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President

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Name: Muskan Alad PhD 4

Supervisor: Dr. Fackson Mwale

Program: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery

Project title: IL-1β-Induced DRG Neuronal Hypersensitivity is Abrogated by Link N

E-mail address: muskan.alad [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Nadiad, Gujarat.

Welcome to Experimental Surgery at Â鶹AV! As the President of ESGSS, my goal is to enhance your academic journey within our department. My own experience of pursuing online studies from my home country while working as a surgeon during the Pandemic, and then transitioning to a new country and educational system, always felt overwhelming. I understand the need for ample support, a listening ear, and resources to connect with the right people. My role is to be the bridge between our students and faculty, assisting in all possible ways. Never hesitate to reach out with any issues you might experience as a student, and I hope to see you at our upcoming events!

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VP Communications

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Name: Ida Derish PhD 3

Supervisor: Dr. Renzo Cecere

Program: Division of Cardiac Surgery

Project title: Study of patient-specific differences in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes after hypoxic injury

E-mail address: ida.derish [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec

Hello everyone! My name is Ida and I’m a PhD student studying heart repair and injury modelling in Dr. Cecere’s lab at the RI-MUHC. If chosen as your VP Communications, I will always make sure to keep you updated on the fun events going on in the Surgery department!

My goal is for every student to remain informed and engaged with their community. I have served as an active member of the ESGSS council for the last 4 years, and I believe I have both the know-how experience and the communication skills to pull this off! One thing is certain - whether it’s on our Facebook group, our Instagram page or in person, I am always happy to connect to answer any of your questions. I can’t wait to meet you all at the get-togethers or seminars organized at our department!

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VP Internal

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Name: Bianca Brini Msc

Supervisors: Dr. Sarkis Meterissian and Dr. Christine Maheu

Program: Division of General Surgery

Project title: Nurse Navigator during the pre-diagnosis phase of Breast Imaging: effect on Patient Stress, anxiety, and ease of transition to Breast Surgery Specialists.

E-mail address: bianca.brini [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec

Welcome to the department of Surgical and Interventional Sciences at Â鶹AV. As VP Internal of ESGSS, I am responsible for organizing social events. I find it very important that students have the opportunity to attend social events to meet with their faculty, form connections, and get a little break from everyday academic life. Additionally, I am responsible for intradepartmental relations and aim to provide you all with a memorable year full of extra-curricular activities. Do not hesitate to reach out and I hope to see you at our upcoming events.

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SecretaryÌý

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Name: Asmita Ghosh, MSc 2

Position: VP Secretary

Supervisor: Dr. Nicoletta Eliopoulos

Program: Division of Surgical and Interventional Sciences

Project title: Gene-modified Mesenchymal stem cells as Delivery vehicle for the treatment of Breast cancer

E-mail address: asmita.ghosh [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Kolkata, India

I'm a second-year MSc student, and VP Secretary in the Surgical and Interventional Sciences Graduate Student Society (ESGSS). My core responsibilities include documenting meeting minutes, maintaining business association records, and assisting the president. I aim to ensure transparent communication, seamless collaboration and unity among graduate students, residents, and post-docs in our department. By actively engaging with incoming and ongoing students, I hope to enhance the ESGSS experience through meaningful events and social gatherings, thereby facilitating positive changes in our community. Together, we will fortify the ESGSS and create a supportive society.

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Master'sÌýOmbudsperson​

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Name: Tanushree Paul

Program: M.Sc. Surgical and Interventional Sciences 1

Previous thesis project title: Fluorescence based assessment of drug binding in modified human serum albumin

E-mail: tanushree.paul [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Noida, India

I am Tanushree Paul, first-year student enrolled in the M.Sc. Experimental Surgery (Non-Thesis) program, running for the role of VP Communications.

Previously in my undergraduate university, I have worked with the student council as the Cultural Secretary. The on-field experiences that I have gathered in my tenure along with the honour to lead a team of 10-12 committee members for a span of a year makes me more confident and enthusiastic to take up this role. From managing and organizing different events to leading a group of enthusiastic undergrads is what made me particularly interested to apply for this role. The position has a distinctiveness to not only communicate under various concerns but also involve other fellow graduate students to improve their grad school experiences. To conclude, I am very much aware of the challenges that are essential to overcome in this demanding position. But I believe that with my positive attitude, enthusiasm, and constant readiness to improve I would be a desirable candidate.

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VP External

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Name: Jeffrey Sioufi, MSc 1

Supervisor: Dr. Sero Andonian

Program: Division of Urology (Surgical Education)

Project title: Team Training with Robotic Surgery Simulators: An Analysis of Communication and Surgical Skills

E-mail address: jeffrey.sioufi [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Montreal, Canada.

I am a medical graduate from Â鶹AV, currently in my first year of master’s in Surgical Education. As VP External, I represent the ESGSS during Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) meetings. I am also responsible for interdepartmental relations.

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VP Finance

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Name: Tarek Klaylat Ph.D 2

Supervisor: Dr. Rahul Gawri

Program: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery

Project title: Fabricating optimized implantable bioengineered ligament grafts for enhanced ligament repair

E-mail address: tarek.klaylat [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon.

Welcome to Surgical and Interventional Sciences at Â鶹AV! As the VP Finance of ESGSS, I oversee all the financial transactions and the budget of the student society. In addition, I work closely with other council members to organize academic and extracurricular events. As a previous class president and treasurer, I have experience in managing budgets and organizing curricular and extra-curricular events. I aim to utilize my previous experience to fulfill the duties of VP Finance and work with the other members of the student society to organize exciting events.

Health and Wellness Representative

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Name: Temitope Grace Joshua​

E-mail address: temitope.joshua [at] mail.mcgill.ca

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PhD Ombudsperson

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Name: Varsha Reddy Durgempudi, PhD 4

Supervisor: Dr. Anie Philip

Program: Division of Plastic Surgery

Project title: Role of soluble CD109 in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

E-mail address: varsha.durgempudi [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Hyderabad, India.

Hello! I’m Varsha, a 3rd year PhD student in the Department of Surgical and Interventional Sciences. As the PhD Ombudsperson of ESGSS, I am dedicated to fostering a supportive and harmonious research ecosystem. With a deep commitment to ensuring the well-being and rights of doctoral students, I pledge to champion transparency and fairness, and I envision a nurturing atmosphere where doctoral candidates revive and thrive. Feel free to reach out to me anytime!

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VP Academic

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Name: Pegah Rahimizadeh, PhD 3

Supervisor: Dr. Joanna Przybyl

Program: Division of Experimental Surgery

Project title: Targeting hexosamine biosynthesis pathway for the treatment of leiomyosarcoma and desmoid-type fibromatosis

E-mail address: pegah.rahimizadeh [at] mail.mcgill.ca

Hometown: Tehran, Iran.

In my role as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Surgical and Interventional Sciences Graduate Student Society (ESGSS), I am eager to coordinate a range of academic events aimed at enhancing the skillsets required for your smoother academic journey within our department. Your valuable participation is highly encouraged, and I invite you to share any ideas to make our department's events more fruitful. Please don't hesitate to contact me whenever you need to raise an issue; your concerns are important. I look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming events.