Need help?

Using Microsoft Teams, telephone, or in-person, staff are available to address your questions regarding ethics clearance for research involving human participants by:

  • consulting and providing support during all stages of the application and review process,
  • developing and distributing educational materials, guidelines, procedural information, along with sample documents related to research with human participants,
  • helping to determine if your research is minimal risk and can be reviewed by a delegated reviewer or is greater than minimal risk requiring review by one of the two Research Ethics Boards,
  • facilitating a single ethics review model for multi-jurisdictional research
  • arranging a guest lecturer for a course or to give a presentation on a topic related to research ethics, and
  • discussing the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and how these guidelines apply to your proposed research, or pointing you to other resources if needed.

Contact us

Refer to the list below to find the Advisor for your department and book a consultation


Heather Dekker

Research Ethics Advisor, ext. 41506

  • advisor for: 
    • Faculty of Engineering
    • Faculty of Mathematics
    • School of Pharmacy
    • Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business
    • Games Institute

Joanna Eidse 

Research Ethics Advisor

  • advisor for:
    • Department of Psychology (cognitive psychology program, industrial/organizational (I/O) program, social psychology program, clinical program, cognitive neuroscience program, developmental program, Centre for Mental Health Research)
    • International Tobacco Control (ITC) project
    • School of Public Health Sciences 
    • contact for studies being conducted in Waterloo region schools

Julie Joza

Director, Research Ethics, ext. 41063

  • contact for:
    • problems associated with human participant research (adverse events, protocol deviations, incidental/secondary findings)
    • agreements with Canadian or other institutions
    • overall operation of the Research Ethics office

Asima Naeem 

Research Ethics Advisor

  • advisor for:
    • Department of Kinesiology

Karen Pieters

Manager, Research Ethics, ext. 41495

Heather Root

Senior Manager, Research Ethics, ext. 41469

Erin Van Der Meulen

Research Ethics Advisor, ext. 47046

  • advisor for:
    • Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies
    • Faculty of Arts (except School of Accounting)
    • Affiliated Colleges (Renison University College, St. Jerome's University, Conrad Grebel University College, St. Paul's University College)
    • Basillie School of International Affairs
    • Centre for International Governance Innovation
  • contact for:
    • research that will be partnering with Indigenous communities

Updated October 2024