“At different points, I was inspired by different people – one day I wanted to be an architect, the next a doctor,” the scientist recalls.

This openness to exploration eventually led Hamad to earn her bachelor of science and master of science, both in pharmacy, at the University of Jordan.

Hamad spent five years as a clinical pharmacist in Saudi Arabia, where she developed a keen interest in maternal and child health and medication safety. Her interactions with patients and physicians regarding drug safety during pregnancy and childhood ignited a passion for research. That led her to pursue doctoral studies at UM’s College of Pharmacy in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Her PhD focused on the long-term safety of antibiotics used in early life, marking the beginning of her research career in Canada.

“Everything you do, you learn from, even if it’s something that you end up deciding isn’t for you,” she says. “There are skills that are transferable to other environments and careers.”

Early in her doctoral training, Hamad identified her passion for academia. She later undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at UM’s George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation, where she expanded her skill set, working alongside statisticians, data scientists, computer scientists and clinicians.

“I identified gaps in my skill set and used my doctoral and postdoc training to turn those gaps into strengths,” she says.

From presenting at international conferences to mentoring students, Hamad made deliberate choices that prepared her for her current role in academia.

Hamad, who received her PhD in 2020, is now an assistant professor in the newly created College of Community and Global Health, which was formerly the department of community health sciences in the Max Rady College of Medicine.

She holds a Canada Research Chair in population data science and data curation and is affiliated with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. Her research focuses on two key areas: transforming complex population data into research-ready datasets, and studying determinants and treatment effects related to mental illness in children.

She credits mentorship as a cornerstone in her career. Inspired by the women who supported her during her own academic journey, she is committed to empowering the next generation, particularly women pursuing careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Hamad says she finds joy in the variety of roles she plays. “One moment I’m mentoring graduate students, the next I’m fully engaged in research, and at other times, I‘m serving the university community. Each role keeps me learning and growing.”

She encourages graduate students to think strategically. “Know your goals, understand your strengths and gaps, and actively seek out opportunities that will help you grow into the career you want,” she says.

Hamad also emphasizes the importance of networking and making full use of university resources, such as writing workshops, library support and professional development programs.

When things get hectic, she returns to a simple but powerful mantra that guides her as a scientist and a person: “Approach yourself and others with kindness.”

Mughal, who grew up in Winnipeg, earned her bachelor of science in biochemistry at the University of Winnipeg, followed by her master’s in physiology at UM.

She completed her PhD from the department of human anatomy and cell science in UM’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences in 2019.

Her research focused on molecular pathways involved in congenital heart defects, especially as they relate to mitochondrial bioenergetics. She recalls one of her most cherished memories from grad school: isolating cardiac cells and then watching them grow and beat in synchrony.

“I will never forget the moment I saw those cardiac cells beating in a dish,” she says. “That moment taught me there’s beauty in every phase, whether you stay in science or take your skills into new spaces. What matters is being present, being curious and finding what brings you joy.”

During her graduate studies, Mughal proactively engaged with networking events and connected with professionals across sectors.

Reflecting on the invaluable connections she forged, she emphasizes the importance of gaining leadership and professional development experience through student networks and communities.

“Stay curious, communicate creatively, and never lose sight of your passion to learn and connect,” she says.

In her current role as the partnership and research program manager in the department of health and wellness at the Manitoba Métis Federation, Mughal leads a team of seven and manages multiple health research initiatives. The work is embedded in community-based research and public health.

“Now, my day-to-day is about building partnerships, designing qualitative studies and collaborating across sectors to address pressing health issues for the Red River Métis community. It’s very hands-on, with real-world outcomes and substantial translational opportunities.”

Collaboration is at the heart of the work, she says. “We lead community-driven projects, publish evidence-based health reports to inform policymakers, and meaningfully partner with local organizations.”

The research informs funding and advocacy efforts for the Red River Métis community, identifies gaps in care and contributes to service improvements, she says.

Reflecting on graduate school, Mughal says, “Critical thinking and soft skills – communication, networking, professionalism – are what have truly carried me.”

Her advice to current graduate students is simple: Start early. Begin building your network from Day 1. Get involved in student groups, seek out mentors and be open to pivoting.

Sometimes the path that brings the most joy is one you had not planned for, she says. She encourages students to live fully in each stage of their journey, be proud of every step they take and stay open to discovering new passions.

From dreaming of becoming a librarian as a child to project-managing national and international health research projects at Winnipeg’s Chronic Disease Innovation Centre (CDIC), her dedication to learning has been a driving force.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Winnipeg, Harasemiw completed her master’s in community health sciences in UM’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences in 2016, with a specialization in aging offered by the university’s Centre on Aging.

Her master’s thesis focused on understanding the relationship between social isolation, social support and mental health among Canadian older adults.  

Her passion for studying this age group was sparked by hands-on experience working in a personal care home throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies.

“I wanted to better understand the social, psychological and physical health of older adults – especially how we could improve their quality of life through research and interventions,” she says.

After graduation, Harasemiw began her professional journey as a research co-ordinator at the CDIC, a non-profit corporation that serves as the research arm for Seven Oaks General Hospital and the hospital’s Wellness Institute.  

Her curiosity and drive quickly propelled her into more senior roles that combined project oversight with data analysis.

“I have had the chance to grow through on-the-job training, workshops and leadership courses,” she says. “I’ve been lucky to work in a place that encourages career development and lifelong learning.”

Now, as a project manager, Harasemiw helps oversee more than 100 research projects spanning clinical trials, big data analytics and health innovation.

She writes grants and project proposals, manages timelines, facilitates knowledge translation and collaborates with teams across Canada and beyond. The CDIC’s collaborators include patients with lived experience of chronic illness.

What Harasemiw loves most about her work is the people she collaborates with. “The best part is that I get to work with a smart and engaging team in a community hospital, where each day brings something new and exciting,” she says.

Her graduate studies, she says, helped her build not only technical skills such as data analysis and academic writing, but also core competencies such as resilience and adaptability.

“Science is hard. Rejection is part of the process, whether it’s a failed grant application or a research setback. Grad school taught me how to rebound and keep pushing when something is worth pursuing.”

For current students, Harasemiw recommends exploring career options through student jobs, networking events and mentorship.

“I cannot overstate the value of mentorship. My grad school mentors, and later my workplace managers, played a huge role in helping me grow, not just professionally, but as a person,” she says.

She also highlights that mentors come in many forms – not just supervisors, but peers and colleagues who can help shape your perspective and career path.

Above all, she encourages students to find purpose in what they do. “Passion for your work and its potential impact is the driving force that gets you through challenges. That is what keeps me going.”

“Developing profound empathy towards people who are going through difficult times is one of the reasons I love nursing,” he says.

The nursing leader attributes his career success to the outstanding mentors who indirectly and directly helped him nurture his inner purpose.

Castaneda immigrated to Canada at age seven from Guatemala and grew up in Winnipeg. He completed his bachelor of nursing at UM in 2003.

He was working as a clinical resource nurse and co-chairing the nursing practice council at Health Sciences Centre (HSC) when the chief nursing officer there noted his leadership skills and suggested he consider earning a master’s degree.

That inspired him to return to UM. His master’s, completed in 2014, focused on health-care administration. He took a specific interest in emotional intelligence – the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions, and to recognize and respond effectively to the emotions of others.

Growing in self-awareness over time, understanding how others perceive him and learning to manage his emotions, he says, helped him to mature as a leader.

During his master’s studies, he had the opportunity to travel to Manitoba’s Northern Health Region and spend time with the same nurse leader who had encouraged him to pursue the degree. “It was a chance to say, ‘Thank you for leading me in this direction,’” he remembers.

Castaneda’s graduate degree prepared him to hold a series of manager and director positions at Victoria General Hospital, St. Boniface Hospital and HSC.

He emphasizes the importance of continually developing skills and growing as a leader. He holds a black belt certification in Lean Six Sigma, a team-focused managerial approach that seeks to improve performance by eliminating waste and defects. He also recently completed a quality management certification from UM.

He says managing and leading teams has enabled him to appreciate people with mixed skill sets and competencies. His greatest satisfaction comes from seeing members of his team develop, succeed and climb the ladder.

“I don’t consider my team members as them working for me,” he says. “It’s me working with them. They go on to make a difference in the lives of patients.”

While Castaneda held the director of medicine position at St. Boniface Hospital from 2017 to 2021, he was a key driver in supporting health care in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He now works for the Government of Manitoba as a process improvement specialist and is actively involved with the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba as a practice auditor.

What’s his career advice to current and future graduate students?

“Find mentors who are interested in your personal development. Find meaning and purpose in your education and your work to help you build resilience. Improve your listening skills to help you build knowledge.”

“I’m passionate about public health, public health surveillance, using data for action and doing my small part to make a positive impact on the health of the population,” the scientist says.

Growing up in Headingley, Man., Stuart Chester always wanted to help others. After completing an honours bachelor’s degree in genetics at UM, she earned her PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, also at UM.

During graduate school, she conducted HIV research at the National Microbiology Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Frank Plummer and Dr. Kevin Coombs. She also took part in what is now UM’s International Infectious Disease and Global Health Training Program.

Then a growing interest in applied epidemiology led to her acceptance into the Canadian Field Epidemiology Program at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). As a field epidemiologist in Ottawa from 2006 to 2008, Stuart Chester was deployed to provide critical epidemiological assistance, such as for a tuberculosis investigation in an Alberta penitentiary.

“I was able to work in intense settings and on multidisciplinary teams on everything from study design to data analysis, reporting, and making evidence-based recommendations for disease control and prevention measures,” she recalls.

After a stint volunteering with the World Health Organization in Ethiopia, she returned to PHAC, where she contributed to the H1N1 pandemic response.

In 2010, Stuart Chester moved into a senior public health officer-epidemiologist role at PHAC in Manitoba. For the next dozen years, her areas of focus ranged from syphilis to harm reduction to working in the office of Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, during the COVID-19 pandemic response.   

The skills that she had developed during graduate school, such as problem-solving, critical thinking and taking initiative, enabled her to succeed, she says.

Public health surveillance is near and dear to Stuart Chester’s heart. “It’s the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data and the use of the data for public health action,” she says.

In 2022, Stuart Chester started to take on more responsibility in public health leadership. Still based in Manitoba, she has held roles at PHAC including a senior advisor position and her current key role as a manager in the surveillance strategic planning and governance division of the agency’s data, surveillance and foresight branch. 

“I’m very interested in leadership opportunities that will allow me to foster new partnerships and challenge how we perform public health surveillance in the future,” she says, adding that mentoring new staff is a particularly satisfying aspect of leadership.

She has also served as a part-time assistant professor in community health sciences at UM’s Max Rady College of Medicine, teaching applied public health epidemiology. 

Stuart Chester’s career advice to graduate students is to “find mentors who inspire you, try new things and be collaborative.

“I’m always happy to speak with graduate students and to brainstorm ideas about opportunities in public health. It brings me great joy to help people with their career paths and progression, just as mentors have done for me.”

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Hunt started working at a bank right out of high school. For seven years, he progressed in his career while taking courses offered by the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

“I always wanted to do big things,” he recalls. “I really started understanding the value of education. I decided I wanted to take it all the way, to where I could get the maximum out of it.”

That led Hunt to leave the workforce and enrol at UM as a mature student. But before starting his bachelor of science, he had to take high school night classes. “I had been out of school for so long, I didn’t remember any of the sciences or math,” he says.

He completed his bachelor’s degree in microbiology in 2004 and continued at UM, earning a PhD in pharmacology and therapeutics at the Max Rady College of Medicine in 2012. After graduation, he and two friends who had also earned doctorates in the health sciences came up with the idea to start a company.

“We all had other options that we could have pursued, but instead we decided to start a business. We met weekly to do research so we could decide, if we go at this business, what’s it going to look like? What do we actually want to do? What’s the competition like?”

Today, Hunt is CEO of Intrinsic Analytics Inc., the company the trio co-founded in 2012. As a bioinformation services provider, the company offers many kinds of occupational health testing, such as drug and alcohol, hearing, vision, respirator fit and lung capacity testing. It also offers personal services such as DNA paternity testing.

Hunt is particularly proud that the lab at Intrinsic Analytics was the first private one in Manitoba to perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for COVID-19.

Looking back, Hunt says he has acquired layers of learning. His banking days gave him knowledge about customer service, corporate organization and business culture. In graduate school at UM, he gained experience in research, communication and giving presentations.

“All of the knowledge and skills I gained in grad school, I ended up having to use when we got into business,” he says. “It was a huge benefit to be able to bring science to business and business to science.”

Hunt’s responsibilities as CEO have evolved over time. At the beginning, “you’re doing a little bit of everything to make your business survive,” he says.  

“Now I help guide the business so that we can evolve and grow into new markets. It’s understanding what the trends are so that we can always meet the needs of our clients.”

What wisdom would Hunt offer to students? “You’re never done learning, and your education does not define what you’re going to do.

“Expose yourself to as many different ways of thinking and as many different experiences as you can. That will form the basis for how you’re going to solve problems and come up with ideas.”

“But I wasn’t sure if I had chosen the right path,” she remembers.  

Realizing that this was not what she wanted to do long-term, Ludke reflected on her experience as a volunteer in a research lab. “I really liked research and I thought, you know what? I’m not over with school.”

Ludke went back to university and earned her master’s in physiology. She then came to Canada in 2008 to pursue her PhD in physiology and pathophysiology at UM, based at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at St. Boniface Hospital. Her research there focused on the cardiac damage associated with cancer drugs.  

“I found my passion asking questions and participating in research projects to answer them,” she says.  

Ludke’s next move was to the University of Toronto in 2013 for postdoctoral cardiovascular research. She then took a position in a translational research lab, where the focus was on translating insights discovered through basic science to potential clinical applications. This position was more business-oriented, and grants were aligned with industry needs.

“The transition from Winnipeg to Toronto really opened my mind,” she says. “Talking to people who had the same research passion, but with different career interests, was really good.”

Since 2018, Ludke has been an assessment officer with Health Canada in Ottawa. She is responsible for reviewing cardio-renal drugs before they are approved for sale in Canada.

There is a rigorous review process in order for drugs to be approved, which can take up to 300 days. Sometimes additional data or research is required before a drug can be approved.

Ludke’s responsibilities include reviewing clinical data, providing critiques and making recommendations for approval. She credits her critical analysis skills to experience she gained as a graduate student. “My supervisor gave me papers to appraise data and to critically review with him, and that exercise was really helpful.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of her work is ensuring that drugs don’t pose undue risks to the public. “Safety is our first priority. I feel like the contribution to the safety of Canadians is what’s most important in what I do.”

Ludke says her graduate program at UM developed her capacity to value a range of perspectives.

“In graduate studies we interact with a diverse group of people. In research, there is also a diversity of opinions; based on the same facts, you can get to a different conclusion. Respecting that we all come from different backgrounds is an important transferable skill.”

Her advice for graduate students is that no matter how difficult the situation, there are always opportunities for learning.

“I didn’t have a set goal or final career destination in mind, and it worked in my favour because I enjoyed the experience of each job that I had, each academic lab that I joined, or each interaction that I had at a conference. Those are really good learning opportunities to be open and expand your view.”

That means she has to stay current on the latest products – from gene-editing techniques to protein expression systems – and familiarize herself with a huge range of lab experiments and tests conducted in hospital, commercial and academic settings.       

“I wear a lot of hats,” says Fitch, a graduate of the UM master of science program in immunology.

Fitch, who grew up in Fredericton, fell in love with immunology while pursuing her undergraduate degree in biochemistry at the University of New Brunswick.

She investigated graduate programs at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, but these big campuses felt daunting, and she felt that the many sub-departments complicated her search process.

When she looked at UM, it was attractive for several reasons. It had the smaller-city feel that she was used to and was family-friendly. Most importantly, the department of immunology in what is now the Max Rady College of Medicine had an excellent reputation. “It checked all my boxes,” she recalls.

After graduating with her master’s in 2013, Fitch was hired in 2014 by Thermo Fisher Scientific to work in Toronto. The U.S.-based company is a global provider of scientific instruments, equipment, software and many other products for labs.  

Fitch started as a supply centre specialist and quickly worked her way up. She became an application specialist, then moved into her current role as an account manager with the company’s biosciences division, covering some of Canada’s largest research institutes, including the Hospital for Sick Children and University Health Network.

She supports bioscience researchers as they undertake new techniques and projects, providing them with information about the best resources, supplies and equipment for their needs. She also manages product pricing and equipment demonstrations with the goal of enabling innovation and discovery.

Fitch says she loves interacting with many different people and enjoys playing a part in the world-class research that emerges from the research labs in her territory.

During her time as a master’s student in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, she gained essential skills that helped her to achieve success in her current career.

“I learned a lot of the basics in the lab,” she says. “Learning things hands-on really makes you understand the complications researchers face.”

Developing fundamental research skills prepared Fitch to be more “relatable” to the customers with whom she interacts and more helpful when assisting with troubleshooting, she says.

Reflecting on her time at UM, she also credits serving on the immunology graduate student council with enhancing her self-confidence and interpersonal skills. “It really helped me break out of my shell and be more outgoing,” she says.

Fitch has advice for Rady Faculty graduate students as they contemplate their next career step: Think outside the box and look at all possibilities.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and ask them about their jobs,” she says. “You don’t know where life is going to take you.”

“After I graduated, I thought I wasn’t prepared,” she remembers. “Then I started working, and I suddenly realized that everything I had learned was coming together.”

Stoesz’s first job after earning her master’s was at the Centre for Adult Psychiatry in Brandon, Man., where she worked with adults with severe mental illness and led group sessions on anger management and coping skills.

She went on to work at Winnipeg’s Macdonald Youth Services with youth who had concurrent mental health and substance use disorders.

These positions increased her confidence, she says, and introduced her to different aspects of occupational therapy while she gained experience interacting with clients.

Stoesz is now a rehabilitation counsellor with the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, in partnership with Community and Youth Corrections (Youth Justice Project). In this role she facilitates youth access to counselling, meets individually with youth clients to work through alcohol and drug assessments and treatment plans, leads group sessions and delivers educational programming.

“My goal is to provide a safe, unbiased space where young clients can talk openly, without fear of judgment or repercussion, and work toward positive change,” Stoesz says.

“I enjoy partnering with clients to identify what kind of change they want to make and how they will draw on their strengths and resources to make that change.”

When she was searching for jobs, one challenge Stoesz faced was that not all employers understood how well occupational therapists’ skill sets prepare them for positions beyond traditional OT roles.

“A big thing I had to do was educate people about what occupational therapy is and why I’m a good fit for these positions,” she says.

Stoesz, who grew up in Winnipeg and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, says the skills she developed through her two-year occupational therapy master’s program have been vital to her success. As a graduate student at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, she learned to assess clients using occupational therapy models.

These models focus on the interaction between occupation (self-care, productivity, leisure), environment (physical, cultural, social) and the person (physical, mental, emotional).

“We used this holistic approach for both assessment and intervention,” Stoesz says. “We worked through hours of case studies that prepared me well for the role I have now.”

Stoesz also credits her OT education with preparing her to communicate with all the professionals who are typically attached to high-risk youth clients.  

“During my OT practicum placements, I experienced working with a multidisciplinary team, clarifying and defining roles, communicating about the interventions I was delivering, and advocating for the needs of the client in person and in writing.

“Clear, thorough, effective documentation is such a large part of my job. I recognize now that all the written assignments and feedback in the OT program were really honing my skills in this area.”

“In industry, I thrive on the fact that every day presents a new challenge. The problems are real, the stakes are high, and you have to rely on your training and experience to solve problems quickly,” says the entrepreneurial scientist.

“It’s also important to me to guide and support students, because receiving strong mentorship was one of the keys to my success during my PhD and postdoctoral training.”

Guppy, who grew up in Winnipeg, earned his bachelor’s degree in genetics before completing his PhD in biochemistry and medical genetics in 2016 in the Max Rady College of Medicine.

In the pharmaceutical sector, he is the co-founder, chief scientific officer and head of laboratories at three Winnipeg-based companies: BioScision Pharma, a licensed producer of cannabis products; BioScisionLabs, a Health Canada-accredited analytical chemistry laboratory; and BioScision Diagnostics, a human diagnostic laboratory accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

As an academic, Guppy has an affiliated appointment as assistant professor of biochemistry and medical genetics at UM and is research chair in the department of genomics at Red River College Polytechnic.

Guppy completed postdoctoral fellowships in Austria (2016-18) and at UM (2018-20) before co-founding the BioScision group of companies. Believing that postdoc training offered an ideal chance to explore a field unrelated to his PhD, he shifted his focus from genetic therapies for colorectal cancer to the field of antibody engineering, and then to combinatorial drug therapies.

“Make yourself uncomfortable, put yourself in an uncomfortable situation where you don’t know the materials, then learn the materials and attempt to thrive,” Guppy advises.

“You’ll grow as an individual, you’ll grow as a scientist, you’ll grow as a human being, and you’ll gain another skill set. It will make you a great candidate for industry or academia.”

At BioScision Diagnostics, Guppy simultaneously manages and mentors, overseeing several technicians and reviewing data to ensure accuracy. He also handles business development strategies, managing new client intake, setting up legal contracts and working with physicians to identify new testing platforms and strategies.

BioScision Diagnostics regularly performed more than 1,500 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests per day during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lab services both the public and private sectors, providing urgent test results.

“This is 100 per cent a Manitoba story,” Guppy says. “Virtually all our staff scientists were trained in Manitoba, at either UM or Red River. We need to retain our highly skilled, homegrown scientists and simultaneously keep our dollars in the province.”

Asked to name the most important skill he acquired during graduate school, Guppy says, “Writing.”

He credits his UM advisors, Dr. Kirk McManus and Dr. Tamra Werbowetski-Ogilvie, with developing his writing and critical thinking skills while he was a graduate student and postdoc.

“Effective communication straddles the academic and business worlds,” he says. “At all stages of my career, strong written communication skills have helped me achieve my goals.”