I have been with McMaster University for 12 years. I worked as an Administrative Assistant in the School of Nursing for 11 years before joining the School of Interdisciplinary Sciences. As the first point of contact for many students, faculty, staff and visitors, I would be happy to help you in any way that I can. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding SIS programs.

Summary:

Devon completed her M.A.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University. She provides technical and academic support to the laboratory courses in the Integrated Science (iSci) and Life Sciences programs. She also acts as the Course Administrator for the Integrated Science thesis course, in addition to providing instructional support to other members within SIS.

Summary:

Dr. Ana Tomljenovic-Berube is a proud alumna of McMaster University, having completed both her Honours B.Sc. (Co-op) and Ph.D. in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. Her research focused on microbial pathogenesis and gene regulation in the pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium. Her experiences working with students as a TA in combination with her love of learning inspired her to pursue a career in teaching. After completing her graduate studies, Dr. Tomljenovic-Berube taught in the Biotechnology stream of the Bachelor of Technology Program for the School of Engineering Practice and Technology at McMaster, before joining the teaching team in the School of Interdisciplinary Science as an Assistant Professor in July 2019.

Research Interests:

Student engagement, experiential learning, student experience in their degree program, infectious diseases, gene regulation

Dr. Tomljenovic-Berube’s current pedagogical research interests revolve around student engagement and pertain to how technology, experiential laboratory learning, and other innovative active learning strategies can be used to engage STEM students to achieve deep learning and improve learning outcomes.

Courses:

LIFESCI 2G03

LIFESCI 2L03

LIFESCI 3YY3

LIFESCI 3L03

LIFESCI 4L03

ISCI 2A18 (Drug Discovery)

SCICOMM 2M03

I have been a member of the McMaster community since Fall of 2011. As a graduate of the Life Sciences program (offered by SIS) I am thankful to now have the opportunity to support students, faculty and staff in the School of Interdisciplinary Science (SIS) as Academic Department Manager. When I’m not sending emails you can find me cycling or training for my next triathlon. My virtual office door is always open for questions, please never hesitate to reach out!

Summary:

Dr. Shaiya Robinson has a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from McMaster University. Her doctoral thesis examined the role of a transcription factor called Kaiso in intestinal epithelial homeostasis. Dr. Robinson completed her postdoctoral studies at the Hospital for Sick Children. There, she compared the effects of different Lactobacillus probiotics on key signalling pathways that govern intestinal epithelial cell differentiation. Currently, Dr. Robinson is an Assistant Professor with the School of Interdisciplinary Science where she teaches courses in the Life Science Program. Outside of teaching and research, Dr. Robinson enjoys baking, hiking, and horror movies.

Research Interests:

intestinal homeostasis; developmental biology; cell signalling; cell & molecular biology; genetics; peer-mentorship; virtual learning and student engagement

Courses:

LIFESCI 2G03; LIFESCI 2CC3; LIFESCI 3XX3; LIFESCI 4DD3

Summary:

Increasing workflow efficiency in radiation therapy by linking and streamlining technology and processes that work in isolation.Adaptive radiation therapy for an improved tumour targeting using radiation therapy and increased sparing of organs at risk. Automated segmentation of lung tumors on PET/CT with accurate propagation to the planning CT. Application of Finite Element Biomechanical Models to assess organ motion during radiation therapy.

Research Interests:

New technologies in radiation therapy, adaptive radiation therapy, deformable image registration applications, cancer therapy monitoring and assessment using quantitative ultrasound.

Courses:

Summary:

Research Interests:

radiation therapy, advanced and enhanced practice, quality of work-life, innovation practice

Courses:

MEDRADSCI 3Z06 RESEARCH PROJECT

MEDRADSC 3X03 – Research Methods in Medical Radiation Sciences (lecturer)

Research Interests:

Brachytherapy, Efficiency and quality in radiation therapy

Summary:

Dr. Maryam (Manely) Zamani has received her Ph.D. from the University of Tehran and finished one year of internship at the School of Medicine, the University of Washington, working on cell-cell communication in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the effect of quorum quenching in mixed bacterial population structures under the supervision of Prof. Eugene Nester.
She joined Prof. Turlough Finan’s lab at McMaster University as a postdoctoral fellow in 2014, where she practiced synthetic biology and functional genomics. Her study aimed to find the minimal genomic subset required for biological nitrogen fixation in Scinorhizobium meliloti. She continued her second postdoc position at McMaster (2019-2022), working on the characterization of a phage defence mechanisms in S. meliloti, and the School of Interdisciplinary Science awarded her a two-year teaching fellowship in 2020-2022 to teach LIFESCI 4N03: Synthetic Biology and genome editing technology and LIFESCI 4Q03: Plant-Microbe interactions: Applications and Perspective.
During her academic journey, she has always greatly enjoyed assisting and teaching students and watching them grow, develop new skills, and identify their passion. She is passionate about teaching and lab work, and her potential to blend these two into a fulfilling career has motivated her to join SIS as an instructional assistant level IV.

Research Interests:

Molecular Bacteriology, Genome Editing, Sythetic Biology, Functional Genomics, Plant-Microbe Interaction

Courses:

LIFESCI 4N03, LIFESCI 4Q03, SCIENCE 1A03

Summary:

Dr Alexander Hall is a science communication expert whose work explores the history of science in popular media. With an interest in the role of science in society, he is committed to empowering more active participation and engagement with science across diverse communities. He has an extensive track record working on large multidisciplinary research projects, is a co-founder of the International Research Network for the Study of Science & Belief in Society, and a former History of Science Section Recorder for the British Science Association.

Research Interests:

Science communication, history of science, media studies, science and technology studies, environmental history

Dr Hall’s research traces how scientists have gained positions of expertise in society and used the media to communicate complex theories to the public. Focussing on the history of science in popular media, Dr Hall has published on a wide range of subjects from the history of evolution on TV and radio, to the importance of narrative in communications on climate change.

Matt completed his BSc in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo in 2013, and then his MSc focusing in Neuroscience in 2016. In the spring of 2013, he was drafted into the CFL, where he played professional American football for five years. Since retiring from professional sport, he has been working for McMaster University for the last 4.5 years with stints working for the Dept. of Family Medicine and recruiting for the DeGroote School of Business MBA programs. He is now assisting the Academic team within McMaster’s School of Interdisciplinary Science. In his spare time, Matt is a volunteer coach for the McMaster Marauders football program.

Russ is in charge of managing the daily operations of the laboratory facilities in the SIS. He designs and facilitates undergraduate experiments, serves as the co-lead for various research projects, and provides support to other members within SIS. Russ encourages and inspires students to explore beyond the curriculum and discover what it truly means to work as a scientist.