Core Team

Key Contacts

Academic Administrators

Mingyao Liu

Director

Dr. Mingyao Liu 
Tel: 416-946-8286
Email: mingyao.liu@utoronto.ca

The Director reports in all academic matters to the Deans of SGS and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. The Director is ultimately responsible for all academic and administrative aspects of the IMS graduate program (including faculty and students), in accordance with University of Toronto policies and procedures. He is supported by the Associate Director, Graduate Coordinators, IMS Committees, and the administrative staff, each of whom have special designated responsibilities.

Dr. Lucy Osborne

Associate Director  

Dr. Lucy Osborne
Tel: 416-978-5012
Email: lucy.osborne@utoronto.ca           

The Associate Director oversees a number of IMS' Strategic Priorities, including enhancing students' training experience through engagement with University and hospital leaders and departments, promoting discipline-specific academic activities through collaborative research programs, and collecting data to assess IMS educational programs. The Associate Director also oversees IMS' international and professional career development activities, and provides support and training for the Graduate Coordinators.                                                     

Graduate Coordinators

The Graduate Coordinators are responsible for administration of the graduate program, including:

  • applications, admissions and enrollment procedures
  • approval of faculty on program and defense committees
  • nomination of students for awards, maintenance of current student award status and notification of award opportunities
  • dissemination of policy and procedures to students and faculty
  • meet with students as required on request       

As of January 2024, the Graduate Coordinators will be holding their weekly office hour on Thursdays at 9:00 am. IMS students can see further details in the Weekly Digest newsletter.

Isabella Caniggia

Graduate Coordinator

Dr. Isabella Caniggia
Tel: 416-978-5012                                                       
Email: caniggia@lunenfeld.ca

john vincent

Graduate Coordinator

Dr. John Vincent
Tel: 416-978-5012
Email: john.vincent@camh.ca                                                             

Reinhart

Senior Advisor to the Director

Dr. Reinhart Reithmeier 
Email: r.reithmeier@utoronto.ca

Dr. Reithmeier serves on both the IMS Executive Committee and Leadership Group, contributes to developing brand identity for IMS, and advises on graduate professional development and faculty mentorship initiatives.

Ted Brown

Director, SURP

Dr. Ted Brown
Email: ted.brown@utoronto.ca

The Director of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) is responsible for the development and implementation of the program.  In collaboration with members of the IMS faculty, the summer research program provides both domestic and international undergraduate students with the opportunity to experience a summer in a laboratory, working on a project in biomedical research.

Nicole Harnett

Director, Curriculum

Prof. Nicole Harnett
Email: Nicole.Harnett@rmp.uhn.ca

Prof. Harnett’s portfolio includes chairing the IMS Curriculum Committee, overseeing curriculum development and evaluation and working with course directors and instructors.

Michael Corrin

Director, MScBMC Program

Prof. Michael Corrin
Tel: 905-569-4667
Email: m.corrin@utoronto.ca 

The Master of Science in Biomedical Communication (MScBMC), unique in Canada, is one of only four internationally accredited programs of its kind. The MScBMC Program engages students in the creation and evaluation of a range of visual tools, including medical illustration, media and user experience design, animation, and virtual simulations. 

Dr. Catharine Walsh

Director, Graduate Diploma in Health Research (GDipHR) Program

Dr. Catharine Walsh
Email catharine.walsh@utoronto.ca

GDipHR provides selected 1st-year medical students an opportunity to participate in the continuum of research – from idea creation to data collection to scientific publication and/or presentation at a scholarly meeting – via a consecutive 20-month longitudinal research program. Students are also exposed to course work in a broad range of research concepts, topics, methodologies, and applications to health care.

Pascal Tyrrell

Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Dr. Pascal Tyrrell
Email: pascal.tyrrell@utoronto.ca 

Dr. Tyrrell is leading efforts to improve the equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) of underrepresented and historically marginalized groups at IMS, and to ensure that IMS creates an environment that welcomes and promotes EDI widely across our community.

Pamela Plant

Director, Graduate Professional Development 

Dr. Pamela Plant
Email: pamela.plant@utoronto.ca

Dr. Plant oversees our graduate professional development teaching portfolio and curriculum development to support students in succeeding during graduate school and launching into their careers post-graduation. She aims to develop a skills-based program for careers in the public and private sector to help graduate students leverage their biomedical degrees into meaningful vocations.

Karen Gordon

Chair, Graduate Faculty Memberships

Dr. Karen Gordon
Email: karen.gordon@utoronto.ca

Dr. Karen Gordon is the Chair of the Faculty Appointments Committee in IMS. She is responsible for the review and processing of all applications for graduate faculty appointments and re-appointments to the Institute, making recommendations to the IMS Executive Committee and the Director.

Eyal Grunebaum

Chair, Admissions Committee

Dr. Eyal Grunebaum
Email: eyal.grunebaum@sickkids.ca 

Dr. Grunebaum is the chair of the Admissions Committee, which reviews IMS graduate student applications, makes recommendations for admission, and oversees admission policies. 

chung wai chow

Chair, Awards Committee

Dr. Chung-Wai Chow
Email: cw.chow@utoronto.ca

Dr. Chow's portfolio includes chairing the Awards committee, which establishes policies, reviews, and processes applications for student financial awards by the IMS. 

Samantha anthony

Chair, SAFE Committee

Dr. Samantha Anthony
Email: samantha.anthony@sickkids.ca

Dr. Anthony aims to increase engagement and connectivity between students, faculty and alumni. As the Chair of the Student, Staff, Alumni and Faculty Engagement (SAFE) Committee, she supports student groups, oversees student-led initiatives, and implements new tools and resources to support faculty and alumni engagement.

Markus Selzner

Chair, Student Recruitment Committee

Dr. Markus Selzner
Email: markus.selzner@uhn.ca 

As Chair of the Student Recruitment Committee Dr. Selzner is helping plan and guide our student recruitment strategy, in order to continue to attract outstanding and diverse students to our graduate program and research labs. 

Martin Post

Chair, Recognition & Awards Committee

Dr. Martin Post
Email: martin.post@sickkids.ca

As Chair of the Recognition & Awards Committee, Dr. Post helps identify outstanding IMS faculty, students, and staff to nominate for internal and external recognition awards. There are many remarkable members of our community, and this committee helps ensure that IMS members are recognized for their many diverse accomplishments. 

Administrative Staff

The Administrative Staff manage the day-to-day running of the IMS.

Kamila Lear

Kamila Lear

Business Officer
Tel: 416-978-8886
Email: kamila.lear@utoronto.ca

Human resources, finance, payroll, office management and special issues.

Sarah Topa

Sarah Topa

Senior Partnerships & Communications Officer
Tel: 416-946-0987
Email: int.medscience@utoronto.ca

Communications and branding strategy and content, website management, strategic partnerships, student group support, and alumni engagement. Co-Chair of the SAFE Committee and Student Recruitment Committee. Career Mentorship Program Manager.

Emilie DesRosiers

Emilie DesRosiers

Admissions and Recruitment Administrator 
Tel: 416-978-5012
Email: adm.medscience@utoronto.ca

Student recruitment, admissions, International Visiting Graduate Students (IVGS) applications, registration and GEMS Agreement for incoming students, entrance awards and bursaries, faculty recruiting new students.

Sobiga Vyravanathan

Sobiga Vyravanathan

Curriculum & Education Administrator
Tel: 416-946-8286
Email: cc.medscience@utoronto.ca

Course and program requirements, course enrollment, MSC1010-1011H course coordination, Teaching Assistant recruitment, Curriculum Committee support, IMS Scientific Day, Ori Rotstein Lecture and Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).

Yilin Kong

Yilin Kong

Graduate Program Assistant, MSc
Tel: 416-978-6696
Email: msc.medscience@utoronto.ca

Program Advisory Committee (PAC), Registration and GEMS Agreement for continuing students, Leave of Absence, Program Extension, Transfer Examination, MSc Thesis Guidelines, MSc Final Oral Examination and Program Completion.

Andrea Pyo

Andrea Pyo

Interim Executive Assistant and Faculty Affairs Administrator
Tel: 416-946-7143 
Email: sf.medscience@utoronto.ca

Executive Assistant to IMS Director, Faculty Appointments, Internal Awards, Executive Committee, Awards Committee and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee support.

TBC

Interim Graduate Program & Awards Assistant, PhD
Tel: 416-978-1053
Email: phd.medscience@utoronto.ca

External Awards, Program Advisory Committee (PAC), Registration and GEMS Agreement for continuing students, Candidacy, Leave of Absence, Program Extension, Qualifying Examination, PhD Thesis Guidelines, PhD Final Oral Examination and Program Completion.