DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY & LABORATORY MEDICINE MAGAZINE
DATE:September 2020
New Faculty Members
Yemin Wang, PhD
Adjunct Professor, UBC
Staff Scientist, Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre
Short bio:
Born and grown up in China, I obtained my undergraduate degree in Biology and master degree in Botany from Nanjing University. I moved to Vancouver for pursuing a PhD degree in Experimental Medicine at UBC in 2004. Upon graduation, I went to Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Centre in Seattle for a postdoc fellowship and then joined the OVCARE team led by Dr. David Huntsman at BC Cancer in 2012. I am interested in understanding how genetic mutations alter cellular differentiation to drive cancer development. Currently, I focus on addressing the roles of the SWI/SNF complex, a chromatin remodeling complex that is frequently mutated in cancer, in the development of normal gynecologic tissues and cancers, identifying the therapeutic vulnerabilities in SWI/SNF-deficient cancers and defining adaptive responses to cancer treatments.
Outside of work, I enjoy biking, hiking, spending time with my family, and volunteering at our community badminton club.
Emma Strong, PhD
Clinical Instructor, UBC
BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals
Short bio:
I completed a BSc in cell biology and genetics at the University of British Columbia, where I became interested in copy number variation in neurodevelopmental disorders and genome diagnostics. My interests took me to Toronto, where I completed my PhD in Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, studying epigenetic mechanisms in Williams syndrome and the reciprocal 7q11.23 duplication syndrome. Following my PhD, I spent some time as a Genome Analyst at the Genome Diagnostics laboratory in the Hospital for Sick Children, before returning to Vancouver to complete a fellowship in clinical Molecular Genetics in the Division of Genome Diagnostics at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals. After my training, I joined the Division of Genome Diagnostics as a Clinical Scientist, and I am involved in molecular genetic diagnostics, teaching and test implementation. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, hiking and travelling.
Hemlata Shirsat, MBBS, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC
Royal Jubilee Hospital
Short bio:
I finished my residency at Dalhousie University in Halifax in 2018 and then spent 15 most amazing months in New York. I did a fellowship in Thoracic pathology at NYU Langone and 3 months of additional training in Head and Neck Pathology at Mt Sinai, New York. I am a thoracic and head and neck pathologist at VIHA in Victoria and an assistant professor of pathology at UBC. I love hiking and Victoria is a hiker’s paradise. Prior to Covid-19 I was an avid traveller but the pandemic has helped me rediscover my old hobbies of painting and baking and in keeping with Victoria’s tradition I’m trying my hand at gardening.
Wendy MacKerricher, BMBS, FRCPC
Clinical Instructor, UBC
Surrey Memorial Hospital
Short bio:
I was born and raised in the lower mainland. After highschool I moved to Montreal where I earned a BSc in Biology at Concordia University in 2007. Upon returning to Vancouver I attended BCIT for Forensic Sciences until 2009. My Medical School training was at the University of Limerick in Ireland until 2013, followed by a residency in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology at the University of Arizona in 2017. Lastly, I completed a Breast Pathology Fellowship at Stanford University in 2018. I have been working at Surrey Memorial Hospital as an Anatomical Pathologist since the fall of 2018. Outside of work I enjoy playing with my two young boys, gardening, baking, hiking and spending time with friends and family.
Sukhbir Kaur, BMedSc MSc PhD FRCPath
Clinical Assistant Professor
Clinical Biochemist, Surrey Memorial Hospital
Short bio:
I was born and raised in Great Britain and have a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Birmingham. I trained as a Clinical Scientist at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust whilst undertaking a Master's degree in Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Manchester. I later joined the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to oversee mass spectrometry testing within the clinical chemistry department. During this time, I also completed the Royal College of Pathologists fellowship exams. In October, I fortunately joined Dr C J Coady Associates as a Clinical Biochemist and currently serve the patients of Fraser Health Authority. Outside of work, I enjoy creating art and spending quality time with my amazing husband and two wonderful children.
David Grynspan, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC
Vernon Jubilee Hospital
Short bio:
I practice anatomical pathology at Vernon Jubilee and enjoy the full spectrum of AP and the excellent group I get to work with. I collaborate in placental and maternal-fetal research with Dr. S. Bainbridge of University of Ottawa and D K. Connor of Carleton University. Topics include: pathology of preeclampsia and IUGR and placental correlates of maternal nutritional status. I Participate in the PGME program at Vernon Jubilee and enjoy it when trainees rotate in pathology in Vernon. In spare time, I enjoy the Medical Humanities and Narrative Medicine.
I was born in Tanzania and raised in Nigeria. I obtained my MBBS degree from Bayero University Kano in Nigeria after which I re-located to the USA for postgraduate training. I completed a 4-year residency training program in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology in University at Buffalo, New York followed by a year of Surgical Pathology fellowship at University of Washington and a year of Cytopathology fellowship at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. I started practice as an Anatomical and Clinical Pathologist in Middle Georgia, USA and worked for 3-years before moving to the Northwest. I joined the department of Pathology at Surrey Memorial Hospital as an Anatomic Pathologist in 2019. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, travelling and cooking.
Jake Cosme, PhD
Clinical Instructor, UBC
Clinical Biochemist, BC Children’s and Women’s Health Centre
Short bio:
Prior to coming to coming to Vancouver, I was born, raised, and trained in Toronto, Ontario. I completed my training in the Clinical Chemistry Fellowship program at the University of Toronto in 2019. My previous training also includes, obtaining my PhD from the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto studying Cardiovascular Proteomics in 2017, and my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience in 2011 from the University of Toronto. I recently joined the BC Children’s and Women’s Health Centre in 2019 as a Clinical Biochemist. My academic and clinical interests include: laboratory quality assurance, reference intervals, and big data analysis and visualization. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring the wonders of British Columbia with my wife Kelly, building computers for family and friends, basketball (always happy to chat about the Raptors), and writing poetry.
Emily Button, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow, UBC
Supervisor: Dr. Cheryl Wellington
Short bio:
Hello! I grew up in small-town southwestern Ontario (Wallaceburg) and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Waterloo. In 2014 I joined Dr. Cheryl Wellington’s lab for my PhD where I studied Alzheimer’s disease and the effects of high-density lipoproteins on cerebral vessel health. I am now excited to have the opportunity to continue my work on lipoproteins and Alzheimer’s disease in the Wellington lab as a postdoctoral fellow and work on a new project developing brain injury biomarker assays for preclinical models. Outside of the lab I like to spend my time reading fiction and exploring beautiful BC by hiking, camping, running, and, most recently, cycling.
Eric Belanger, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor, UBC
Vancouver General Hospital
Short bio:
I was born in "la belle province" and raised in Ottawa. I completed my Biochemistry degree, Medical degree and Anatomical Pathology residency at the University of Ottawa, followed by a fellowship in GU pathology at the Credit Valley Hospital with Dr. John Srigley, and Renal pathology at the University Health Network with Dr. Andrew Herzenberg. I returned to Ottawa in 2006 to join the Division of Anatomical Pathology at The Ottawa Hospital where I spent the next thirteen years practicing GU and Renal pathology as well as Cardiovascular and Autopsy pathology. I was actively involved in teaching medical students and residents. My collaborative research activities centered around prostate and bladder cancer as well as cardiac transplant rejection. Over the years I became increasingly involved in (and developed a respect for) administrative work. I moved to Vancouver in August 2019 with my family, and am now a staff pathologist at VGH, entirely subspecialized in GU pathology.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and discovering the sites of my new home!