July
Dr. Charles McKenzie, PhD’99 – Dr. McKenzie has been appointed as Acting Chair, Department of Medical Biophysics, at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, effective July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, or until a permanent Chair is appointed, whichever occurs first. Dr. McKenzie received a BSc in Physics (Honours) from the University of British Columbia in 1993, followed by a PhD in Medical Biophysics from Western in 1999 which was supervised by Drs. Frank Prato and Dick Drost. He completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2001.
Dr. Neil Duggal, MSc’01 - First spinal endoscopic surgery in ontarion performed at LHSC performed in February 2025 - using a slender tube like camera called an endocsope performed the provinces first spinal endoscopic surgery representing an advancement in treating spinal disorders and reinforces the Division of Neurosurgery's longstanding commitment to providing the most cutting-edge surgical techniques.
Dr. Cheryle Séguin
Dr. Cheryle Séguin, BSc’99, MSc’01 - Dr. Séguin, has been appointed as Acting Chair, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University effective July 1, 2025 until June 30, 2027. Dr. Séguin obtained her BSc and MSc from the University of Western Ontario and her PhD in the area of cell biology and tissue engineering from the University of Toronto. Dr. Séguin completed her postdoctoral training at SickKids Hospital in the field of mammalian development and stem cell biology. At Western, Dr. Séguin has contributed to leadership of the Bone and Joint Institute, is co-Director of the Collaborative Specialization in Musculoskeletal Health Research and has served as Assistant Chair in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology since 2018, where she also served as Acting Chair.
Ella Doornaert
Ella Doornaert,BSc’22, current PhD student - Ms. Doornaert is one of seven researchers who received the prestigious 2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her work focuses on investigating long-term impact of early R-Baclofen treatment on sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder. The drug R-Baclofen has been tested in clinical trials for its impact on autism-related traits in children, but long-term effects of the treatment - especially when used early in development - remain unclear. Doornaert's research explores how the drug might influence sensory and behavioral outcomes later in life. She will evaluate auditory processing abilities (such as reactions to loud and sudden noises and the ability to filter noise), social and anxiety-related behaviors and the influence on sound-processing pathways. This research aims to better understand how early-life interventions might shape long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with autism spectrum disorder, which is diagnosed in about 1 in 50 Canadian children and commonly associated with differences in sensory processing.
Dr. Jackson Blonde, BMSc’18, MD’22 - Dr. Jackson Blonde, who was born and raised in Chatham-Kent, is joining the hospital's Emergency Department after recently completing a fellowship at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry in London. Dr. Blonde said it is an "incredible privilege" to serve the community that invested in him.
