Lisa Armstrong, MA
Research Analyst
Lisa earned her MA in Community Psychology from Laurier and has over five years of experience in community-orientated research and evaluation.
Many of Lisa’s research projects have been rooted in a qualitative approach, that she has used to emphasize participants’ needs and goals often resulting in change of some kind (either at an organizational or program level).
She has been working part-time with the Waite Research Group since February 2012 as a qualitative research specialist. The focus of her work with this group has been with the School of Pharmacy co-op program, specifically the Coaching Program.
Sheri DiGiovanni
Clinical Pharmacist
Grand River Hospital Emergency Department
Sheri earned an undergraduate degree in Science and Business at the University of Waterloo before continuing on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo as well.
She worked with the Waite Research Group as a co-op student while completing her undergraduate pharmacy degree. During this time Sheri helped plan a multidisciplinary Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals conference that was held at the School of Pharmacy. She also had a role in curricular research surrounding the co-op program and community service learning during her four-month term.
Given her interest in project management, Sheri stayed on with the team part time while finishing her pharmacy degree to help with the logistics and planning of the coaching program. She also became the first student member to sit on the curriculum committee at the School of Pharmacy.
Sheri is now practicing as a clinical pharmacist in the Emergency Department at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener. She hopes to continue to have involvement in practice based research helping to move health care in the right direction.
Mark-André Gravel
Staff Pharmacist, Shoppers Drugs Mart
Kapuskasing, ON
Before obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo, Marc-André completed a Bachelor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, as well as a Bachelor of Eduction at the University of Ottawa.
He worked with the Waite Research Group as a co-op student during the summer of 2009. During that time, he developed a tool to map the School of Pharmacy’s undergraduate curriculum to various competencies for pharmacists upon entry to practice. In addition, he studied the needs of practicing pharmacists with regards to Continuing Professional Development.
Marc-André is now working as a Staff Pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart, in Kapuskasing, ON. He also acts as a Clinical Pharmacy Consultant for the Centre de santé communautaire de Kapuskasing et région.
Sarah Johnson, BSc, BScPhm candidate
School of Pharmacy, former independent study student
Pharmacists as immunizers project
Sarah completed a three-year Bachelor of Science degree in general science at the University of Waterloo and recently completed her fourth year of studies at Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy.
Sarah conducted an independent study as a member of OPEN’s Pharmacists as immunizers project, investigating the feasibility of pharmacy students as immunizers. The goal of her study was to summarize legislation on the topic and make Canadian policy recommendations with the available evidence.
Alam Hallan
Pharmacy student
School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo
Alam earned his Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from Guru Nanak Dev University in India and continued to complete his Masters of Science in Biotechnology at the same university.
After immigrating to Canada in 2006, he briefly worked in the clinical research field while earning his post-graduate certificate in clinical research from Humber College. In 2010 he was accepted in the BSc(Hons) Pharmacy program at the University of Waterloo.
During his time at University of Waterloo, he completed co-op placements with Zehrs pharmacy and Brantford General Hospital. For his final placement he worked with the Waite Research Group. During this time, where he developed this website for the group, worked on curriculum based research and collaborated with the Grand River Hospital’s discharge planning group.
Currently he is completing his pharmacy degree while pursuing an MBA (Marketing) through distance education.
Saurabh Patel
Olivia Sergeant, BScPhm candidate
School of Pharmacy co-op student
Pharmacists as immunizers project
Olivia was on a co-op placement, from January to April 2014, as a research assistant at the School of Pharmacy.
She provided research support to OPEN’s Pharmacists as immunizers project, a study that’s evaluating the effectiveness and uptake of influenza vaccination in pharmacies, a new service Ontario’s community pharmacists can provide to their patients.