SCN Welcomes New Committee Members

April 10, 2025 (Ottawa) – The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is excited to announce the appointment of new members joining its committees: the Research Management Committee (RMC), Early Career Researcher Committee (ECRC), Trainee Communications Committee (TCC), and Training and Education Committee (TEC). These experts will play a pivotal role in shaping SCN’s research program, advancing support for early career scientists, and informing training initiatives within the field of stem cell and regenerative medicine.

New Appointments to the Research Management Committee (RMC)

The RMC provides critical strategic oversight for SCN’s research programs, ensuring the highest-impact projects receive funding. SCN welcomes:

Sven Ansorge, Ph.D., Director of Technical Training, CASTL

E. Anne Yeh, MA, MD, FRCPC, Dip ABPN, Professor of Paediatrics (Neurology), University of Toronto

New Members of the Early Career Researcher Committee (ECRC)

SCN’s ECRC offers an opportunity to contribute to the development of initiatives that support the growth of early career researchers. Joining the team are:

Alexander Baker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dalhousie University

Anthony Flamier, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, University of Montreal

Samantha Payne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Guelph

Tyler Wenzel, Ph.D., B.Ed., Assistant Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Also, current ECRC members, Matthew Buechler and Nirosha Murugan, have accepted the roles of Co-Vice-Chairs of the committee.

Trainee Communications Committee (TCC) Welcomes Five New Members

The TCC plays a key role in shaping training programs, organizing impactful events for TMM, and addressing the career development needs of trainees. SCN’s newest members are:

Ohanes Ashekyan, Ph.D. Candidate, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Shahnaz Babaei Abraki, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Calgary

Haider Bilal, MSc Student, Simon Fraser University

Alex Cho, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Toronto

Pauline Garcia, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, CHU Sainte-Justine

In addition to these new members, two existing TCC members have been appointed as Chair and Vice-Chair. Holly Jiogo will be accepting the role as committee Chair, and Dylan Siriwardena, has been appointed as Vice-Chair.

New Members of the Training and Education Committee (TEC)

SCN’s TEC plays a crucial role in shaping inclusive, multidisciplinary training programs, organizing impactful events, and evaluating trainee applications for workshops, internships, and more. SCN welcomes:

Lorena Braid, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University, and Founder and CSO, Aurora BioSolutions

Shirley Mei, Ph.D., Investigator, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Kevin Robb, Ph.D., Scientist, STEMCELL Technologies

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Outgoing Members

SCN extends its sincere gratitude to the departing members of the ECRC, TCC, and TEC for their exceptional contributions to advancing stem cell and regenerative medicine. Their expertise and dedication have played a pivotal role in driving progress in the field and furthering SCN’s mission to accelerate regenerative medicine research for the benefit of all.

ECRC: Roman Krawetz, Ben Lindsey
TCC: Amelinda Firdauzy, Jules Grant, Ahmed Kabil, Coulter Montague Szakaly, Fereshteh Sadat Younesi, Haochen Sun, Tyler Wenzel
TEC: Jessica Esseltine, Matthew Hildebrandt, Samer Hussein

Learn more about our committee members on our Committees page.