LAB MEMBERS
Meet the people behind Praxis Lab
Directors
Stella Ng | Paula Rowland
Coordinators
Gabrielle Santullo | Xinyan (Maggie) Qian
Members
Farah Friesen | Victoria Boyd | Melanie MacKinnon | Grecia Alaniz | Sanne Kaas-Mason | Andrea Pozo-Barruel | Sandalia Genus | Ilaria Salvatori | Rashan Edwards
Stella Ng
Affiliations:
Director & Scientist, Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE)
Program Lead, Teaching for Transformation
Scientist, The Wilson Centre and The Institute for Education Research
Associate Professor, Department of Speech-Language Pathology & Rehabilitation Sciences Institute & Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto
Research focus:
Advancing knowledge of critical reflection and application of critical pedagogy in the health professions/sciences to foster more collaborative, compassionate, and ethical health care and health science.
In what way does your work embody praxis?
Through my research I aim to overcome false dichotomies that divide otherwise aligned people: knowledge creators and knowledge users; research and practice, professionals and patients/clients, institutions and communities, qualitative and quantitative, technical and artistic, and more. I draw upon epistemologies of practice and critical perspectives on knowledge and knowledge mobilization to inspire nuanced dialogue and propel meaningful growth/change.
Links:
Google Scholar | ResearchGate | LinkedIn | University of Toronto
Farah Friesen
Affiliations:
Manager, Research & Knowledge Mobilization, Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE)
Education Investigator I, The Institute for Education Research (TIER), University Health Network
Biography:
Farah's main research interest is in critically examining traditional academic performance indicators, encouraging alternative perspectives on metrics, and working towards a broader (re)definition of research and educational impact. She is interested in exploring ways to work together and recognizing diverse forms of contributions. In her spare time, Farah enjoys thinking about mind-body dualism; following philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience work on free will/determinism; and loves musical theatre and film.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
In systems where incentives (metrics) and structures may pit us against each other, let's support one another through #CollaborationNotCompetition. We can engage in #ResistanceThroughCollaboration. We do not have to reproduce what has come before. Together, we can transform our ways of being and role model new relationships, processes, and practices. Farah extends these efforts in support of CACHE's Research integration, Innovation, Scholarship, and Evaluation (RISE) portfolio.
Links:
Victoria Boyd
Affiliations:
Education Reseacher and Developer, Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education
Associate Member, CanChild Centre for Childhood-Onset Disability Research
Scholar, The Wilson Centre
Affiliation:
Victoria is interested in the ways we can leverage health professions education to enhance interprofessional collaboration in healthcare and rehabilitation. Her research explores how critical reflection and dialogue impact the ways health professionals communicate, collaborate, and advocate with patients, families, and other health professionals. The goal of her work is to translate these insights into educational design to support health professionals in providing collaborative, compassionate, and equitable care to all.
Victoria holds a PhD in health professions education research from the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, a Master of Professional Communication from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a Honours Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology from the University of Toronto.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
My work embodies praxis through the integration of research, education design, and collaborative action. At CACHE, I work across the Curriculum portfolio and the Research integration, Innovation, Scholarship, and Evaluation (RISE) portfolio, supporting the integration of emerging evidence into the IPE Curriculum and conducting research that addresses pressing questions and challenges in the evolving landscape of interprofessional education and collaborative practice.
Links:
Google Scholar | LinkedIn
Melanie MacKinnon
Affiliations:
PhD Student, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and The Wilson Centre
Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Physiotherapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Biography:
Melanie MacKinnon is a PhD student in Health Professions Education Research (HPER) doctoral concentration offered by the institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, in collaboration with the faculty of the Wilson Centre, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Melanie is a practicing Physiotherapist, and she holds an Assistant Professor, teaching stream position in the Department of Physiotherapy, in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She completed a Master of Clinical Science in Physiotherapy (Manual Therapy) at Western University, a Master of Science in Physiotherapy from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Science Kinesiology (First Class Honours) from Dalhousie University.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
Under the supervision of Dr. Stella Ng and Dr. Sarah Wright, Melanie's research aims to explore assessment strategies to support humanistic and social aspects of clinical practice.
Links:
Grecia Alaniz
Affiliations:
Research Fellow, Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University Health Network, University of Toronto
Research Officer, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Optimizing Teams for Interprofessional Care in Primary Health Care (OPTIC-PHC)
PhD Student, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University
Biography:
Grecia Alaniz is a Research Fellow at the Wilson Centre, as well as a PhD Candidate in the Health Professional Education doctoral program at Western University, and a practicing pelvic health physiotherapist. She completed her Master of Science in Physiotherapy and Honours Bachelor of Science (Kinesiology) at McMaster University. Grecia's research interests draw on the intersections of reproductive and sexual health, technology, and critical health discourses. Through her doctoral work, Grecia aims to understand the ways in which dominant discourses shape and inform the use of various reproductive technologies in maternity care provision, based on the experiences of maternity care providers. Grecia is also the recipient of the SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral) for 2022-2025.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
My doctoral research examines the discourses shaping maternity care practices with the aim to inform critical reflexive pedagogies that shift maternity care practices toward more equitable, inclusive approaches to care across professions.
Links:
Google Scholar | LinkedIn
Sanne Kaas-Mason
Affiliations:
Research Officer, Continuing Professional Development, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Faculty Member, Centre for Faculty Development, Unity Health Toronto/Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Biography:
My program of research focuses on collaborative work in a health and social care system that is shifting towards community-located care and service. I have a specific interest in understanding how providers navigate inequities or hierarchical distributions of power, including in collaborative practice that is mediated by virtual conferencing technology.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
I consistently seek to understand the mutually constitutive elements of theory and practice. To accomplish this, I turn to qualitative research methodologies underpinned by critical and sociomaterial conceptual lenses.
Links:
Andrea Pozo-Barruel
Affiliations:
Research Fellow, Wilson Centre, University Health Network
PhD Student, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Biography
Andrea Pozo-Barruel is a PhD student in the Health Professions Education Research program at the University of Toronto. Her previous work as a paediatric Speech-Language Pathologist inspired her interest in disability and family engagement. Andrea's work focuses on how language and values shape professional practice and has been used by health care professionals and educators to support students with disabilities in learning environments. She brings expertise in learning processes, curriculum design and works to make knowledge clear and accessible to diverse audiences.
Andrea enjoys reading non-fiction, experimenting with DIY projects, and is always on the hunt for a good cup of coffee.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
My work focuses on bridging research and practice through inclusive, critical approaches to learning, with an emphasis on making knowledge usable, accessible, and impactful in educational and clinical contexts
Links:
Sandalia Genus
Biography:
Sandalia Genus has a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in social anthropology from Simon Fraser University. She is a Research Associate at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Adjunct Professor (status only) in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. She holds appointments as an Affiliate Scholar at CACHE and a Scholar at the Wilson Centre. She has conducted numerous ethnographic, qualitative and mixed-methods studies about medical education, health partnerships, and integrated care in Tanzania, Europe and Canada. Sandalia is interested in how digital systems and AI technologies play a role in collaborative care provision.
Links:
Ilaria Salvatori
Affiliations:
PhD Candidate in Human Sciences (Pedagogy), University of Verona
Visiting Scholar, The Wilson Centre, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Biography:
Ilaria Salvatori is a Radiographer with over ten years of clinical experience and a PhD candidate in Pedagogy, researching and teaching in the field of Healthcare Professional Education (HPE). She is currently a Visiting Scholar at The Wilson Centre (University of Toronto). She holds a Master's Degree in Health Professions of Technical Diagnostic Sciences, a Master's Degree in Healthcare Profession Management and Coordination, and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychosocial Disciplines.
She has extensive teaching experience as an Adjunct Professor in Italian universities, contributing to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in radiography, radiation protection, and HPE. Her research focuses on how healthcare technologists develop professional identity and clinical judgment at the intersection of technological expertise, medical humanities, and ethics in technologically intensive healthcare settings.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
Ilaria's work integrates research, teaching, and lived experience to explore how professional identity is formed through relational and practice-based learning. Her research examines how compassionate, reflective, and student-centred educational practices shape healthcare professionals' development. By combining qualitative inquiry with direct engagement in teaching and clinical education, her work bridges theory and practice, positioning education itself as a relational act of care.
Links:
Rashan Edwards
Affiliations:
PhD Student, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and The Wilson Centre
Biography:
Rashan Edwards is a Research Fellow at the Wilson Centre, and a PhD student in the Health Professions Education Research (HPER) doctoral concentration offered by the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, in collaboration with the faculty of the Wilson Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Rashan completed a Masters in Occupational Therapy at Queen's University and a Bachelor of Art& Science in Biology and Family and Child Studies at the University of Guelph. Her clinical work focuses on pediatric neurorehabilitation in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Under the supervision of Dr. Stella Ng, her research aims to explore the ethical implications of healthcare professional students participating in international fieldwork opportunities.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
Rashan's doctoral research is grounded in a transformative paradigm of social justice, aiming to foster more inclusive and equitable practices within health professions education.
Links:
Xinyan (Maggie) Qian
Affiliations:
Department of Linguistics, University of Toronto
Biography:
Xinyan is an undergraduate student in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about children's language development, children's language disorders, and early language acquisition. Her research interests mainly focus on designing pedagogical language resources, exploring effective teaching strategies for children with language learning difficulties, and developing early interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. She aspires to continue dedicating her work to supporting children's development, particularly through speech-language pathology and applied behavior analysis services.
In what ways does your work embody praxis?
Drawing on various linguistic theories of language acquisition and development, I apply these concepts to design pedagogical resources and teaching strategies that support children with language learning difficulties. I also strive to create meaningful, community-oriented contributions that could bridge academic knowledge and real-world impact.