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.

Partnering Organization

The initiative is currently operated by the Canadian Association of Science Centres in partnership with the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta.

Supporters

These organizations provide funding for our work. Our funders do not decide on the topics we cover nor 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

Glen Pyle
Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph; Associate Member, IMPART, Dalhousie University

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

Sophia Belyk
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

Michèle A
Membership Coordinator

Staff Alumni

Jon Farrow
Former Manager of Communications & Social Media

Expert Vetters

These experts check over our posts to make sure they are scientifically accurate.

Dr. Oluwaseun Adelekan, M.B.B.S, MScPH
Medical Editor, Klick Medical

Dr. Don Davies, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher, St-Boniface Hospital Research

Dr. Amna Ejaz, MD
Epidemic Prevention and Control Specialist, Canadian Red Cross

Dr. Sajjad Fazel, PharmD, MPH
Postdoctoral Associate, University of Calgary

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. Matthew Ratsep, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, McMaster University

Kyra Simone, MSc, MSCom
Doctoral Student in Earth & Environmental Science, McMaster University

Dr. Michael Sugiyama, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto