Exploring Careers for Postdocs

1024 512 Office of Research Trainees
Poster for the Exploring Careers for Postdocs event by UHN Postdoc Association and Office of Research Trainees. The poster says meet the panelists and shows photos of all four panelists. Dr. Sean Locke, Associate Professor Brock University; Dr. Anna Cranston, Strategy Analyst, Jonex Global; Dr. Darren O'Hara, Senior Scientist, Almac Discovery; Dr. Anusha Ratneswaran, Clinical Evaluator at Health Canada. February 28, 1-3 pm

Date

February 28 | 1 – 3 pm

Exploring Careers for Postdocs

The UHN Postdoc Association (UHNPA) in partnership with the Office of Research Trainees (ORT) invites you to hear perspectives on different career paths for postdoctoral fellows including positions in academia, industry, and government.

Join our four former postdoc panelists:

  • Dr. Anna Cranston, Strategy Analyst, Jonex Global
  • Dr. Sean Lock, Assistant Professor, Brock
  • Dr. Darren O’Hara, Senior Scientist, Almac Discovery
  • Dr. Anusha Ratneswaran, Clinical Evaluator at Health Canada

They will share advice and tips on the ins and outs of pursuing their career paths, offer insights into what led them to where they are today, and answer questions about their experiences and career

This career webinar will consist of 30-40 mins of talks by the panelists, followed by 1 hour of Q&A . There will also be a 20-minute networking session where attendees will have the opportunity to interact with panelists of their choice in breakout rooms.

By the end of this webinar, attendees should be able to think about ways to plan their career trajectories and reflect on how the experiences and advice of the panelists may inform their future career decisions.

All are welcome!

All event registrants are asked to make sure they have read and agree to abide by the ORT’s Code of Conduct.

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Anna Cranston, Strategy Analyst, Jonex Global

Bio: I’m a healthcare strategy analyst at a UK-based business development consultancy, where I specialize in Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and MedTech consulting. I have a Neuroscience and Pharmacology background, previously carrying out my PhD in Alzheimer’s Disease through a collaboration between UK biotech company TauRx Therapeutics and the University of Aberdeen. I am also a previous UHN trainee, having completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Parkinson’s Disease at the Krembil Research Institute at Toronto Western Hospital.

Dr. Sean Locke, Assistant Professor, Brock University

Bio: Locke is an Assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Brock University. He started his position in 2020 while he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia. He is a health behaviour change scientist who focuses on developing interventions to modify health-related cognitions and behaviours to help individuals rehabilitate back to a healthier functional status.

Dr. Darren O’Hara, Senior Scientist, Almac Discovery

Bio: I obtained my PhD in 2017 from Trinity College Dublin, where I worked on mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergetics in neuronal systems before starting a post-doc in Lorraine Kalia’s lab in early 2018. Here, I worked on a small molecule therapeutic which could be used to increase the clearance of the Parkinson’s associated protein alpha-synuclein. I also studied the effect of various mutations in LRRK2 on the accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the human post-mortem brain. In 2021, I was offered the position of Senior Scientist at Almac Discovery and the opportunity to work on DeUbquitinating Enzymes (DUBs) as a therapeutic target.

Dr. Anusha Ratneswaran, Clinical Evaluator, Health Canada

Bio: Anusha Ratneswaran, PhD, is a Clinical Evaluator in the Biological and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate at Health Canada where she evaluates the efficacy and safety of novel therapeutics. She obtained her doctoral degree in Physiology with a specialization in Musculoskeletal Health Research at the University of Western Ontario, and completed post-doctoral fellowships at Dalhousie University, and the University Health Network.

Register here.