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Our Team

Yvonne Bombard 

Principal Investigator and Lab Director 

Dr. Yvonne Bombard is a genomics health services researcher and Scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. She is a Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto and directs the Genomics Health Services Research Program at St. Michael’s Hospital. She sets research direction at national and international levels as Board Member of the American Society of Human Genetics and CIHR’s Institute of Genetics. Dr. Bombard advises on funding recommendations on emerging genetic testing technologies for Ontario. She also shapes genomics health services research as an editor for Genetics in Medicine Open, the leading genetics practice journal. Dr. Bombard was the inaugural recipient of the Maurice McGregor Award for Demonstrated Excellence and Leadership Potential from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and also received a ‘Rising Star’ award from CIHR’s Institute of Health Services and Policy Research. She has been awarded a CIHR Foundation grant as an Early Career Investigator, CIHR Maud Menten Early Career Prize in Genetics and recently received Canadian Cancer Society’s early career investigator award for her work and policy change.

 

Email: Yvonne.Bombard@UnityHealth.to

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Meet the Team

Associate Director 

Marc Clausen

Marc is an Associate Director in Genomics Health Services and Policy Research at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. Marc has background in health science research and business. Marc’s previous research has focused on creating computer counselling tools for HIV positive adults, assessing longitudinal risk behaviours in children of refuges and evaluating counselling interventions for homeless adults. He holds Masters degree in Anthropology, with an emphasis on Medical Anthropology.

Email: marc.clausen@unityhealth.to

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Lab Manager

Jordan Sam 

Jordan is a Genomics Research Data Scientist in Genomics Health Services and Policy Research. He completed his HBSc and MHSc at the University of Toronto with high distinctions and specialties in molecular biology and medical genomics. Jordan is currently leading genomic analysis for the Incidental Genomics and Genetics Adviser studies, as well as overseeing operations for the Impacts of Hereditary Cancer Syndromes study. His interests lie in conducting clinical genomics research to guide policy and best practices.

Email: Jordan.sam@unityhealth.to

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MSc Student/Research Coordinator

Sonya Gerwal

Sonya is a Research Coordinator in Genomics Health Services and Policy Research at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. She completed her B.Sc. at McMaster University in the Honours Integrated Science program, majoring in Biology and minoring in Geography and Earth Sciences. Sonya is interested in pursuing a career that combines her interests in molecular biology, patient-centered care, knowledge translation, and health policy.

Email: sonya.gerwal@unityhealth.to

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Research Coordinator

Shreya Shah

Shreya is a Research Coordinator in Genomics Health Services and Policy Research at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. She completed her B.A. in Health Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University and a post-graduate certificate in Human Resources Management from Conestoga College. Shreya has previous experience working as a Research Coordinator for various genetics-focused studies at SickKids Hospital, which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in genetics. She is the lead coordinator for the Towards Equity in Cancer Genetics study, where she continues to explore her research interests in cancer genomics and equitable access to genetic testing services for all patient populations.

Email: shreya.shah2@unityhealth.to

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Research Coordinator

Syed A K Shifat Ahmed

Shifat is a Research Coordinator in Genomics Health Services & Policy Research. He received his MHSc degree in Medical Genomics from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Ulster, UK. Shifat has been involved in global epidemiological research studies and served as a Research Fellow on a NIHR-funded project that explored healthcare options and usage among marginalized communities in Asia and Africa. He aims to apply his knowledge in genomics and experience from mixed-method health research studies to improve equity and access to genetic services in Canada.

Email: shifat.ahmed@unityhealth.to

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MD/PhD Student

Safa Majeed

Safa is an MD/PhD student co-supervised by Dr. David Malkin and Dr. Yvonne Bombard. During her PhD, she is pursuing an interdisciplinary project which a) uses computational tools to characterize the landscape of genomic secondary findings across pediatric cancer patients and b) evaluates health policy relating to genomic secondary findings to develop a methodological framework for their identification, analysis and management across medical disciplines. Safa previously completed a BSc in Life Sciences at Queen’s University and an MSc in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. She is also an advocate for student mental health and has been actively involved in advising and evaluating mental health policy in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Email: safa.majeed@mail.utoronto.ca

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PhD Student

Daniel Assamad

Daniel is a trained genetic counsellor and a PhD student in Genomics Health Services & Policy Research. Daniel completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Genetics, Physiology and Psychology and a Master of Health Science in Medical Genomics at the University of Toronto. He then went on to do a Master of Science in Genetic Counselling at UBC. Daniel has experience in Health Services research and has worked on developing a novel adolescent-reported outcome measure to capture the personal utility of genomic medicine. He is currently working in the Bombard Lab on the Genetics Navigator and Mainstreaming Advisor projects.

Email: d.abdassamad@mail.utoronto.ca

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MSc Student

Charlotte Calvez

Charlotte is a MSc student at the University of Toronto’s Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation studying Health Systems Research with an emphasis on Health Technology Assessment. She previously completed her Honours Bachelor of Medical Science at Western University with a focus on Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences. She has previous experience working as a research assistant with the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and volunteering with SickKids U-Link Care clinical trials database. Her research interests include health policy, healthcare access and equity. Her project at the Bombard Lab focus on the latter by developing guidance for equitable genomics research.

Email: Charlotte.Calvez@gmail.com

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Research Coordinator

Arielle Nsenga

Arielle is currently an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Biochemistry and Population Health at the University of Toronto. She has an acute interest in microbiology pathophysiology, and health disparities and epigenetics. Arielle is passionate about advocating for minorities, formerly spending time as a volunteer for Plan Canada. She is currently volunteering on a research project concerning participation of different minorities in genetic research and bio-banking.

Email: Arielle.Nsenga@mail.utoronto.ca

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Genetic Counsellor 

Kelvin Chang

Kelvin is a board-certified genetic counsellor in Genomics Health Services and Policy Research at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. He completed his BSc in Honours Biology at the University of Waterloo and his MSc in Genetic Counselling at the University of British Columbia. His graduate research focused on exploring genetic counsellors’ perspectives on family group genetic counselling appointments to guide effective practices. In the Bombard Lab, Kelvin is mainly working on the Mainstreaming Adviser, Cascade Adviser, Recontact, and Genetics Navigator studies.​

 

Email: Kelvin.Chang@unityhealth.to

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Summer Student 

Elizabeth Agyei

Elizabeth Agyei is Biomedical Sciences student at the University of Waterloo with a minor in Computing. She is passionate about integrating technology into medicine and medical research. Her interests lie in cancer genetics and understanding how care pathways can be adapted for diverse communities. As part of her current research team, she contributes to data extraction and analysis, helping to uncover insights that inform more inclusive healthcare solutions. She is particularly drawn to the intersection of health and technology, exploring areas such as computational biology, medical devices, and digital health tools that can enhance healthcare delivery and equity. Her interest in equitable healthcare stems from a desire to make advanced medical technologies more accessible to underrepresented populations.

Email:Elizabeth.Agyei@unityhealth.to

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Our Former Team Members

  • Emma Reble - Research Program Manager

  • Salma Shickh - Postdoctoral Fellow/Genetic Counsellor

  • Daena Hirjikaka - Research Coordinator/Genetic Counsellor

  • Ridhi Gopalakrishnan - Research Assistant

  • Rushil Dua - Medical Genomics Practicum Student

  • Vedika Jha - Research Assistant

  • Guylaine D’Amours - Postdoctoral Fellow

  • Saumeh Saeedi - Research Volunteer

  • Carly Butkowsky – MSc Student

  • Vanessa Rokoszak – Genomics Data Analyst

  • Vernie Aguda – Research Coordinator

  • Rita Kodida – Genetic Counsellor

  • Ilham Abbasi – Research Assistant

  • Keven Cheung – MSc Student

  • Kevin Navarro Hernandez – Research Volunteer

  • Suvetha Krishnapillai – MSc Student

  • Ella Adi-Wauran – MSc Student

  • Angela Shaw – Research Coordinator/Medical Genomics Practicum Student

  • Agnes Sebastian – MSc Student

  • ​Agnes Sebastian – MSc Student

  • Aishwarya Raguraman – Co-op Student

  • Clarissa Chan – Medical Genomics Practicum Student

  • Christina Di Carlo – Research Volunteer

  • Leslie Oldfield – Research Volunteer

  • Esha Joshi – Research Volunteer

  • Lindsay Carlsson – Research Volunteer

  • Theresa Kim – Research Collaborator

  • Laura McCuaig – Keenan Research Program Summer Student

  • Mariana Gutierrez Salazar – Research Coordinator & Genomics Data Specialist

  • Ruhi Kiflen – Research Coordinator

  • Selina Casalino – Co-op Student

  • Devangna Sharma – Undergraduate Research Student

  • Aarushi Gupta – Undergraduate Research Student

  • Sarah Muir – Co-op Student; Keenan Research Program Summer Student

  • Jessica Ho – Research Volunteer

  • Alessia Calvo – Co-op Student

  • Siddhi Manjrekar – Research Analyst

Join Our Team

We are currently accepting applications from PhD students. Each year, I admit MSc and PhD students for interdisciplinary research investigating the impacts of adopting new genomic technologies in clinical care. This research calls on the following methods: qualitative interviewing, surveys, clinical trials, behavioural and psychological outcomes, health technology assessment, health economics, patient engagement, deliberative democracy, mixed methods analysis. Interested candidates should email a CV, unofficial transcripts, and a brief research proposal (max 1 page). Candidates are strongly encouraged to google advice for effective proposal drafting. A strong introductory email is a great first step towards graduate school admission. Due to a high volume of emails, I only respond to emails that include the requested attachments. If you are interested in working with us, please contact Marc Clausen at marc.clausen@unityhealth.to.

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