Meet Marissa
Dream big, love fiercely, laugh often, and sparkle.
When I was 6 years old, I had a life-threatening infection. After this trying time, I wanted to make a difference in the world by saving lives as a doctor. Through various twists and turns, I was not drawn towards medical practice, but medical research.
I studied at the University of Ottawa, where I acquired my BSc, with Honours in Biomedical Science and a Minor in Philosophy. I then went on to earn my PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, under the supervision of Dr. Bernard Thébaud.
My mission for my research? To mitigate the complications of preterm birth with regenerative medicine-based therapies.
Science outreach was also a pinnacle part of my graduate studies. I was a Team Leader for Let's Talk Science and the Co-Chair of the StemCellTalks National Advisory Committee, where I was dedicated to educating the public about stem cell biology and ethics. Here's a cool video that I made with the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine to share my research with the public: Stem Cells Inked, Episode 3.
Following my PhD, I started my Postdoctoral Research Fellowship with Dr. Freda Miller and Dr. David Kaplan at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and later transitioned this role to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
During this time, I secured a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Frederick Banting and Charles Best Doctoral Award, a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, & an Excellence Scholarship from the University of Ottawa.
I believe it is important to think critically about the scientific process and the implications of our research for the public. For 7 years at the University of Ottawa, I was a teaching assistant for the Department of Philosophy, teaching Bioethics, as well as Scientific Thought & Social Values.
Here, my research digs deeper into better understanding brain stem cells during development, with the ultimate goal being to repair brain injury following preterm birth complications.
During my postdoc, I secured a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Michael Smith Laboratories Pathway to Independence Award.
I am currently the Chair of the Michael Smith Laboratories Postdoc Committee, a new initiative I started with a group of amazing postdocs, where we foster a better sense of community within the MSL.
My fundamental stem cell science expertise allows me to bring scientific insight into policy issues arising from regenerative medicine.
I am a Part-Time Research Associate with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Regina, supervised by Dr. Amy Zarzeczny. In this role, my goal is to inform various policy stakeholders about scientific advances to promote evidence-based decision making.
During my time as a postdoc, I also started training in the art of comedy. It started with improv classes and then progressed to stand-up. The wonderful mentors that I've had in this space encouraged me to lean into my scientific expertise and incorporate that into my comedy. I was hooked and wanted to combine all 3 of my passions (and dare I say talents) into 1 show to share with the public.
I founded "Science, Stand-Up, & Song" to connect the public to scientists within their community.
My love of hats started young.
Graduated summa cum laude baby!
StemCellTalks MC life
Here I am doing very important science things
My current research home at the Michael Smith Labs!
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My first professional comedy show was "Jokes Please!" in Vancouver. I was once again rocking a blazer.
My ultimate goal is to develop stem cell therapies to improve the lives of preterm babies and to help us make informed decisions regarding policies associated with those therapies. I also aim to communicate scientific findings, as well as ethical, social, and legal implications to the public in an engaging and approachable way.