivity and resistance/tolerance mechanisms in bacteria, to Biofilm physiology and biochemistry, to protein transporters and translocases. Interests are balanced between academic knowledge to industrial applications. Recent service activity is participating in a cross Canada MOOC for new professors to learn how to be better supervisors and train for multiple career directions.

Andrew Hagner

2:00pm-2:30pm

Andrew is a Laboratory Automation Scientist at Notch Therapeutics in Vancouver. It has been Andrew’s guiding motivation to marry science with business since his undergraduate studies at the University of Waterloo, where had his eye on joining an exciting, growing, Canadian biotech company. His projects included work with an industry partner to support a clinical trial (ECT-001), and grant writing for an international CIFAR application on engineering biological emergence. He served the UBC postdoc community as VP Operations (postdoc assoc.), and was recently invited by UBC to represent postdocs in developing the In-Sites program, connecting postdocs with industry partners. In the past he channeled his passion for stem cell biology into developing the first StemCellTalks youth science outreach program in Calgary, which he is proud to say continues on.

Micheal Friesen

3:00pm-3:30pm

Micheal was born and raised in Calgary, and attended the University of Calgary, completing a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science. During this time he tried his hand at some undergraduate research projects and found himself enjoying the novelty of research and the technical challenges the project imposed. He also participated in a 16 month internship at WestJet and found himself torn between industry and academia. During his last year, he was offered a chance to visit the University of Waterloo to meet professors and learn about graduate school. He ended up meeting two professors who would become his co-superiors in his Master's thesis program. He completed his research focused on IoT privacy and distributed systems in the spring of 2021, and received an offer to join the Sync and Storage team for OneNote at Microsoft. Since then he has been working remotely from Calgary!

Suharsh Shah

3:30pm-4:00pm

In 2011, Suharsh moved to Canada to pursue his PhD in Respiratory Sciences at the University of Calgary. Following his PhD, Suharsh worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Calgary investigating the role of innate immune responses in metastatic cancer (i.e. Melanoma). In his recent employment as a Senior Medical Science Liaison at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Suharsh supported the Immunology and Multiple Sclerosis portfolio. In this role, Suharsh was able to learn some important and transferable skills relating to KOL engagement, communication, leadership, cross-functional collaboration and creative/strategic thinking in the field.

Outside of work, he enjoys volunteering, listening to music, travelling, reading, cooking, and playing cricket. He will be a great addition to the team!

Mary Medysky

4:00pm-4:30pm

Mary Medysky is a senior medical science liaison with Janssen, the pharmaceutical subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. Mary completed her PhD at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, OR where she studied physiological alterations and symptom trajectories in individuals with cancer. While at OHSU Mary worked in the Knight Cancer Institute as a research coordinator on multiple clinical trials, of which included a focus on continuous symptom, gait and balance monitoring using wearable technologies. Prior to her doctoral studies, Mary completed her Master of Science in physiology at the University of Calgary specializing in neuromuscular fatigue and sleep alterations in clinical populations. Mary completed her Bachelor’s degree in Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia specializing in clinical exercise physiology.

Mary is originally from a small town north of Toronto, Canada but she was drawn to the mountain lifestyle of the West Coast and has spent most of her recent time in the southern interior of British Columbia. In the fall of 2020, Mary relocated to Seattle, WA to join the Janssen Rheumatology medical science liaison team. Outside of work Mary enjoys spending her time in the mountains or on the water.