Lab Members

Ashton James

Msc trainee

Ashton is a graduate student in the Master of Science, Epidemiology program at the School of Public Health. In 2013, Ashton graduated with distinction from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology. Since completing her undergraduate degree, Ashton has worked with various community-driven initiatives to support health and well-being in Canada, Ethiopia, and Uganda. In addition to completing graduate studies, Ashton is the Senior Manager of Health at the Métis Nation of Alberta, where she works to offer culturally meaningful, self-determined health and wellness opportunities that address the unique health profile of Métis Albertans. Ashton is excited to join Dr. Maria Ospina and the DMETRE lab to learn more about designing and implementing epidemiological studies in partnership with the Métis Nation of Alberta to create knowledge that is meaningful, responsive, and actionable. Ashton is recipient of several awards supporting her MSc research, including the Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship, Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship, WCHRI graduate studentship award and the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship.

Maryam Adesunkanmi

MSc trainee

Maryam is currently completing a Master in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Alberta. She previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences a (graduated Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Florida (USA). Maryam's research focuses on maternal and early childhood outcomes. Specifically, she is interested in evaluating the influence of perceived racism and discrimination on trajectories of maternal and perinatal health outcomes. Her research utilizes an approach that cuts across social, clinical and biomedical sciences to examine the intersection of the social determinants and various maternal outcomes and markers of adverse birth outcomes. Maryam is recipient of the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry 75th Anniversary Award.

Jesus Serrano-Lomelin, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Jesus Serrano-Lomelin has a PhD. in epidemiology from the School of Public Health, University of Alberta (2017). Previous academic background includes: BSc in Biology, Data Base Manager (ORACLE) certification, Master in Data Mining and Statistical learning, and Specialization in Applied Statistics. The doctoral thesis was about the effects of hazardous industrial mixtures, emitted into the air by industrial facilities, on adverse birth outcomes. Currently, I am working as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Maria Ospina in the areas of women and children health and social determinants of health. I am interested in the application of modern/novel statistical, spatial, and data mining methods in epidemiology, and in environmental and biological sciences.

Sana Amjad

PhD student

Sana is an incoming doctoral student in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta. She completed a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 2013 and a Masters of Science in Global Health in 2018. Her area of research is centered in social determinants of perinatal health with a focus on highlighting pathways to inequalities in maternal and birth outcomes. Sana is well versed in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Her current work in the DMETRE lab includes the following projects: 1) Association between Social Determinants of Health and Emergency Department Utilization: A systematic review, 2) Lii Zaanfaan (The Children): Understanding Health and Well-being Trajectories of Métis Children in Alberta, and, 3) Misi Yehewin (Big Breath): Understanding the Experiences of COVID-19 among Métis in Alberta.

Sarah Almas

Undergraduate Medical Student

Sarah is a medical student at the University of Alberta. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences Major, Chemistry Minor) and a Research Certificate in Biological Sciences. She is currently working with the DMETRE lab to explore the long term effects of indoor air pollution on the health of children, and she looks forward to expanding her skills in epidemiology with this project. Sarah is recipient of the 2021 Alberta Innovates Health Solutions summer studentship award.

Courtney Tromburg

Undergraduate Medical Student

Courtney is a medical student at the University of Alberta. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama. For her Honours thesis, Courtney examined social cognition and functioning in survivors of pediatric brain tumours. Courtney is thrilled to be a member of the DMETRE lab to learn more about perinatal epidemiology, and the impact of social determinants of health in medicine.

Stuart Lau

MSc trainee

Stuart is a Master of Science Student in the Maternal and Child Health Scholarship Program. He previously completed his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University. Stuart is interested in research that advocates for children's health. Currently, he is working on his Master's thesis which studies neurodevelopmental disorder prevalence among Indigenous children and neurodevelopmental trajectories of Metis Children in Alberta. Stuart is recipient of several awards supporting his MSc research, including the Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship, Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship, Maternal and Child Health Scholarship, and Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry 75th Anniversary Graduate Student Award.

Linn Moore, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Shez Kassam

Resident physician - Collaborator

Shez Kassam is currently completing his medical residency in both Family Medicine and Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Alberta. Previously, he did his B.Sc. in Psychology and medical school training in Edmonton as well. Shez anticipates that his work with our team will strengthen his foundation in epidemiology and research methodology, and help develop skills to explore the intersections of clinical medicine and population health.

Jannatul Mawa

Research Assistant

Jannatul Mawa is an MPH student in the environmental and occupational health stream at the University of Alberta School of Public Health. Jannatul is an internationally trained medical graduate and has provided community services in a variety of roles ranging from team leader to health educator. She is skilled in critical analysis, system thinking, and project management. Jannatul’s career goal is becoming a principal investigator in the area of developmental and reproductive health. Jannatul enjoys painting and spending time with her family and friends

Nazif Mahbub

Research Assistant

Nazif Mahbub is an MPH student in the Health Policy and Management stream at the University of Alberta School of Public Health. Nazif is an international medical graduate and has experience in implementing and managing public health projects. He has worked with several non-profits and founded a non-profit ACTIVE ACTION where he conducts projects towards health promotion and social welfare. He is currently working at CRIDA as a Research & Policy Analyst. Nazif has a keen interest in public health, research, policy, project management, and developing knowledge transition tools. He is working at DMETRE Lab as a Research Assistant conducting systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

Past Trainees

Omolara Sanni

Postdoctoral Fellow (2018 – 2020)

Britt Voaklander

MSc Epidemiology (2017-2020)

Sana Amjad

MSc Global Health (2017-2019)

Rachel Livergant

Undergraduate Medical Student (2020)

Natalie Czuczman

Undergraduate Medical Student (2020)

Vidhi Desai

Undergraduate Medical Student (2019)

Safia Marani

Undergraduate Medical Student (2019)

Jason (Jia) Li

Undergraduate Summer Student (2018)

Isaiah MacDonald

Undergraduate Medical Student (2017)

Zahra Karkhaneh

Undergraduate Summer Student (2017)

Stewart Rowe

Undergraduate Summer Student (2017)

DATA, BIRTH, BABIES + BEYOND

We are located at the Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation at the University of Alberta North Campus, which is located in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan) on Treaty 6 territory, the territory of the Papaschase, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.

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