Kaitlin Kharas, Co-President
Kaitlin is PhD candidate in the department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. Her research, at the Hospital for Sick Children, focuses on the role of immune cells in the growth and progression of pediatric brain cancers. Kaitlin is excited to join TSPN as she has a strong interest in promoting public scientific literacy, as well as an interest in how science can inform thoughtful policy.
Dawn Bannerman, Co-President
Dawn Bannerman is a PhD student at the University of Toronto in Chemical Engineering with a collaborative specialization in Biomedical Engineering. Her research focuses on cardiac tissue engineering approaches to improve heart function after a heart attack. She joined TSPN in its first year because she cares about the use of scientific evidence to inform decisions that lead toward a healthy population and environment.
Maria Medeleanu, Marketing Director
Maria is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Physiology (Cardiology and Respiratory Platform) and SickKids Hospital, studying how early-life exposures affect immune development and pediatric asthma. Maria is also deeply interested in Public Health Policy and is receiving a Collaborative Specialization in Public Health Policy at Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She is the returning marketing director of TSPN and is excited to continue its mission in developing educational events and a platform to engage in evidence-informed science policy.
Bryn Livingston, Internal Affairs Director
Bryn is a third-year PhD student in the department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at U of T. Her research focuses on the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind the most common pediatric brain cancer, medulloblastoma. She joined TSPN in September 2022 so she could be more involved in the promotion of evidence-based policy. Working in basic research, it can be easy to lose sight of how science and society impact each other, but Bryn believe it is crucial to ensure that scientific knowledge is working to impact policy in a responsible way.
Bipin Kumar, External Affairs Director
Bio coming soon!
Toronto Science Policy Network 