Speakers
Learn from the Best
The Human Biology Summer Mentorship for Youth brings together faculty and emerging researchers to give students a panoramic view of careers in life sciences.
Faculty
Dr. Ron Wilson
Associate Professor, Teaching Stream · Associate Director, Human Biology Program
Dr. Wilson received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Toronto. In addition to his role as lecturer and course instructor since the program's inception, he has been integral to the development, implementation, administration, and coordination of the Human Biology laboratory courses. Dr. Wilson has served as the Human Biology Program Associate Director since 2004, supporting both teaching and overall program administration. In honour of his extensive contribution and outstanding achievement in undergraduate teaching, an award was established in his name: the "Ron Wilson Human Biology Student Achievement Award," given annually to the student who achieves the top grade from the Human Biology lab courses.
Dr. Haley Zubyk
Assistant Professor, Human Biology Program
Dr. Zubyk earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences from McMaster University, where she focused on antibiotic discovery and resistance. She joined the Human Biology Program in the summer of 2024 and currently teaches courses on infectious diseases and human biology. Dr. Zubyk's teaching philosophy centers on active learning, creating a safe and inclusive classroom environment, and supporting mental health through community building. Her research interests include enhancing undergraduate mental health — particularly for STEM students — and developing innovative course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) to provide students with meaningful hands-on research opportunities.
Dr. Naijin Li
Assistant Professor, Human Biology Program
Dr. Naijin Li received her PhD from the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, where she studied topics in developmental neuroscience and cancer biology, particularly human fetal neural stem cells and glioblastoma initiation. Dr. Li teaches a wide array of courses in the Human Biology Program and is passionate about supporting students. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, skating, and watching crime shows.
Career Panelists
Donghun Oh
Research Assistant · Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
HBSc in Neuroscience & Immunology (Psychology minor) at UofT. Co-author on a study investigating long-term bone marrow dysfunction following chemotherapy. Interests in biomedical research and community healthcare.
Yinhan Dechi Castro
MSc Applied Immunology · Mortha Lab, UofT
Master's graduate in Applied Immunology, with research developing novel tools to study protozoan heterogeneity. Industry experience as Research Associate Intern at Standard BioTools. Strong background in research design and scientific writing.
Aled Blundell
PhD Candidate · Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research
Specializing in Applied Genetics (Human Biology, 2024). Researches novel blood pressure therapies using bio-MEMS and generative AI in the Bolz and Simmons Labs. Previously worked on nucleic acid delivery in the Santerre Lab.
Breana Shehetila
Graduate Student · University Health Network
Breana Shehetila is a Master of Applied Science candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto and a graduate researcher at the University Health Network, working under Dr. Brian Wilson and Dr. Gang Zheng. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, specializing in Health and Disease with a minor in Immunology. Her research focuses on biomedical technologies for disease diagnosis and treatment, bridging engineering and clinical applications.
More speakers to be announced.
