Dr. Douglas Archibald is the Director of Research and Innovation and an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine with cross-appointments to the Department of Innovation in Medical Education and the Faculty of Education. Dr. Archibald holds a PhD in Education (University of Ottawa) and is an alumnus of TUTOR-PHC. His research interests are in health professions education, program evaluation and assessment, research methodology, and educational technology. Dr. Archibald is the lead for the Program for Research Innovation and Medical Education (PRIME) and works to support research development and evaluation of research projects designed to enhance undergraduate and postgraduate medical education as well as faculty development in the Department of Family Medicine.

 

Research interests: 

• Research in Health Professions Education 

• Educational Technology 

• Programme Evaluation

Dr. Carnegie’s research focuses on the development on online learning and self-testing tools that will actively engage students as they strive to understand the structure and function of the human body in both health and disease. She has been fortunate to have a number of undergraduate students through both the Faculty of Medicine summer studentship program and the undergraduate research opportunity program (UROP) who have contributed both their creativity and hard work to these projects. She is currently producing a number of patient-centered videos to support the study of pathophysiology and developing an online game to promote improved understanding of the health consequences of diabetes.

Dr. D’Ambrosio holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto and a MEd in Studies in Teaching & Learning from the University of Ottawa. Her research interests are centred on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in higher education with a focus on student and instructor perspectives on innovative instructional strategies, assessment design, and engagement methods in the classroom and laboratory.

My research interests focus on the following topics in the field of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in higher education: 

• Student & instructor perspectives on instructional & assessment strategies  

• Student & instructor perspectives on the challenges & barriers that impact learning 

• Student engagement, metacognition, and feedback literacy  

• Trauma-informed pedagogy (TIP) – exploring TIP as a pedagogical framework to support university teaching and learning in a world of evolving challenges 

Geneviève Gauthier holds a doctorate in cognitive psychology from McGill University and has over 20 years of experience in faculty development and program evaluation. Her research examines how teachers and programs support learning in complex educational settings, with a particular focus on evaluative judgment, program evaluation, and learning theories. 

For ASE students, I currently have two ongoing projects that may be of interest, and I welcome students questions and participation: 

• Peer-teaching in anatomy labs: How does the developing teacher identity of novice peer-teachers shape the way they navigate laboratory uncertainties—such as anatomical variance—and how do they interpret emotional responses (anxiety, confusion, excitement) as meaningful signals for pedagogical learning and professional growth? 

• Curricular tools in health education: How do syllabi and other curricular resources (e.g., learning management systems, schedules, program guides) help students understand, navigate, and engage with the curriculum? 

Dr. Hincke teaches human anatomy at the undergraduate medical education level in the Faculty of Medicine while pursuing research programs in hard tissue biology (biomineralization and antimicrobial protection), tissue engineering of articular cartilage and anatomical sciences education. His contributions to the Faculty have been highlighted over the years with an Award of Excellence, several recognition awards and the Excellence in Mentoring award.

Dr. Humphrey-Murto is the Associate Director – Education Scholarship with the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education (CiMED). As a clinician educator she maintains an active clinical practice in General Rheumatology, with special expertise in osteoporosis. She has held several leadership roles in education including  Deputy Registrar for the Medical Council of Canada, Co-Chair for the Education Research and Development Committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Program Director for Rheumatology, and Director of the Fellowship in Medical Education at the University of Ottawa.  She presently is the Research Director Education – Department of Medicine and Competence Committee Chair, Rheumatology.
 

She has been active in medical education research and currently holds a Tier 2 Research Chair for medical education research from the University of Ottawa. She is an international leader in the areas of learner education handover and the use of consensus group methods in education research. She provides research mentorship to students and junior faculty. She is cross-appointed to the Department of Innovation in Medical Education. 
 

Research interests: 

• Learner Education Handover 

• Consensus Methods (Delphi and Nominal Group Technique) 

• Rater Bias 

• Research Methods 

Dr. Alireza Jalali is a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Ottawa, an award-winning medical educator, and a recognized leader in educational innovation. For over 20 years, he has transformed anatomical sciences education through digital technologies, active learning, and student-centered approaches. Since 2020, he has served as Associate Dean of External Relations, Engagement and Advancement at the Faculty of Medicine, leading strategic initiatives to strengthen alumni relations, philanthropy, and community partnerships. 

Dr. Jalali is the founding architect of the Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) and the creator of Canada’s first bilingual Master of Applied Science in Anatomical Sciences Education. He previously served as Head of the Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy and as Social Media Advisor to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 

With over 90 peer-reviewed publications, numerous international presentations including TEDx, and more than 19 awards for teaching excellence and educational innovation, Dr. Jalali is widely recognized for his pioneering use of digital tools—such as podcasts, 3D printing, and social media—to enhance medical education and mentor the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Dr. LaDonna completed her PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University in 2014; her doctoral research explored patient and family centered care issues in chronic neurological illness. During her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Education Research and Innovation (Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University), Dr. LaDonna collaborated on research projects that examined (1) learning experiences in residency training programs, and (2) how expert clinicians understand and use their professional experiences—including career ‘turning points’, and clinical judgment in complex situations— to inform learners. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Innovation in Medical Education and the Department of Medicine, Dr. LaDonna is developing a program of research that broadly explores non-technical skills training; the initial focus of her work is to explore the potential role of patients and family caregivers as health professions educators and assessors. Dr. LaDonna has expertise in qualitative research methodologies including grounded theory and phenomenology, and visual research methods including rich pictures, photovoice, and photo elicitation.
 

Dr. LaDonna’s research interests focus on three key areas: 

• Health care providers’ perspectives about teaching, assessing, and practicing patient centered care 

• Innovating teaching and assessment of non-technical competencies 

• Meaningful engagement of patients/families in medical education and assessment 

Dr. LeBlanc earned her PhD in experimental psychology from McMaster University in 2001. Prior to joining the University of Ottawa in 2015, she was the Associate Director and a Scientist at the Wilson Centre for Research in Education, and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry and the Department of Medicine, at the University of Toronto. 

Dr. LeBlanc leads a program of research looking at the effects of emotions (particularly stress) on the learning, performance and mental health of health professionals and trainees. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, and regularly presents at national and international conferences. She also has a number of national and international leadership roles, including serving as member of the Association for Medical Education in Europe’s research committee, an Associate Editor of the journal Advances in Health Sciences Education, as well as working with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to advance simulation-based education. 

Dr. Leddy’s research interests focus on assessment in the biomedical sciences as well as selection criteria used in the medical school admissions process. In biomedical education, his research seeks to improve the delivery and retention of physiological and pharmacological knowledge. His current project is investigating the influence of concepts maps versus traditional study methods on the acquisition of core content in pharmacology. His interests in the medical school admissions process have concentrated on the validity and reliability of the autobiographic sketch as well as the use of an emotional intelligence (EI) test to predict admission to medical school and success during medical training. 

Research Interests:  

• Biomedical education 

• Medical school admissions 

Research interests:

• Emotion research, where Dr. McConnell examines the role of emotions and moods in the training, assessment, and performance of healthcare professionals 

• Pedagogical research, where Dr. McConnell investigates factors that modulate learning and knowledge transfer 

• Assessment and evaluation research, where Dr. McConnell examines the psychometrics of various types of assessments and evaluations of competency, with a special interest in constructs such as communication, compassion, and professionalism

Thirusha trained as a clinical psychologist in apartheid era South Africa and practiced in the public in South Africa until 2024. Her clinical work in South Africa focused on clinical and health psychology for infectious disease, severe mental disorders and the mental health of healthcare workers. Thirusha’s current research focus areas include the global politics and dynamics of knowledge production in Health Professions and Health Sciences Education and Global Health especially with regards to mental health and infectious disease. She explores on issues of social accountability, antiracism, social justice, and gender in global health contexts. Inspired to give voice and make space for women of colour in research and health Thirusha applies decolonising and diffracting methodologies in research e.g. research poetry as a method for deep reflexivity. Her research references critical, decolonial and feminist theory. 

Thirusha is Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow to the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge, UK and Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  She was a Karolinska Institute Prize in Medical Education (KIPRIME) Fellow in 2019 and is a Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow.  She will be Derek Brewer Fellow at Emmanual College Cambridge in 2026.  Thirusha is Canada Research Chair in Equity and Social Justice in Global Medical Education. 

Research interests: 

• Equity 

• Social Justice 

• Global Health 

• Anti-Racism 

• Mental Health 

• Research Integrity 

• Methodological Diversity 

Christopher Ramnanan completed his PhD in 2006 at Carleton University where his research focused on biochemical adaptation. He then participated in the Scientist-Educator Fellowship Program at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine where he performed research in glucose metabolism and trained as a medical educator in gross anatomy. His previous Faculty positions include an Instructor appointment at Vanderbilt University (2010-2011) in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and an Assistant Professor appointment at the Medical College of Georgia (2011-2012). Since joining the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine in 2012, Dr. Ramnanan has become an essential driver of basic science and anatomy education across the Faculty, particularly in Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) where he serves as Anatomy Content Expert, and the Director of Practical Examinations, leading all aspects of curricular and extracurricular anatomy teaching and assessment.
 

As of 2023, Dr. Ramnanan has also been appointed as the Director, Anatomical Sciences for the Faculty of Medicine. In addition to his leadership roles in UGME, his leadership portfolio also includes serving as Graduate Program Director for the Master of Anatomical Sciences Education Program. He has led the development, successful launch, and growth of this new graduate program which now includes both 12 month intensive and 20 month (with Research Project) offerings.
 

In 2015, Dr. Ramnanan was named to the Faculty of Medicine’s Distinguished Teacher Program, and has twice received the education scholarship-based American Association for Anatomy Young Faculty Award (2015, 2016). Dr. Ramnanan has also been recognized as the Faculty of Medicine’s Educator of the Year in Basic Sciences (2019) and Educator of the Year in Pre-clerkship education (2021).
 

His educational research focuses on optimizing cadaveric-based and clinically oriented anatomy education for both graduate and medical students, and enhancing scholarly teaching and research opportunities for trainees. His research in biochemistry, physiology, glucose metabolism, diabetes, and anatomy education has led to over 50 publications in journals such as Diabetes, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Academic Medicine, Medical Education, and Anatomical Sciences Education. His work has been presented at conferences including the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting, Experimental Biology, the Canadian Conference on Medical Education, and the American Association for Anatomy Annual Meeting. 

As a Medical Sociologist, Dr. Rangel’s research maps the ways in which medical education actors and institutions engage with material, political and cultural forces – from individual encounters in clinics and learning institutions to interactions with groups of patients, communities, populations, public and private institutions, and the state. Dr. Rangel’s research agenda draws from a diversity of social science theories and methodologies, including discourse analysis, interviews, arts-based methodologies and ethnographic approaches.   

Dr Savory’s research examines how transcription factors work during development. Since joining the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, she has investigated the upstream control mechanisms and downstream effects of Cdx genes, a key transcription factor family responsible for growth and patterning of the developing vertebrate embryo. She also teaches a range of topics in human anatomy and physiology to undergraduate students from several faculties. 

Following the completion of a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the University of Ottawa, Prof. Thibodeau received MITACS-funded postdoctoral training within the pharmaceutical industry. He then performed pre-clinical research as a Scientist with Liminal Biosciences Inc. prior to taking on senior roles with Health Canada’s Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch and the Office of Clinical Trials. Prof. Thibodeau has maintained active teaching activities throughout his career, as a Professor in the Biotechnology program at La Cité college since 2015. In 2022, Prof. Thibodeau was appointed Adjunct Professor with the University of Ottawa's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and recently to the department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine as an Assistant Professor since 2024. In addition, Prof. Thibodeau has been appointed Associate Director for the Translational and Molecular Medicine program. 

His past and future research interests include:  

• Renal pathophysiology, particularly mechanisms behind diabetic and hypertensive cardiovascular and kidney injury. 

• Development of translational animal models to better mimic human disease (kidney, hepatic, metabolic, cardiovascular) 

• Evaluation of anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic and/or pro-metabolic agents and targeted receptor characterization, aiming to move findings from bench to bedside in medicine. 

https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-medicine/dr-nadine-wiper-bergeron 

Timothy J. Wood received his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from McMaster University, followed by a one-year post-doc with the Program for Educational Research and Development (PERD) at McMaster. He spent 12 years with the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) as a manager, where he collaborated on many MCC research and development projects. He has been a professor in DIME since 2011. Dr. Wood’s research interests include improving quality assurance measures for the assessment of learners, developing tools to assess the impact of educational interventions, and improvements in the assessment of clinical skills. Of particular research interest is the role of rater cognition especially around the influence of first impressions in the judgments that raters make.
 

Dr. Wood is the 2024 recipient of the MCC Dr. Maureen Topps Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Assessment of Clinical Competence and the 2022 recipient of the Canadian Association for Medical Education Ian Hart Award for Distinguished Contribution to Medical Education. Dr. Wood is a Deputy Editor for Advances in Health Sciences Education, is currently the Director of CiMED's Healthcare Education Scholars Program and serves as a reviewer for a number of journals, grants and research meetings.   

See Dr. Wood’s published papers here: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9177-704X (ORCID)