Research Technician II at Brain Tissue Biobank (BTB), Unity Health Toronto (UHT), Ontario Tumour Bank (OTB), Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), St. Michael's Hospital, Neurosurgery (2025-10 – Present)
- Worked closely with St. Michael's Hospital Biobank Program Manager to support collaboration of Brain Tissue Biobank and Ontario Tumour Bank by maintaining documentation of banked cases.
- Continuously informed the partnering site on biobanking progress and consent statistics to ensure efficient sample collection and transfer.
- Accurately documented banked cases and associated clinical data on LabVantage Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) by retrieving data from pathology records of consented participants, in compliance with Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS 2) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards.
- Proactively requested data reports from OTB analyst for revision of archived data on LabVantage LIMS.
- Processed blood samples to derive buffy coat and circulating nucleic acid component, followed by cryopreservation accounting for sample integrity and safety regulations.
- Formalin fixed, processed, and paraffin embedded tumour tissues according to established laboratory SOPs.
- Maintained UHT-site logs of participant information, consent status, sample quantities, and processing times.
- Coordinated contribution of BTB to Cure51 Rosalind Study, French-based research, by identifying participants that meet inclusion criteria and retrieving hospital archived samples and records.
- Fulfilled requests and completed BTB database by continuously collaborating with neurosurgery, pathology, and imagining hospital departments.
- Contributed to development of a centralized sample and data catalogue for Ontario Biobanks collaborative network with a goal to streamline the process of biospecimen requests and provide researchers with comprehensive information on data type availability.
Research Assistant (Co-op) at Brain Tissue Biobank, Unity Health Toronto (UHT), St. Michael's Hospital, Neurosurgery (2024-01 – 2024-08)
- Assisted in the preparation of the Research Ethics Board (REB) submissions and amendments, ensuring that related documentation met regulatory and ethical requirements.
- Managed front-end development of the Brain Tissue Biobank website in close collaboration with the IT department.
- Sought informed consent and provided patient education on the purpose of biobanking, answering questions related to participation and patient privacy.
- Assisted in sample collection and preservation, ensuring sample integrity and accurate case documentation in the database.
Research Assistant (Co-op) at Brain Tissue Biobank, Unity Health Toronto (UHT), St. Michael's Hospital, Neurosurgery (2023-05 – 2023-08)
- Organized and maintained participant data in the biobank information management system.
- Revised and updated language of study protocols and informed consent forms for the initial submissions to the REB, as well as annual study renewals.
- Routinely and accurately extracted sample related data from the database in accordance with study inclusion criteria.
Data delivery specialist (Co-op) at MedChart Inc (2022-01 – 2022-04)
- Efficiently sorted and uploaded medical records, referrals, and pharmaceutical prescriptions onto the platform to facilitate automated record release for healthcare providers and legal professionals on behalf of clients.
- Facilitated invoice and payment processing for digital records requests.
- Supported and documented communication and record retrieval progress on the platform whilst complying with HIPAA regulations.
