Waterloo Pharmacy Alumni CE Saturday 2023

Katherine Gruenberg is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy. Dr. Gruenberg also serves as an Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist at UCSF Medical Center. Dr. Gruenberg completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at UCSF School of Pharmacy in 2015, followed by a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and a PGY2 residency specializing in infectious diseases and education at UCSF. Dr. Gruenberg has a Master’s of Arts in Education from the University of California, Berkeley and Board Certifications in Pharmacotherapy and Infectious Diseases. 

Dr. Gruenberg is passionate about environmental sustainability in pharmacy education and practice. She has implemented several educational sessions on this topic in the required UCSF School of Pharmacy curriculum, presented this work at regional and international conferences, and published several peer-reviewed articles on environmental sustainability in pharmacy practice. Dr. Gruenberg also serves as the faculty advisor for a student outreach group providing information to San Francisco Bay Area patients about appropriate drug disposal. For her efforts in these areas, Dr. Gruenberg was awarded the 2018 UCSF Sustainability Award and 2019 Community Outreach Student Alliance Faculty Advisor of the Year Award.

Mathew DeMarco is a pharmacist that primarily practices in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Wilmot-Wellesley-Woolwich and Cambridge-North Dumfries regions. Mathew's areas of clinical practice include experience in primary care teams and interdisciplinary clinics in chronic pain, diabetes, HIV and HCV. Mathew obtained his entry-level Pharm D from the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy in 2011 and is also currently a PhD student at UWaterloo SOP working with Dr Nancy Waite and Dr Sherilyn Houle.

Dr. Trish Rawn is a hospital pharmacist who currently practices at Mount Sinai hospital, in addition to her work as an academic detailer and clinical service director. She has extensive experience in hospital pharmacy, continuing education for health professionals, critical appraisal of health literature, medical writing, and patient health coaching programs. She is also a certified health coach specializing in health behaviour change. Trish obtained her pharmacy degree and later her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Toronto. 

Dr. Tom McFarlane teaches oncology, internal medicine, and immunology topics to the undergraduate students at the School of Pharmacy. He has a particular interest in GI, lung, and prostate cancers, and conducts practice based research in these settings which includes exploring ways of improving supportive care regimens for patients and the impact of supportive care on overall outcomes. He is also interested in qualitative research examining patient attitudes toward cancer care.

Jason completed his pharmacy degree at Dalhousie University and his Pharmacy Residency at The Ottawa Hospital. He has practiced as an inpatient Medical Oncology pharmacist for nearly 10 years, from 2010 to 2019 and is a Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacist. He has earned a Master’s in Health Management in 2019. Jason is the Founder of and Oncology Pharmacist at Extend Pharmacy, Ottawa’s first cancer-focused ambulatory oncology pharmacy. His areas of research interest include integration of pharmacy learners into practice, simulation education, oral anticancer therapy education and key performance indicators for pharmacists. He is currently involved in several CAPhO initiatives and is a Regional Clinical Coordinator for the University of Waterloo PharmD program in Ottawa.

Dr. Aska Patel is a pharmacist, and an entrepreneur, with a passion for digital delivery of health and pharmaceutical care. Upon graduating with her Bachelors of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Waterloo, Aska has been a practicing pharmacist for over 10 years and has worked as a pharmacist in community, hospital, government, and home care settings. Aska launched her entrepreneurial venture, Acuvise Consultancy Inc., which provides healthcare and environmental sustainability consulting services and is also an angel investor and a startup advisor for digital health ventures. In 2021, Aska launched her podcast, Diverse Conversations Podcast, where she discusses the future of pharmacy, health, and health technology with global industry leaders. Aska’s goal is to create a robust future-ready healthcare system by helping healthcare professionals and organizations embrace digital technology to improve patient care delivery and health outcomes. In her spare time, Aska enjoys trying her hand at dancing, cooking, yoga and spending time with family and friends. 

Mary Adegboyega is a dual licensed British trained Consultant Pharmacist, YouTuber and Content Creator. Mary started her Pharmacy career after graduating from the University of Sunderland’s school of Pharmacy in England with a First-Class honors master’s degree. Mary has spent majority of her career in the UK working across NHS hospitals and occasionally retail pharmacies. Although her clinical practice is diverse, she has a major interest in Mental Health and Health equity, specifically for underserved communities such as the Black community. Mary has worked on multiple equity projects and led the first Black History Month Campaign for Black Pharmacists across Canada in February 2023. 

Mary relocated to Canada in 2020 to start a new life in North America. She believes that real growth happens when we challenge ourselves to do the very things that scare us. Mary uses her social channels to share Pharmacist lifestyle and wellness content, to help amplify the voice of Pharmacists and share the amazing work we do as a professional body. She runs a mentorship program for international Pharmacists and Pharmacy students who are interested in licensing in Canada and the UK. Mary is a strong advocate for diversity in the Pharmacy and Healthcare leadership space in Canada. Her goal is to one day see more diverse communities represented at decision making tables. 

Dr. Grindrod is an associate professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy. Dr. Grindrod completed her BScPharm at the University of Alberta and a hospital residency at the London Health Sciences Centre. She also completed a PharmD, MSc and a post-doctoral fellowship and the University of British Columbia. She has been at the University of Waterloo since 2011, where she chairs the Clinical Research Ethics Board and is a university senator. Her research explores how emerging technologies can improve the use of medications in the community. She is the founder and lead of computer-based education platform Pharmacy5in5.ca, which includes several videos and infographics for pharmacy practice. 

Sarah Christie works in Radio as Assistant National Music Director for Virgin Radio, MOVE Radio and CHUM 104.5. Throughout her 12 years in radio, Sarah has worked in Winnipeg, Kitchener-Waterloo, Niagara and Toronto. Currently, you can hear her on air on weekends on MOVE 105.7 in St. Catharine's. Sarah is also a vocal environmental advocate. In 2021, she used her radio broadcast experience to create the Earth Care podcast. Earth Care is a short-form interview series that delivers digestible information about the climate crisis and provides actionable steps for the listener. Meeting new people and storytelling are what Sarah loves most about both radio and podcasting!