IDSTEM 2022 Keynote Speakers & Panelists

KeyNote Speaker: Dr. Parshati Patel (she/her)
March 12, 2022 at 11:40am

Dr. Parshati Patel, PhD is an Astrophysicist turned Science Communicator, and STEM Educator based in London, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Patel is an Educational Outreach and Communications Specialist at Western University’s Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. She is currently away from the position on secondment. Dr. Patel has a PhD in Astronomy and Planetary Science & Exploration from Western University. Post Ph.D., she transitioned into the field of Science Communication and Education to pursue her passion for engaging and inspiring the next generation of space explorers. A fun fact about Dr. Patel is during her high school days, she was a national-level roller speed skater. She played 3 nationals before hanging up her skates to study science.

KeyNote Speaker: Dr. Matthew Davison (he/him)
March 12, 2022 at 12:10pm

Dr. Matthew Davison, PhD grew up in Hamilton Ontario and studied Engineering Geophysics at the University of Toronto and Applied Mathematics at Western University, with postdoctoral research at the University of Bern. After a few years working at a European Investment Bank as a trading floor “quant”, Dr. Davison accepted a faculty position at Western University in 1999. Dr. Davison was Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Quantitative Finance between 2006 and 2016 and chair of the department of Statistical & Actuarial Sciences from 2014-2017. He has been Dean of Science since 2018. Dr. Davison is very proud of the successes of his many doctoral, masters, and undergraduate thesis students and of the outstanding way in which his colleagues in the Western Faculty of Science have courageously coped through the current pandemic. A fun fact about Dr. Davison is he is well known for his role instigating parties among the Western Deans.

KeyNote Speaker: Jasmine Shaw (she/her)
March 12, 2022 at 12:40pm

Jasmine Shaw is a professional engineer, entrepreneur, and changemaker. With 5+ years’ experience in systems engineering and project management across the aerospace and tech industries, she currently works as a Technical Program Manager at a SaaS company. Jasmine has been a passionate advocate for women in STEM for nearly 10 years, and has championed initiatives across academia, industry, and non-profit sectors, both locally and nationally. In addition to her day job, she runs a career coaching business that helps women in STEM achieve their full potential and build wealth. Jasmine lives on unceded Algonquin territory (Ottawa), and when she is not working, spends her time enjoying the great (albeit cold) outdoors. A fun fact about Jasmine is she recently learned how to sail and loves spending time on the water!

KeyNote Speaker: Dr. Yara Hosein (she/her)
March 13, 2022 at 9:15am

LinkedIn: yara-hosein-0aa6b8107
Twitter: @ykhosein

Yara Hosein, PhD, is a proud Western alumna with a passion for advancing med-tech innovations in the improvement of patient care, clinical outcomes, and user experience. Dr. Hosein completed her bachelor’s in Medical Biophysics and doctorate in Biomedical Engineering at Western University. Following her academic training, she worked in the medical devices industry utilizing metal and plastic additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D-printing) for the fabrication of specialized and customized devices. Recently, Dr. Hosein joined WORLDiscoveries as a Business Development Manager, where she contributes to new ventures at Western University helping clinician-scientists and researchers translate and advance their medical technologies through the commercialization pipeline. Outside of her business development role, Dr. Hosein enjoys teaching and mentoring students as a part-time lecturer and student advisory committee member with the School of Biomedical Engineering. She is excited to attend and participate in IDSTEM 2022 because she has experienced the positive impact of such forums to her personal and career growth.

KeyNote Speaker: Dr. Jude Dzevela Kong (he/him)
March 13, 2022 at 9:45am

Dr. Jude Kong is a professor at York University and the Director of the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (acadic.org). Additionally, he is a member of the Canadian Black Scientist Network, a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Mathematics for Public Health Network, and a member of the Canadian COVID-19 Modelling Rapid Response Task Force. Dr. Kong is an expert in artificial intelligence, data science and mathematical modelling.  His research interest is in investigating the impacts of climate and environmental changes on disease transmission, and identifying populations at risk. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been leading an interdisciplinary team of more than 50 researchers from key academic and government institutions in nine African countries that have been leveraging Artificial Intelligence to predict and forecast COVID-19 infections in Africa. In 2020, he won a York Research Leader Award.

EDi Panelist: Hunster Yang (he/him)
March 13, 2022 at 10:15am

Email: hunsteryang@gmail.com
Twitter: @HunsterYang
Instagram: @hunster.yang
Facebook: huunster.yang
LinkedIn: hunsteryang

With a passion for health equity and community engagement, Hunster Yang is currently a second-year medical student at the University of Toronto. He holds a Master of Science in Global Health from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Science with an Honours Specialization in Neuroscience from Western University. He is grateful to be one of the EDI panelists at IDSTEM 2022. Some of his interests include immigrant and refugee health, youth health and well-being, community-based participatory action research, and mental health. Outside of school and work, Hunster enjoys travelling, hiking, breaking out of escape rooms, and exploring new cuisines!

EDi Panelist: Sadaf Mehrabi (she/her)
March 13, 2022 at 10:15am

LinkedIn: sadafmehrabi

Sadaf Mehrabi is a PhD Candidate in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Western University and a co-chair for the EDI research/graduate subcommittee at Western Engineering. She holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering with a focus in biotechnology and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Her goal is to empower underrepresented groups in STEM and raise awareness about equity, diversity, and inclusion. A fun fact about Sadaf is she can eat only Sushi for the rest of her life and be the happiest!

 

Don’t forget to register for the conference!

We're excited to announce that applications to join the 2025-26 IDSTEM Organizing Committee are NOW OPEN! 🎉 Are you a graduate student interested in planning the IDSTEM 2026 conference? Submit your application by November 24th at 11:59 ET at the lin
A gracious thank you to #IDSTEM24's sponsors! This includes our primary sponsor, Western BrainsCAN, as well as the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry! Our conference would not have been possible without their generous support. #WesternU
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