Diversity, Inclusion and Mentorship
First, on the land:
We acknowledge that we are living and working on aboriginal land that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples from the beginning of times. We thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land - for thousands of years. In particular, we acknowledge that Ottawa is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people. We recognize and deeply appreciate their historic connection to this place. We also recognize the contributions of Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community in particular, and our province and country as a whole. This recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities, and in particular to bring justice for murdered and missing indigenous women and girls across our country.
More on territorial acknowledgement here.
Lab phylosophy
Our lab philosophy, inspired by Sammy Katta:
Our core values
Integrity: Being honest and having strong moral principles is key to our research. We believe it is okay to make mistakes; staying true to our science allows us to learn and grow from these experiences.
Teamwork and Collaboration: We value collaboration and working well with others. Teams with shared values are more likely to work cohesively, supporting each other and leveraging each member's strengths. We all help our teammates and are always rewarded for our scientific or technical contributions. We tend to use "our" more than "mine."
Respect: We treat others with consideration and value their contributions.
Excellence: We strive for high quality and continuous improvement in all our endeavours.
Innovation: Encouraging creativity and new ideas is a key value of our lab.
Professional Development: We seek opportunities for learning and growth within CHEO-RI and uOttawa.
Work-Life Balance: We focus and work hard during work hours, but we also value quality time outside of work (except for Izabella during grant deadline season, ouch!).
Teaching and mentorship philosophy
As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM), I am dedicated to employing innovative teaching techniques both in the classroom and the laboratory. My goal is to mentor students through their graduate thesis work with a highly individualized approach, tailored to their unique needs, to prepare them for successful scientific or clinical careers.
I am passionate about teaching and committed to fostering diversity in science, promoting a healthy and inclusive environment within my research group and the classroom. My aim is to train the next generation of scientists, equipping them with advanced genetics and multi-omics approaches to pioneer new fields of research. I emphasize the highest ethical standards, scientific rigor, and enthusiasm in all our endeavors.
Diversity is good for science - we cherish the creativity and values stemming from having diverse lab members!
"Being inclusive gives research groups a competitive edge. It also happens to be the right thing to do." -- read https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05316-5
We work in a hospital and institute that also believes diversity is key. See more here: https://www.cheo.on.ca/en/about-us/equity-diversity-inclusion-and-indigeneity.aspx