Who we are
ScienceUpFirst is a national initiative that works with a collective of independent scientists, researchers, health care experts and science communicators.
The idea for ScienceUpFirst started with Senator Stan Kutcher and Professor Timothy Caulfield in the summer of 2020. Since then, we’ve grown into a funded initiative of the Canadian Association of Science Centres.
Founding Organizations
These organizations established ScienceUpFirst. The initiative is operated by the Canadian Association of Science Centres and continues to work closely with COVID-19 Resources Canada and the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta.
Supporters
These organizations provide funding for our work. Our funders do not influence the topics we cover or the words we use.
Executive Advisory Committee
We meet with these individuals regularly, and they help guide our strategy.
Marie-Eve Carignan
Associate Professor at the Department of Communication of the University of Sherbrooke and Head of Media Division, UNESCO Chair in Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism (UNESCO-PREV Chair)
Timothy Caulfield
Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, Univ. Alberta
Meghan Chapados
Assistant Lab Manager and Research Assistant, Morning Star Lodge
Imogen Coe
Professor, Chemistry & Biology, Faculty of Science; Dimensions Chair Member, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST) at Ryerson University & St. Michael’s Hospital; President, Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences 2020-2022
Amber Mac (MacArthur)
President, AmberMac Media Inc.
Marianne Mader
Executive Director, Canadian Association of Science Centers
Anthony Morgan
Founder, Science Everywhere; Science Communicator
Tara Moriarty
Associate Professor, University of Toronto (Infectious Disease research); Co-lead: COVID-19 Resources Canada; Executive team member: CanCOVID; Diagnostics Pillar lead, Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network
Samantha Yammine
Director, Science Sam Media
Coalition of Experts
These experts suggest topics for new posts and keep us up to date with the latest science.
Lisa Barrett
Assistant professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University
Chantal Barriault
Director, Science Communication Graduate Program, School of the Environment, Laurentian University
Tyler Black
Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC
Anna Blakney
Assistant Professor, Michael Smith Laboratories & School of Biomedical Engineering, MSFHR Scholar, University of British Columbia
Isaac Bogoch
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto; Infectious disease specialist; Clinician Investigator, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute
Colette Brin
Professor at Université Laval‘s Département d’information et de communication and the Director of the Centre d’études sur les médias
Tania Bubela
Professor and Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Tracy Calogheros
CEO, Exploration Place Museum & Science Centre, BC
Cora Constantinescu
Pediatric Infectious Disease, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
Zain Chagla
Associate Professor, McMaster University, co-Medical Director of Infection Control at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Consultant in Infection Control, Woodstock General Hospital
Christine Chambers
Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Children’s Pain and Killam Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology & Neuroscience; Scientific Director, CIHR’s Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health
Naheed Dosani
Palliative Care Physician & Health Justice Activist
David Goldfarb
Medical Microbiologist at the BC Children’s Hospital and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia
Kathryn Hill
Executive Director, MediaSmarts
Jonathan Jarry
Science Communicator, McGill Office for Science and Society
Jim Kellner
Professor, Departments of Pediatrics; Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases; and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Calgary Zone, Alberta Health Services
Vanessa Lapointe
Founder, The Wishing Star: Lapointe Developmental Clinic
Janine McCready
Infectious diseases physician at Michael Garron Hospital
Shazma Mithani
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta
Alex Munter
CEO, CHEO
Ubaka Ogbogu
Assistant Professor, Faculties of Law and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Law Centre, University of Alberta
Jesse Papenburg
Div. of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Pediatrics, Div. of Microbiology, Dept. of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University Health Centre
David M. Patrick
Director of Research and Medical Epidemiology Lead for AMR, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control; Professor, UBC School of Population and Public Health
Anne Pham-Huy
Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Allergy, University of Ottawa; Program Director, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Training Program, CHEO; Chair, Immunize Canada
Manish Sadarangani
Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia
Director, Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Physician Lead, Family Immunization Clinic, BC Children’s Hospital
Sauder Family Chair in Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Joe Schwarcz
Director, McGill Office for Science and Society
Gary W. Slater
Researcher in Residence, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; Full Professor, Department of Physics, University of Ottawa
Katharine Smart
President, Canadian Medical Association
Jonathan N. Stea
Clinical Psychologist, Adjunct Assistant Professor University of Calgary
Marva Sweeney-Nixon
Professor and Chair, Department of Biology; Faculty of Science, University of Prince Edward Island
Nisha Thampi
Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Investigator, CHEO Research Institute
Heidi Tworek
Associate Prof, Public Policy & History, UBC
Yanet Valdez Tejeira
Immunologist, Pathogenesis, COVID-19 Resources Canada BC Lead
Sabina Vohra-Miller
Co-Founder, Vohra-Miller Foundation
Staff
These people work on the ScienceUpFirst initiative that is operated by the Canadian Association of Science Centres.
Magda Byma
Director
Clare Charnley
Project Manager
Dr. Krishana Sankar
Science Advisor & Community Partnerships Lead
Rachel S
Manager of Communications & Social Media
Elyas Aissia
French Content Lead
Amanda B
English Content Producer
Dr. Thomas Milan
French Content Producer
Stéphanie G
Science Communicator
Eoghan Moriarty
Data Analyst
Amanda Fruci
Public Relations Strategist
Dr. Bensun Fong
Website Coordinator
Dr. Ashley Miller
Community Engagement Officer
Denis Chmoulevitch
Audience Engagement Specialist
Loizza Aquino
Administration Coordinator
Shannon Gilchrist
Events Coordinator
Staff Alumni
Jon Farrow
Former Manager of Communications & Social Media
Sophia B
Former English Content Producer
Expert Vetters
These experts check over our posts to make sure they are scientifically accurate.
Dr. Michael Sugiyama, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto
Dr. Maria Cecilia Gimenez, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto
Dr. Baijayanta Mukhopadhyay, MD
Family Practice Physician, Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay
Dr. Oluwaseun Adelekan, M.B.B.S, MScPH
Medical Editor, Klick Medical
Dr. Don Davies, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher, St-Boniface Hospital Research
Dr. Matthew Ratsep, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, McMaster University
Dr. Sajjad Fazel, PharmD, MPH
Postdoctoral Associate, University of Calgary
Dr. Amna Ejaz, MD
Epidemic Prevention and Control Specialist, Canadian Red Cross