Team members

Faculty & Instructors

Director Dr. Joseph Ferenbok

Dr. Joseph Ferenbok

Academia, Admin, Advisor, Director, Instructor, Mentor, Supervisor, TRP Team

Driven to improve patient care, Prof. Ferenbok catapults projects forward with passion, wisdom, and a contagious chuckle. He is an Associate Director of the Health Innovation Hub, a Faculty of Medicine initiative intended to connect, align, serve, and facilitate the translation, innovation, and commercialization of 'Health Matters'. Here at the TRP, Prof Ferenbok is our inspirational Founder and Program Director. He is also a Course Director for Foundations in TR and for Methods in Practices and Contexts, and the Instructor for the Translational Thinking module.

Core courses:

Edyta Marcon, Advisor, Capstone Committee, Instructor, Supervisor, TRP Team

Dr. Edyta Marcon

Advisor, Capstone Committee, Instructor, Supervisor, TRP Team

Edyta loves to encounter new questions, apply new knowledge, and meet new people. As a Senior Research Associate at the U of T Donnelly Centre, she currently studies how RNA modifications regulate gene expression and how they relate to human health and disease. Her interests extend beyond the laboratory into the application of scientific research using human centric design thinking. Edyta is in constant pursuit of new discoveries that will address the most urgent patient needs. At the TRP, Edyta is an instructor for the Capstone Course. Scientific research has taught her to expect the unexpected and be open to new ideas. She challenges students to do the same. She is a tough and fair educator who helps students set ambitious, feasible goals.

Gabriella Chan, Advisor, Instructor, TRP Team

Dr. Gabriella Chan

Advisor, Instructor, TRP Team

Gabriella is a lawyer, scientist, and entrepreneur. She advises individuals, startup ventures, established companies, and stakeholders in the life sciences and health technology sectors. She works closely with world-renowned clinicians and researchers to commercialize academic inventions. Gabriella is an engaging educator. Her breadth of legal knowledge and real world start up experience offer invaluable perspectives on the ethically sound translation and commercialization of academic inventions. At the TRP, Gabriella is the Course Director for Modules in Translational Research.

Paul Chipperton

Instructor

A 25-year veteran of life science start-ups, currently as CEO & President of Insight Medbotics Inc. Formerly as co-founder & CEO of an award-winning Prostate Cancer MedDev. company established in Toronto, Profound Medical Inc. (NASDAQ:PROF). Paul has recently migrated into a blend of running companies in the day, and in the evenings and weekends lecturing on the topics of strategic innovation, venture capital finance, and marketing consulting to Federal and Provincial bodies; whilst continuing his advisory and investment activities on multiple boards.

Jean Chow 2023

Jean Chow

Instructor

Jean is a Super Connector and connects the seemingly unconnected! She teaches “Hacking the Networking Code” at TRP. Since 2017 her experiential workshops and keynotes on networking, mentorship, and leadership have engaged several diverse audiences around the world. Her case study on “The Dream Network,” a highly diversified network of young professionals founded in 2018 by Jean, was published by CENGAGE Canada March 2021 in “Organizational Theory and Design” 4th Ed. by Professor Ann Armstrong, University of Toronto Rotman School of Management and Richard Daft. Jean is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contribution as a volunteer mentor for young entrepreneurs.

Courses taught:

Lorne Hartman

Dr. Lorne Hartman

Instructor

Lorne Hartman has been a researcher, practitioner, and educator in the arena of human performance and organizational effectiveness for over 45 years. He has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from McGill University (1977) and has held academic appointments at the University of Toronto and York University. Dr. Hartman has partnered with leaders at all levels of business, government and education to help them implement strategies successfully.

Christopher Klinger 2023

Dr. Christopher A. Klinger

Academia, Advocacy, Instructor

Christopher is a Research Scientist with Pallium Canada and chairs the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly’s End-of-Life Issues Theme Team, a knowledge transfer network dedicated to enhancing the care of older adults in Canada and abroad. He also chairs the Quality End-of-Life Care Coalition of Canada’s Research and Knowledge Translation Committee, a group of national stakeholder organizations concerned about quality end-of-life care.

Sandy Marshall

Instructor

Sandy is a medical writer with an enthusiasm for clear and compelling communication. She has conducted research in cardiology, burn injury, and hematology research labs. She transitioned from benchwork to communications and founded Marshall Medical Communications, a biomedical writing and editing firm with clients in Canada, China, and the United States. Sandy is a dedicated educator. She teaches effective scientific writing to trainees and researchers at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and at U of T.

Dr. Raza Mirza

Academia, Advocacy, Instructor

Raza is an enthusiastic researcher with expertise that spans medical decision-making, ethics, research methods, socio-behavioral determinants of health in persons aging with a chronic illness, and factors influencing late-life social, mental, and physical well-being. He is currently a Senior Research Associate at U of T’s Institute for Life Course and Aging, the Network Manager for the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly, and the Chair of the Central Ontario Age-Friendly Network. An expert in his field, he has been invited to speak at national and international gerontology and geriatrics conferences and has been asked to consult with various levels of government on diverse issues related to an aging population.

Tatiana Lomasko

Dr. Tatiana Lomasko

Capstone Committee, Instructor, PAC member
Jana Neiman-Zenevich

Dr. Jana Neiman-Zenevich

Instructor

Courses taught:

Admin staff

Jordan Crawford

Jordan Crawford

Program Officer
Tara Asgharzadeh

Tara Asgharzadeh

Program Administrator

Tara is the Program Administrator for MHSc in Translational Research (TRP) program with great interest to the education and support to develop educational systems. She holds Master of Biotechnology and skilled in the User Experience Design, also has collaboration experience in the Research projects and Data Analyst Assistant in various labs at the University of Alberta. She recently comes to us from the University of Alberta, Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Administrator of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology Department. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling to explore the world and spend time in the nature.

Julie Wei

Julie Wei

Program Administrator

Julie Wei (currently on maternity leave) is the Program Administrator for TRP. She holds a Bachelors of Commerce with a specialization in Marketing. Always thinking outside the box, she feels well suited to support what TRP has to offer students. She recently comes to us from the University Health Network and the University of Toronto’s Division of Cardiac Surgery, overseeing the division’s OR list, Fellowship and Residency programs. Outside of work, she enjoys being an explorer, curious and always learning about what the world has to offer. Some of her favourite outside interest includes history, performing arts and personal finance.

Jenni Bozec

Jenni Bozec

Communications and Outreach Officer, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology

Jenni is the Communications and Outreach Officer for LMP. With a strategic focus, Jenni develops communications plans and campaigns across multiple channels and ensure they're carried out and measured accordingly.

Kate McDonald

Kate McDonald

Digital Communications Assistant

Kate is the Digital Communications Assistant for LMP, and helps to run the communication channels (social media, news, web updates and email marketing) for the TRP. She is also often doing event coverage at LMP and TRP events. TRP students are encouraged to reach out to her to feature their work, stories, initiatives, events and more.

Mentors

Ron Beleno

Ron Beleno

Advocacy, Guest Lecturer, Mentor, Mentor-in-Residence

Mr. Ron Beleno is an active advocate for dementia, caregiving, aging, and research communities. Being a caregiver to his father, who lived with Alzheimer's for 10+ years at home, Mr. Beleno utilized technology, community, and access to research to help his family live well and as best as possible. He has traveled the journey of a patient, research participant, collaborator, co-designer, and project lead on numerous research and industry endeavours internationally. A strong supporter of patient engagement, Mr. Beleno is an advisor to organizations such as AGE-WELL NCE, Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation at Baycrest, Primary Health Care Patient Engagement Resource Centre, and Huddol.com. Mr. Beleno is also a supportive educator. His unique perspectives fill projects with purpose.

Dr. Uri Taboori

Academia, Clinician, Discussant, Mentor, Mentor-in-Residence

Dr. Uri Tabori is paediatric oncologist at SickKids and is a professor in the departments of Medical Biophysics, Institute of Medical Science and Paediatrics, University of Toronto. Based on his clinical background and expertise, his research focuses on translational aspects of cancer originating from patients need, through basic discoveries and clinical trials to changes in how society is managing specific cancers. Specifically, Uri focuses on the development of systems for early detection, intervention and therapeutics in individuals highly predisposed to developing brain tumours.