DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY & LABORATORY MEDICINE MAGAZINE
DATE:August 2018
New Faculty
Shazia Masud, MD FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC
Medical Microbiologist
Surrey Memorial Hospital
Short bio:
I earned my medical degree from Pakistan and completed my postgraduate training in medical microbiology in 2007 before immigrating to Canada. I spent a few years in Toronto before moving to Vancouver to further pursue my career in microbiology. I graduated from the UBC medical microbiology residency program in 2017 and am currently working as a medical microbiologist with Fraser Health at Surrey Memorial Hospital. My areas of interest include rapid diagnostic methods with a focus on emerging molecular techniques, antimicrobial resistance and tropical medicine. I enjoy teaching and sharing knowledge with trainees and colleagues. Outside of work, I enjoy cooking for my family, traveling and spending quality time with my husband and two beautiful daughters.
Inna Sekirov, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC
Medical Microbiologist
at BC Center for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory
Short bio:
Born in Moldova, I moved to Vancouver in 1995. I completed my BSc at UBC in Microbiology and Immunology in 2003 and went on to join the UBC MD/PhD Program. My graduate degree was also in Microbiology, which was clearly becoming a serious obsession of mine. It was no wonder that upon completion of my studies I went on to join the UBC Medical Microbiology residency program. I graduated from residency in 2017 and was fortunate to be hired by the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory as a Medical Microbiologist and Program Head for the Mycobacteriology Laboratory. My professional interests lie in the domains of Public Health, clinical applications of microbial genomics and TB diagnostic methods. I’m looking forward to contributing to these through clinical practice and research. I also make sure to always have time for my 2 daughters and husband, as well as dancing and reading.
Mawuena Binka, PhD, MPH
Research Associate, UBC
Supervisors: Dr. Naveed Janjua and Dr. Mel Krajden
BC Centre for Disease Control
Short bio:
My name is Mawuena Binka, and I am a Research Associate working with Dr. Mel Krajden and Dr. Naveed Janjua at the BC Centre for Disease Control. I received a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where I studied the interaction of HIV-1 Vif proteins with APOBEC3 restriction factors. I spent the next three years as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Yale School of Public Health studying HCV transmission among people who inject drugs. This experience inspired me to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of British Columbia. My current project is aimed at assessing the impact of treatment on hepatitis C (HCV) related health outcomes and the HCV disease burden in Canada. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading a good mystery novel, and working out in Zumba fitness classes.
Kohei Ikezoe, MD, PHD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Jim Hogg
St. Paul’s Hospital
Short bio:
My name is Kohei Ikezoe, I am from Japan. I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation, St. Paul’s Hospital. I obtained my MD in 2005, and I had been working as a respiratory physician in Japan. Since I started the research at Kyoto University in 2011, I had been involved in the clinical research about interstitial lung disease and the experimental research about asthma, and I got my PhD at Kyoto University in 2016. My research interest focuses on investigating the mechanisms of chronic lung disease such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and COPD. Now I am involved in the research that combines clinical CT, microCT, and histology in IPF lungs. It’s an honour to work in Dr. Jim Hogg’s lab. I usually go driving and hiking for fun. I also like watching dramas and movies.
Jun Liu, MSc
Research Associate
Supervisor: Dr. Michael Chen
Victoria General Hospital
Short bio:
Originally from China, I came to Canada as a graduate student in year 2000. After obtaining a master degree in bioorganic chemistry from University of Saskatchewan in 2003, I started to work as an analytical chemist, doing quantitative and qualitative small molecules analysis using LC/MS/MS technique. I have been working with Genomics Institute of Novartis Research Foundation in San Diego for 3 years, and then moved to Victoria and working with SGS Analytical Inc. for 8 years. I was fortunate to be recently hired by Department of Pathology of UBC as Research Associate, working in the clinical of lab of Victoria General Hospital under Dr. Michael Chen’s supervision. My research is now focusing on mass spectrometry based metabolomics study. Outside work, I spent most of my time with family. I enjoyed cooking, hiking and gardening.
Monica Romera Hernandez, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Supervisor: Dr. Fumio Takei
BC Cancer Centre
Short bio:
During my degree in Biotechnology at Autonomous University of Barcelona, I had the opportunity to carry research as part of an exchange program at Leiden University Medical Center, in The Netherlands. I realized that immunology and research were really interesting, thus I join the group of Dr. Tom Cupedo at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam. My PhD focused on mucosal immunology, elucidating the role of intestinal group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) in epithelial stem cell homeostasis and regeneration. I am currently settling down in Vancouver as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Dr. Fumio Takei’s Lab and my research will be focusing on different aspects of pulmonary innate lymphoid cells in the context of allergy and asthma. Outside of academy, I am passionate about world gastronomy, thus I travel and learn from different cultures as much as possible. I also enjoy socializing and organizing outdoor activities, so I hope to know many of you very soon.