Shayne Clarke is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies, McMaster University. His work focuses on Indian Buddhist monastic law codes (Vinaya) preserved in Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese, with additional interests in humor in religious texts, manuscript studies, and East Asian religions. Primary research: Indian Buddhist monasticism, Vinaya textual analysis Key languages: Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Pali Recent projects: Survey of Tibetan Dunhuang manuscripts, edition of Vinayakārikā texts Research interests include family dynamics in monastic Buddhism, gender and ordination practices, and legal narratives in Vinaya texts. His publications examine topics like: Pregnant nuns and monastic motherhood Humor in Indian Buddhist legal codes Comparative analysis of Pārājika penance Monastic expulsion vs. local community exclusion Teaching includes graduate courses on Indian Buddhist texts (RELIGST 715, 714) and undergraduate courses like What is Buddhism? (SCAR 2K03) and Sex and the City in Buddhism (RELIGST 2BN3).
Peter Nelson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He currently serves as the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, coordinating academic advising and managing departmental operations. His research focuses on structural and extremal matroid theory, graph theory, and their connections to coding theory, additive combinatorics, and finite geometry. He holds an NSERC Discovery Grant and has contributed to foundational work on matroid minors, binary matroid classification, and combinatorial enumeration. His recent interests include formalizing proofs in the LEAN theorem prover. Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics (University of Waterloo, 2008) with a thesis titled *Exponentially dense matroids*. His academic journey includes postdoctoral research and teaching roles prior to his current position. Research Interests: Structural matroid theory (e.g., minor-closed classes, forbidden configurations) Binary matroid extremal problems Applications to coding theory and additive combinatorics Formal proof systems like LEAN Advising & Grants: As Associate Chair, he oversees undergraduate academic advising via coundergrad.officer@uwaterloo.ca . His NSERC grant supports investigations into matroid density and extremal configurations. He has collaborated extensively with institutions globally, including co-authoring over 40 peer-reviewed publications. Labs/Teams: Active member of the Combinatorics and Optimization research group at Waterloo, contributing to collaborative projects on matroid theory and discrete mathematics.
Laura Horak is Professor of Film Studies at Carleton University and director of the Transgender Media Lab and Transgender Media Portal. Her research investigates transgender and queer film history across the United States, Canada, and Sweden, establishing her as a pioneer in trans cinema and media studies. A white cis queer settler scholar, she leverages institutional resources for social justice through public-facing scholarship and community collaboration. Her educational background includes: BA from Yale University MA and Ph.D. from UC-Berkeley Horak's research centers on how cinema shapes gender and sexuality from early 20th-century silent films to contemporary trans YouTube content, with emphasis on cross-dressing women, trans filmmaking practices, and feminist/queer media historiography. She bridges transgender studies, film history, and digital humanities to recover marginalized narratives and challenge heteronormative film canons. Her recent publications (2018-2024) demonstrate three key trends: 1) Development of trans digital humanities through special issues on queer/trans DH and cinematic bodies; 2) Feminist film archiving focused on silent cinema's 'nasty women' and cross-dressing histories; 3) Trans media activism via film festivals, erotic curation, and community-centered platforms like the Transgender Media Portal. This work consistently prioritizes intersectionality, international collaboration, and public accessibility. Horak's scholarly impact has been recognized with: Huffington Post Best Film Books of 2016 for Girls Will Be Boys Choice Outstanding Academic Title (2016) Richard Wall Memorial Award Finalist (2016) Kraszna-Krausz Best Moving Image Book Longlist (2016) She mentors emerging scholars in film studies and digital humanities while securing major research funding, including an SSHRC Insight Grant (2020-2025), Ontario Early Researcher Award (2019-2024), and SSHRC Partnership Development Grant for Cinema’s First Nasty Women . Her work integrates academic rigor with public engagement through film programming and digital tool development. Horak founded the Transgender Media Lab as a physical and virtual hub for trans media scholarship and created the Transgender Media Portal to democratize access to trans film history. She collaborates with international film archives, festivals, and scholars to preserve trans cinematic heritage and foster community connections through projects like the 99-film Cinema’s First Nasty Women collection praised by The New York Times as a 'mind-expanding endeavour'.
Patrick O'Byrne is a Full Professor of Nursing at the University of Ottawa. He specializes in public health nursing and HIV prevention, with a focus on marginalized populations and the intersection of health and law. As the Principal Investigator for the groundbreaking GetaKit Study, he pioneered free at-home HIV self-testing in Canada. He also leads the nurse-led PrEP-RN clinic, advocating for task-shifting HIV prevention to public health nurses. His work emphasizes culturally sensitive care for high-risk groups, including men who have sex with men, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those affected by substance use disorders. Education: 2016: Nurse Practitioner Diploma, Queen’s University 2010: Post-Doctorate in Medicine, University of Toronto 2009: Post-Doctorate in Nursing, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) 2008: PhD in Nursing, University of Ottawa 2005: MScN (Transfer to PhD), University of Ottawa 2004: BScN in Nursing, University of Ottawa Research interests include HIV prevention strategies, STI diagnosis and treatment protocols, harm reduction services, and critical analyses of healthcare systems. He holds the OHTN Research Chair in Public Health and HIV Prevention, reflecting his leadership in advancing public health policy and interventions. His studies often intersect with social justice and policy reform, such as advocating for Criminal Code reform regarding HIV non-disclosure and analyzing the societal impacts of methadone maintenance treatment. In advising and grants, he collaborates with students and colleagues on projects like the PEP2PrEP study and the SPRITE study. His work highlights nurse-led initiatives as cost-effective and equitable solutions to healthcare challenges. He also evaluates safer supply programs and their re-engagement strategies, addressing systemic issues in addiction care. His contributions extend to improving STI testing protocols and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on health equity. Labs/Teams: Dr. O'Byrne leads the GetaKit Project, a nurse-driven initiative that revolutionizes HIV/STI testing access through innovative self-testing approaches. He collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to integrate critical theory into public health practice.
Dr. Daniel Cockayne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Waterloo. His research bridges feminist economic geography, queer theory, and digital studies, focusing on workplace cultures within startup economies and the intersections of sexuality with neoliberal labor practices. Co-taught courses: GEOG100 - On Becoming a Geography GEOG302 - Geography of Work and Employment GEOG202 - Geography of the Global Economy GEOG411 - The Digital Economy Research Focus: Empirical: Startup culture, anti-work politics, and digital entrepreneurship in Waterloo-Kitchener and Silicon Valley. Theoretical: Integration of feminist theory, Deleuzian philosophy, queer theory, and affect studies to analyze labor, identity, and digital infrastructures. Current projects: Exploring the political economy of LGBTQ+ activism, diversity programs in tech, and queer temporalities in digital systems. Publication Themes: His work critically examines digital economies, affective labor, and queer geographies through empirical studies of tech startups and theoretical engagements with Deleuze and feminist epistemologies. Graduate Supervision: Dr. Cockayne welcomes MA and PhD students interested in cultural geography, queer theory, digital economies, and feminist critiques of knowledge production.
Rainier Grutman is a Full Professor of French and Translation Studies at the University of Ottawa, holding a cross-appointment in the Department of French and the School of Translation & Interpretation within the Faculty of Arts. Trained in Romance philology and Comparative Literature at Namur, Leuven, and Madrid universities, he completed his Ph.D. in French Studies at the University of Montreal in 1994. In 2022, he was elected to the prestigious Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea), class of 'Humanities,' section 'Literary and Theatrical Studies.' His educational background includes: Ph.D. in French Studies from Université de Montréal (1994) Romance and Hispanic philology from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1989) M. Phil. in French and Romance Literatures from KU Leuven (1988) Teacher certification for upper-level high school from KU Leuven (1988) B. Phil. in French and Romance Literatures from Université de Namur (1986) Grutman's research primarily focuses on multilingualism in literature, self-translation, and translation studies, with particular attention to bilingual writers and multilingual texts. His work spans comparative literature, sociolinguistics, and postcolonial theory, examining how language functions within literary contexts across different cultural settings including Belgium, Canada, Spain, and Italy. He has made significant contributions to understanding how writers navigate multiple languages in their creative work and how these multilingual texts are translated and received by diverse audiences. His scholarly output reveals a consistent focus on self-translation as both a literary phenomenon and cultural practice. His research demonstrates how self-translation functions as a negotiation between languages and cultures, often revealing power dynamics between linguistic communities. Grutman's work frequently examines the intersection of language, identity, and power in literary contexts, with particular attention to how writers position themselves within multilingual frameworks. His most recent publications (2020-2024) continue this trajectory with studies on code-switching in literature, multilingual readership, and transatlantic self-translation practices. His major scholarly recognitions include: Gabrielle-Roy prize for Canadian literary criticism (for 'Des langues qui résonnent') Election to the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea) in 2022 Grutman has supervised numerous graduate students and collaborated extensively with scholars internationally. His work has been supported by various research grants that have enabled him to explore multilingual writing across different cultural contexts. He has edited special journal issues and co-authored significant reference works in translation studies, including the French version of H. Van Gorp's 'Lexicon van literaire termen' and the comprehensive 'Histoire de la littérature belge.' His teaching at the University of Ottawa includes advanced courses on literary poetics, intertextuality, sociocriticism, and comparative literature with a focus on multilingual writing and self-translation. He maintains active research collaborations with institutions in Belgium, Spain, and Italy, reflecting his international scholarly network and the transnational nature of his research interests in multilingual literature and translation.
Sabah Hussain, MD, PhD, is Distinguished James McGill Professor in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University and Senior Scientist in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC, Glen site). She leads an integrated bench-to-bedside program focused on skeletal-muscle wasting, autophagy, and angiogenesis. Education & Training: MD – University of Baghdad, 1978 PhD (Physiology) – McGill University, 1989 Research Focus: Dr Hussain’s laboratory investigates the molecular machinery governing skeletal-muscle mass in health and disease. Using transgenic models of angiopoietin signaling, sepsis, COPD and mechanical ventilation, her team has dissected how autophagy, mitophagy and proteasomal pathways drive diaphragmatic and locomotor muscle atrophy. A second axis of work explores gene-therapy delivery of angiopoietins to accelerate muscle regeneration after injury or in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy models. More recently, her group is mapping epigenetic regulators—microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs—that fine-tune these degradative pathways. Scientific Awards & Funding: Distinguished James McGill Professorship CIHR Project Grant – Fall 2024 competition NSERC Discovery Grant – 2024 competition Advising & Mentorship: Dr Hussain mentors graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and clinical research trainees. Sami Sedraoui, a PDF in her group, received the April 2025 Relève-Étoile Jacques-Genest Award from CIHR. Laboratory & Affiliations: Her laboratory is located in the Meakins-Christie Laboratories, RI-MUHC Block E, Glen site (1001 Decarie Blvd, Montréal). The group is embedded within the Centre for Translational Biology and benefits from the RI-MUHC Technology Platforms including Proteomics, Small-Animal Imaging and Molecular Imaging Services.
Associate Professor Guy Allen holds a teaching-stream appointment in the Professional Writing & Communication Program at the University of Toronto's Institute for Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT). Specializing in expressive writing pedagogy, he pioneered narrative-based approaches to community activism through storytelling. Co-founder of Life Rattle—a radio program and press dedicated to underrepresented voices—Allen’s work bridges artistic expression with social justice. His 3M Teaching Fellowship (Canada’s top teaching honor) recognizes innovations in writing instruction, emphasizing creative nonfiction. Current projects include a Syrian immigrant storytelling initiative and a student science-writing anthology. Research focuses on narrative therapy applications in psychiatry, curriculum development emphasizing student voice, and writing as healing. He advises Mt. Sinai Hospital’s narrative therapy program and collaborates with the Syrian Canadian Foundation. Publications include *Clear, Precise, and Direct* (2015), a pedagogical manual, and *Cricket Suicides* (2019), a science communication collection. Upcoming projects include editing *The Nancy Chong Stories*, posthumously published narratives about 1960s Toronto Chinatown life. Award-winning educator with four university teaching awards, Allen also contributes to teacher training at OISE. His work integrates marginalized community narratives into academic frameworks, advocating for writing as both craft and activism.
Leah Zhang-Kennedy is an Assistant Professor at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, University of Waterloo. She holds a cross-appointment in Faculty roles, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of technology, ethics, and human behavior. Her research explores privacy implications in emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and extended reality (XR), with a focus on deceptive design patterns, cybersecurity education, and cryptocurrency user behavior. Key themes include ethical responsibility in AI failures, user perceptions of smart home devices, and mitigating privacy harms through storytelling and design interventions. Zhang-Kennedy’s work spans over a decade, with publications analyzing deceptive game mechanics, VR privacy risks, and children’s online privacy education. Her projects often involve collaborative development of educational tools such as interactive comics and visualizations to enhance public understanding of security and privacy concepts. While no specific grants or awards are listed, her contributions highlight innovative approaches to addressing technology’s societal impacts through both critical analysis and practical design solutions.
Laura Nelson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of British Columbia and Director of the Centre for Computational Social Science. She specializes in computational sociology, social movements, gender studies, and intersectionality, employing text analysis, machine learning, and network methods to study organizational inequality, STEM equity, and historical activism. Education: PhD (2014) - University of California, Berkeley MA (2009) - University of California, Berkeley BA (2006) - University of Wisconsin-Madison (Phi Beta Kappa) Her research spans feminist movements, environmental activism, and computational methods, with a focus on combining quantitative analysis with qualitative interpretation. Current projects include studying gender-equity idea diffusion in higher education networks (funded by an NSF grant), analyzing social movement media coverage, and developing frameworks for computational grounded theory. Key publication trends reveal interdisciplinary work across gender studies , computational social science , historical sociology , and organizational equity . Articles frequently utilize machine learning , text mining , and network analysis to examine intersectionality , activism cycles , and institutional change . Scientific Awards: Best Meta-Reviewer, 12th International Conference on Social Informatics (2020) Outstanding Faculty of the Year at Northeastern University (2020) As a methodological innovator, she has advised graduate students like Jinyang Yu and developed courses on Python/R for social scientists, computational text analysis, and sociological theory. Her work appears in journals such as American Sociological Review , Signs , and Social Science Quarterly , with replication repositories available on GitHub and Zenodo.
Kristina Fagan Bidwell is a Full Professor in the Department of English at the University of Saskatchewan, holding a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Storytelling since 2001. She served as the inaugural Associate Dean of Aboriginal Affairs in the College of Arts and Science from 2011 to 2018 and currently serves as President of the Indigenous Literary Studies Association. Her research program investigates how stories interact across cultural boundaries—between Indigenous communities and between Indigenous and settler communities—with particular focus on how narratives create meaning, circulate, and influence actions in high-stakes conflicts over land, identity, and knowledge. Bidwell conceptualizes storytelling broadly to include oral narratives, literary texts, and everyday personal/public narratives, operating on the principle that stories both 'mean' and 'do' things by shaping cognition, emotion, and behavior. Current SSHRC-funded projects examine Indigenous-led literary collaborations and inter-Indigenous conflicts regarding territory and identity. Her publication portfolio demonstrates consistent engagement with Indigenous literary theory, Métis identity, Cree storytelling traditions, and Labrador Inuit literary heritage. Recurring analytical frameworks include narrative sovereignty, intercultural communication, and the political dimensions of storytelling. Methodologically, her work emphasizes community-based, collaborative approaches that center Indigenous perspectives and knowledge systems. Her primary recognition is the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Storytelling. Bidwell has supervised twelve graduate students across PhD and MA programs, with research spanning ethical settler engagements with Indigenous literature, Anishinaabe sense of place, Indigenous erotica, and Aboriginal realism. Her SSHRC-funded research on Indigenous literary collaborations represents significant grant achievement. She leads research teams focused on narrative analysis and intercultural communication, maintaining active partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations through community-based participatory research frameworks.
Javier Orlandi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Calgary, where he leads the Complex Neural Systems Lab as a Canada Research Chair. His research bridges systems neuroscience, complexity science, and statistical physics, focusing on understanding distributed coding principles in the brain and their impact on perception and learning. He employs computational and experimental approaches, including large-scale calcium imaging and optogenetic manipulation, in collaboration with institutions such as the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Computational Neuroscience Platform. Orlandi earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Barcelona (2015), studying spontaneous activity in neuronal cultures. Subsequent postdoctoral research included work at the University of Barcelona (2015–2016) on Huntington’s disease, followed by the University of Calgary (2016–2019) and RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan (2019–2022), where he explored cortical processing during decision-making. His research has addressed criticality in neural systems, network inference, and the impact of genetic mutations on brain activity. Key areas of interest include self-organized criticality, neuro-glia communication, and the development of tools like NETCAL for analyzing calcium imaging data. Orlandi has organized challenges to advance connectomics and holds the Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellowship and Canada Research Chair awards. His work integrates theoretical models with experimental data to uncover fundamental principles of neural computation. Affiliations: Complexity Science Group, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Computational Neuroscience Platform Education: Ph.D. in Physics (University of Barcelona, 2015) Grants: Canada Research Chair, Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellowship Labs: Complex Neural Systems Lab at University of Calgary
Patsy Duff is a Professor at the Department of Language and Literacy Education within the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She holds the title of Distinguished University Scholar and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) , reflecting her significant academic contributions. Research Focus: Bilingual/multilingual education, decolonizing methodologies, heritage language policy, identity negotiation in language learning, and sociocultural dimensions of language instruction. Key Themes: Her work examines multilingual socialization, language ideologies, and the intersection of pop culture with language pedagogy, particularly in Chinese and English as additional languages. Publications: Over the past decade, her research has emphasized family language policy, English medium instruction, and transnational identity formation. She has contributed to foundational texts on case study research and language socialization, establishing frameworks for qualitative applied linguistics. Scientific Awards: Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) Distinguished University Scholar, UBC Collaborations: Patsy Duff has collaborated with scholars like Heidi Byrnes, Sharoni Zappa-Hollman, and Debra Li on projects exploring language policy, socialization, and multilingual education. Her work bridges academic discourse with practical language teaching strategies.
Dr. Corinne Hohl is a Professor and Head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Faculty of Medicine. She serves as a scientist at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (C2E2), practices emergency medicine at Vancouver General Hospital, and chairs the Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network. Dr. Hohl is also a member of the Canadian Drug Safety and Effectiveness Research Network and the Canadian Network for Advanced Interdisciplinary Methods for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Her educational credentials include: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Master of Health Science (M.H.Sc.) Doctor of Medicine (MDCM) Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC) Dr. Hohl's research centers on emergency medicine , drug safety and effectiveness , and pandemic preparedness , with pioneering work in adverse drug event surveillance and health information technology. She developed the ActionADE system to prevent medication re-exposure harm through automated cross-setting communication. Her work integrates clinical practice with health systems innovation, focusing on clinical decision rules and real-world data analytics to improve patient safety in emergency care. Recent publications reveal three dominant trends: (1) leveraging health data for pandemic response (COVID-19 mortality prediction, vaccine effectiveness, health equity), (2) advancing drug safety through informatics (SNOMED CT coding, administrative data validation, non-adherence detection), and (3) addressing climate and social determinants of health (heatwave impacts, neighborhood marginalization). These studies consistently bridge emergency medicine with population health. Her scientific recognition includes: Best Paper Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians (2011) New Investigator Award from CIHR (2012) UBC Teacher of the Year Award (2013) UBC Excellence in Early Career Mentorship Award (2019) As a graduate supervisor in UBC's Experimental Medicine program, Dr. Hohl mentors students through the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies portal. She leads major collaborative grants including the ActionADE randomized controlled trial and the Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network, funded by CIHR and health research agencies. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary team science and knowledge translation into practice. Dr. Hohl directs research at the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation and co-leads national networks including the Canadian Drug Safety and Effectiveness Research Network. Her teams focus on emergency department-based interventions, real-world evidence generation, and scalable health IT solutions for medication safety and pandemic response.
Michael Smart is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Toronto. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1995), an M.A. from the University of British Columbia (1988), and a B.A. from McGill University (1986). His research focuses on public economics, with a particular emphasis on tax policy, fiscal reform, and international taxation. He has contributed to influential studies on topics like tax havens, income redistribution, and the economic impacts of taxation systems. Key honors include the John C. Polanyi Prize in Economic Science (1999) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (1995). Professor Smart teaches courses such as Econ 2600, emphasizing critical analysis of tax and fiscal policies. His work bridges theoretical research and practical policy evaluation, addressing issues like the efficiency costs of tax policies and the equitable distribution of fiscal burdens. Education: Ph.D., Economics, Stanford University, 1995 M.A., Economics, University of British Columbia, 1988 B.A., Economics, McGill University, 1986 Awards: John C. Polanyi Prize in Economic Science (1999) Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (1995) His research integrates microeconomic theory with empirical analysis to assess tax system impacts on behavior, equity, and economic efficiency. Recent work explores pandemic wage subsidies, income tax elasticity, and the role of automobiles in socioeconomic mobility. He is affiliated with the Finances of the Nation project, examining fiscal challenges in Canada and globally.
