Profiles of Excellence Videos

Dr. Penny MacDonald - Profiles of Excellence Video Series

Profiles of Excellence

Profiles of Excellence: Research at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Robarts Research Institute is a video series showcasing the work, achievements and goals of researchers across the School and Robarts Research Institute.

Dr. Marnin Heisel - Improving mental health for older adults
Marnin Heisel, PhD, C.Psych, focuses on finding better ways to assess suicide risk and create new interventions with he hope of enhancing mental health and well-being and decreasing risk for suicide in older adults. Heisel is an associate professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute. 

Dr. Penny MacDonald - Understanding cognition in Alzheimer's patients
Dr. Penny MacDonald is studying cognitive processes in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In this edition of the Profiles of Excellence Series, Dr. MacDonald discusses her research into the connection between dopamine depletion in the striatum and cognition problems for patients with Parkinson’s. Dr. MacDonald is an assistant professor in Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences. 

Frank Beier, PhD - Stopping osteoarthritis in its tracks
Frank Beier, PhD, lab is working on the biology of the skeleton as well as bone and joint diseases, most notably osteoarthritis. In this edition of the Profiles of Excellence series, Beier discusses his research into the genes which may hold the secrets to one day finding a cure for osteoarthritis. Beier is a professor in Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. 

Lina Dagnino, PhD - Investigating the structures behind skin diseases
Lina Dagnino, PhD, researches skin biology and stem cells. Her expertise includes cellular and molecular biology, as well as developmental genetics. In this edition of the Profiles of Excellence series, Dagnino discusses her research into the mechanisms behind blistering diseases, skin cancer and wound healing. Dagnino is a professor in Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. 

Lloy Wylie, PhD - Focusing on the patient in aboriginal and refugee communities
Lloy Wylie, PhD, conducts health systems research in underserved communities. In this edition of the Profiles of Excellence series, Wylie discusses the importance of developing patient and community-focused systems to improve health in aboriginal and refugee populations. Wylie is an assistant professor in Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Interfaculty Program in Public Health. 

Mansour Haeryfar, PhD - Immunotherapy: A first line treatment for cancer
Mansour Haeryfar, PhD,is working to establish immunotherapy as a first-line treatment option for patients with cancer through the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches involving T-cells. In this edition of the Profiles of Excellence series, the Schulich Medicine & Dentistry associate professor shares his fascination with the human body and the motivation that drives his research forward. 

Dr. Stewart Harris - Forging Ahead to tackle diabetes in Indigenous Communities
Dr. Stewart Harris explains how his journey from family practice to public health led him to managing one of the country's most promising programs to tackle the prevalence of diabetes in First Nations Communities. 

The Alzheimer's Research Group - Robarts Research Institute
Robarts Research Institute scientists work tirelessly every day to better understand and diagnose Alzheimer's disease, with the aim of developing new tools and treatments to help stop this devastating disease. 

Dr. Shawn Li - Breaking new ground in cancer research
Shawn Li, PhD, a professor in the Departments of Biochemistry, Oncology and Paediatrics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is mapping the landscape for the epigenetic changes associated with chemotherapy. This information will be used to identify novel targets for more effective cancer treatment, and was name one of Canada's Top 10 Cancer Research Stories of 2013 by the Canadian Cancer Society. 

Dr. Lorelei Lingard - The language of health care
Lorelei Lingard, PhD, is exploring what role language plays in the health care experience, with particular focus on communication between professionals within health care teams. Dr. Lingard, the Director of the Centre for Education Research & Innovation at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry explains her passion for language and describes how her research is helping to shape how we teach medical professionals to communicate in educational settings. 

Dr. Alison Allan - From the bench to the bedside

Dr. Alison Allan explains how a blood test she has created is helping to identify the early signs of metastasis before the cancer has a chance to spread and shares the story of how she is bringing work from the lab bench directly to impacting patients at the bedside.

The Vascular Biology Group - Robarts Research Institute
The Vascular Biology Group at Western University's Robarts Research Institute works in collaboration to better understand and treat cardiovascular disease with the goal of creating a healthier future.

Dr. Arthur Brown – Passion and Progress (Spinal Cord Injury)
Watch as Dr. Arthur Brown discusses his passion for spinal cord injury research, what his lab is currently working on and how he hopes to see his research impact spinal cord injury in the future. 

Dr. Douglas Hamilton – Schulich Dentistry
watch as Dr. Douglas Hamilton discusses his drive to improve wound repair and regeneration in connective tissues with biomaterials and how he hopes to see his research impact patients with non-closing wounds in the future. 

Daniel Pepe, MEDS 2014 – A Summer of Research
Watch as Daniel Pepe, MEDS 2014, discusses his experience in the Summer Research Training Program (SRTP) as well as his research on non-closing wounds in diabetic patients. 

Dr. Cindy Hutnik – Innovation and Inspiration
Watch as Dr. Cindy Hutnik, discusses the leading causes of blindness: glaucoma and macular degeneration. In this video feature, Dr. Hutnik reveals her current research, treatment methods and her hopes for the future.

Dr. Cheryle Seguin - Musculoskeletal Research
Watch as Dr. Cheryle Seguin discusses her research on diseases of the musculoskeletal system: one of the most common and costly problems in Canada. Learn about her current research, achievements and goals for her research moving forward.