When Dr. Alba Guarn茅 landed her first faculty position, she was surprised to discover that she was the only female research professor in the听department. As a scientist-in-training, Guarn茅 had been exposed to many colleagues who were women, so this was a stark contrast to what she had been used to. 鈥淎ll of a sudden, I felt alone in the room,鈥� recalls Guarn茅, who has since come to 不良研究所 where she is a professor in 不良研究所鈥檚 Department of Biochemistry and the inaugural associate dean for the newly formed School of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).
More women have been hired in her field over the years, but men continue to outnumber women. 鈥淭he gender gap in science has improved over the years, but we still have a lot to do,鈥� Guarn茅 says. In addition, she adds, 鈥淭here are also serious equity and diversity gaps that we should close.鈥�
A great deal of work is needed to close these gaps鈥攁nd Guarn茅 is one of three women at 不良研究所 leading the charge to cultivate more representation in the future generations of scientists and clinicians.
Cracking the developmental code
鈥淗ave you ever wondered how you go from a single cell to a complex embryo?鈥� Before encountering that question during a university lecture, Dr. Loydie Jerome-Majewska had not given much thought to this process. But that query piqued her interest and set her on the path that led to her current position as an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at 不良研究所, where she studies the molecular and genetic underpinnings of early human development.
Through her research, Jerome-Majewska has pinpointed a role in development for several genes that were previously not considered to be important in this process. This work has enabled her lab to create mouse models for several developmental disorders, such as DiGeorge syndrome (a condition also known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome that can cause a wide range of defects, including congenital health problems, delayed growth and frequent infections), which they are now using to better understand these conditions and to identify potential interventions.
Jerome-Majewska is particularly interested in determining how errors occur during early development. By doing so, she hopes to identify ways to reduce the chances of them happening or reducing their effects. A growing body of evidence suggests that environmental factors, such as what a pregnant mother ingests, can play a significant role in how these mutations manifest in a developing embryo. Jerome-Majewska hopes to pinpoint these in order to find new treatments. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my dream right now,鈥� she says. 鈥淕oing beyond just understanding why issues arise and figuring out how to prevent them.鈥�
In addition to her research, Jerome-Majewska considers her trainees' success as one of her biggest accomplishments.听The majority of her former students have gone on to take various jobs in science, both in research and in other sectors, such as health care. 鈥淚鈥檓 delighted that they鈥檝e pretty much all stayed in science,鈥� Jerome-Majewska says. 鈥淚 call that a win, because it鈥檚 not an easy field to stay in.鈥�
Outside of the lab, Jerome-Majewska is involved in various advocacy-related efforts. She chairs the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the American Association for Anatomy. As part of this role, Jerome-Majewska is setting up听a peer-support network for underrepresented and excluded individuals in science. 鈥淥ne of the big goals is to reduce isolation, to provide support, and then to provide professional development,鈥� she explains. Jerome-Majewska has recently secured $100,000 per year in funding to carry out this effort over the next three years.
Jerome-Majewska is also a co-founder of the Canadian Black Scientist network, a group that provides mentorship, advocacy, and visibility to Black Canadians in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
At 不良研究所, Jerome-Majewska is a co-convener of the Dr. Kenneth Melville Black Faculty and Staff Caucus (named for late FMHS leader听Melville, BSc'26, MDCM'26, MSc'31), a group aimed at creating a supportive learning and working environment for Black faculty and staff. In that role, Jerome-Majewska is working with the other members of the group to set the agenda for implementing the anti-Black racism plan put forth by 不良研究所鈥檚 Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal. 鈥淚鈥檓 super excited about the opportunity, because even though there aren鈥檛 a lot of Black faculty and staff at 不良研究所, there are enough of us that we can make sure to make the plan a success,鈥� says Jerome-Majewska.
Uncovering the molecular underpinnings of life
What attracted Dr. Alba Guarn茅 to biochemistry was a desire to understand life at the molecular level. She was fascinated by the fact that two meters of DNA can be packed into the nucleus of a cell, which measures about five micrometers, and that complex processes such as DNA replication and repair are able to transpire in such a compact space. Guarn茅 has dedicated her career to understanding how proteins copy and repair DNA. She joined 不良研究所鈥檚 Department of Biochemistry as a professor in 2017, where she continues this work today.
In addition to studying protein-DNA interactions, Guarn茅 and her lab are also investigating a remarkable transposon, sequences of DNA that move around within a genome, that shows unprecedented targeting specificity. Because transposons jump around on DNA, in bacteria, they are able to accelerate evolution by adding diversity to the genome. Guarn茅鈥檚 group is looking to harness the multiple targeting mechanisms of this transposon for genetic engineering purposes. 鈥淲e are studying how it moves and how insertion sites are identified at the molecular level, so that we can use them as genetic engineering tools,鈥� Guarn茅 says.
The School of Biomedical Sciences, where Guarn茅 is the first to take the helm, was established in 2020 and encompasses seven different departments (Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Human Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Physiology) as well as the 不良研究所 Genome Centre and the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre.
According to Guarn茅, the School will provide both faculty and students with more chances to collaborate and to assess their research under a broad interdisciplinary umbrella, rather than through the lenses of their individual departments. Although joint research efforts across departments have existed in the past, Guarn茅 is strengthening these ties. She also hopes to foster the development of students by providing them with comprehensive training鈥攆rom basic science, to translational research, to studies in the clinic. 鈥淚 want to make sure that we provide a training environment that prepares the leaders of the next generation,鈥� Guarn茅 says.
Guarn茅 is also passionate about ensuring that there is inclusion, equity and representation in this future generation of researchers. In order for this to happen, she says, the scientific community will need to create environments that enable more people from underrepresented segments of society听to grow into leadership roles. Within her own lab, Guarn茅听has mentored many such trainees and is proud of her students鈥� successes. 鈥淥ne thing that I didn't expect when I started my independent career was that mentoring new scientists could be so rewarding,鈥� she says. 鈥淏eing able to help somebody reach their potential, I think, is even better than any paper or work that you can publish.鈥�
Increasing Black representation in medicine
It was a chance encounter that set Victoire Kpad茅 on the path to becoming a doctor. One summer, while working reception at a hotel, one of the guests had a medical emergency鈥攁nd having been certified in first aid, Kpad茅 jumped in to help. 鈥淚 was able to intervene, help this person, and keep them stable until the paramedics came,鈥� Kpad茅 says. This experience was 鈥渆xhilarating,鈥� she adds. 鈥淭hat was the turning point in my undergrad where I decided to actually go forth and commit to the pre-med route.鈥�
Kpad茅 is currently in her third year of medical school at 不良研究所. She is the first to pursue this career path in her family, who came to Canada from Togo as refugees in 1999. 鈥淕rowing up, I never knew any Black people in medicine, specifically Black women,鈥� Kpad茅 says. She adds that, on top of a paucity of role models who look like her, Black doctors still face roadblocks when it comes to being respected in the workplace. 鈥淚 personally have been mistaken for support staff, and that has been the experience of a lot of my Black colleagues within medicine,鈥� Kpad茅 says. In addition, another challenge is that 鈥渟ince there are so few of us, you often feel like you have to represent the entire community鈥攊t can get very heavy to have that added responsibility placed on you.鈥�
Today Kpad茅 is involved in numerous efforts aimed at increasing Black representation in medicine. At 不良研究所, she has been involved in developing an anti-racist, decolonized medical curriculum. Ultimately, Kpad茅 explains, the goal is to better equip future health professionals to serve the needs of the diverse Canadian population. Topics added to that curriculum include teaching how pathologies manifest on both light and dark skin tones, racism as a social determinant of health, and the history of racism in medicine. The goal is to have the updated curriculum ready for the Fall 2021 semester.
Kpad茅 is also working with the university to develop a Black student application program for its undergraduate medical education program. 鈥淚t would have the same academic and non-academic requirements,鈥� Kpad茅 explains. 鈥淚t would really just be an additional stream to remove some of the biases that may be present at the admissions level, and a program for Black applicants to feel welcomed at 不良研究所.鈥�
In addition to this work, Kpad茅 spent the last year as the Quebec regional director for the Black Medical Students鈥� Association of Canada. In this role, she was able to connect the around 50 Black medical students in schools across Quebec. 鈥淚t has been very powerful to get to know other students across the province and foster a sense of community,鈥� Kpad茅 says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all very different individuals but are able to relate to and support one another as we navigate the medical field.鈥�
Kpad茅 hopes that the projects she is working on now will have a long-lasting impact. Career-wise, she plans to pursue family medicine. 鈥淔amily medicine allows you to treat not only the person but a community as a whole, which fits well into my advocacy goals.鈥�
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