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Lauren completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto in 2019, followed by a PhD at Western University in 2023. Lauren is now a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo, where she works in the Mobilize Clinical Biomechanics Lab researching knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the impact of a variety of structural and illness factors in knee OA progression and severity.

“If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. I tried to figure everything out on my own because I assumed asking for help would show a weakness. I couldn’t have been more wrong."

Sonia Jaberi completed her Bachelor of Environmental Engineering-Natural Resources at Shiraz University in Iran in 2012, followed by a Master of Environmental Engineering-Pollutions at Isfahan University of Technology (IUT) in 2014. Sonia then came to the University of Waterloo for her PhD of Civil and Environmental Engineering-Water Resources where she became a postdoc after finishing her PhD.

Sonia says that everyone experiences doubts at times, but “stay curious, persevere through challenges, and make the most of this exciting phase in your research journey!”

Shahabeddin received his Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Technology (HIT) in 2013 from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran. He then went on to obtain a Master of Science in HIT, a Master of Public Health in Health Policy, and a Master of Business Administration at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences before completing his PhD in HIT from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Following his PhD, Shahabeddin worked at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Iran as an Assistant Professor for three years, gaining experience in the education and research field before starting his postdoc appointment at Waterloo.

“Stay committed and resilient on your journey and remember that persistence and perseverance are often key ingredients to success."

Alaaeldin Elhady Ahmed completed his PhD in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Following his PhD, Alaaeldin started a postdoctoral appointment in September 2021. 

As a PhD graduate, Alaaeldin is aware that he is very specialized, but that this can mean there are gaps is some practical skills. He says, “the best course of action is to try to fill the gaps by taking online courses and hands-on training”. 

Ana Inés Ennis completed her undergraduate and PhD education at Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she was born. In 2022, Ana came to Canada to begin her postdoctoral appointment at the University of Waterloo through the Centre for Astrophysics and Perimeter Institute.

Ana highly recommends attending events as she found connecting with other postdocs outside her field has been helpful for her mental health, sharing that "people are always willing to help if you reach out."

Anirban Banerjee obtained his Bachelors degree in Biotechnology from the Heritage Institute of Technologyin Kolkata, India. After arriving in Canada, he completed a Master of Science degree in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Saskatchewan, followed by a PhD in Biology at the University of Western Ontario. He has held two appointments as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

While the University of Waterloo is the first place that Anirban got to be a lecturer, but he has always wanted to be a teacher. “Illuminating fresh minds is what I enjoy doing. Explaining concepts from scratch and taking the effort to deliver complex ideas in a simple way is what I love.”

Hector Perez completed his Bachelor of Industrial Relations (2013) and Master of Business Administration (2015) at the Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico. He went on to gain a PhD in Strategic Planning and Technology Management in 2020. Shortly after completing his PhD, Hector began his postdoctoral position at the University of Waterloo.

“I am extremely grateful for the unwavering support extended to me by the University of Waterloo. Their impeccable assistance in various aspects such as human resources, immigration, libraries, administrative aid, research centres, and collaborative efforts have been instrumental in my success."

Wei Zhou completed a Masters in MOE-Microsoft Key Laboratory of Multimedia Computing and Communication at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and later completed a PhD from USTC. 

"Do not be afraid to build connections with others. Many great discoveries come from good collaboration."

Mohamed Dardir's post-secondary education began with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Architecture, followed by a PhD in Building Engineering from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. He then transitioned to his current postdoctoral position at the University of Waterloo in Sustainability and Environment.

Mohamed encourages postdocs hoping to publish their work to simply start publishing. He says, “Once you start, you will have the confidence to continue. Don’t lose hope even if you experienced hard times (like rejection), try to keep trying.”