Our Executive

Our leadership provides direction for the CSM-SCM and its members

2022-2023 Executive

The CSM Executive consists of the President, Past President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Meetings Secretary, Post Doc Representative and Graduate Student Representative.

Pascale B. Beauregard

Dr. Pascale Beauregard

President

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Dr. Pascale B. Beauregard obtained her B.S. in biochemistry from Université de Montréal (2002) and completed her PhD thesis under the supervision of Dr Luis Rokeach (2009, Université de Montréal). She then went on to Harvard Medical School (2010-2014, Boston) in the laboratory of Dr Roberto Kolter, where she started exploring the relations between Bacillus subtilis and plants. Dr Beauregard joined the biology department at Université de Sherbrooke in 2014, where her group investigates many topics gravitating around bacterial biofilms, including interaction with plants, horizontal gene transfer, nutrient acquisition and Alzheimer’s disease.

Université de Sherbrooke
Département de biologie
Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1

Contact
T: (819) 821-8000 #62065
E: Pascale.B.Beauregard@USherbrooke.ca

Alex Ensminger

Dr. Alexander Ensminger

Past President

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Dr. Ensminger is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, where he has led a highly collaborative team of microbial systems biologists since 2011.

Using the model organism, Legionella pneumophila, he and has team have made significant contributions in three areas of bacterial pathogenesis: effector function (with a focus on a special class of proteins called “metaeffectors”), CRISPR-Cas genome defense, and experimental evolution. Dr. Ensminger also serves as Associate Chair of Undergraduate Education in the Department of Biochemistry and co-chaired the 2016 CSM General Meeting. After growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he attended Haverford College, a small liberal arts school outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his Ph.D. (focused on mammalian epigenetics and non-coding RNAs) in the laboratory of Andrew Chess at the Whitehead Institute at MIT. For his postdoc, Dr. Ensminger received training as a microbiologist under the expert mentorship of Ralph Isberg at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts.

University of Toronto
Department of Biochemistry
Toronto, ON M5G 1M1

Contact
T: 416-978-6522
E: alex.ensminger@utoronto.ca

Kari Dunfield

Dr. Kari Dunfield

1st Vice-President

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Dr. Kari E. Dunfield, is a Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Environmental Microbiology of Agro-ecosystems, in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph. She received her BSc in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Calgary in 1995, and her MSc in the Department of Plant Agriculture (1999) and PhD in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Saskatchewan (2002). She worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Maine, Darling Marine Center, and joined the University of Guelph in 2004. Working at the intersection of microbiology, ecology, and soil science, her work investigates the microbial communities and microbial processes driving the global processes that help support life on Earth, and focuses on climate change, soil conservation, human pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment, and food security. She is passionate about educating the public about the importance of soils, and is the Executive of a knowledge mobilization and outreach program, called Soils@Guelph, and the North American Representative for UN-FAO Global Soil Partnership (Pillar 1). Dr. Dunfield has contributed previously to the CSM as the Co-Chair of the Education and Careers Committee and is currently the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Microbiology.

University of Guelph
School of Environmental Sciences
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1

Contact
T: 519-824-4120 x58088
E: dunfield@uoguelph.ca

JonathanVanHamme

Dr. Jonathan D. Van Hamme

2nd Vice-President

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Jonathan Van Hamme is Professor of Microbiology and founding Director of the TRUGen Applied Genomics Laboratory at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. He received an Honours B.Sc. in Co-Op Biology with a Chemistry Minor from the University of Waterloo in 1996, and a Ph.D. in petroleum microbiology from the University of Waterloo in 2000. Thanks to the encouragement of his Ph.D. supervisor, Dr. Owen Ward (CSM President, 1996-1997), he attended his first CSM Annual Meeting in Guelph in 1998 and was hooked. After three years with the National Resources Canada at their National Centre for Upgrading Technology, where he was leading work on microbial biotechnologies for heavy oil upgrading, he joined Thompson Rivers University in 2003 and established his own research program with a major focus on biodegradation of organic pollutants. His group is currently focused on uncovering the biochemical basis of bacterial per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) metabolism. He served for ten years as an editor for Biodegradation, is currently an editor for the Canadian Journal of Microbiology, and previously served the CSM as Meetings Secretary (2009 – 2011). He currently serves as Chair and the CSM representative of the Biological and Chemical Defence Review Committee.

Thompson Rivers University
Biological Sciences,
Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8

Contact
T: 250-377-6064
E: jvanhamme@tru.ca

MazenSaleh2013

Dr. Mazen Saleh

Secretary-Treasurer

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Following his undergraduate and Master’s studies at the University of Waterloo, he joined the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Under the supervision of Professor Jean Gariepy, his doctorate studies were focused on the biophysics of microbial protein toxins. Prior to joining the Department of Biology at Laurentian University, he spent time as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Colorado State University.

Laurentian University
Department of Biology
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6

Contact
T: 705-675-1151 x2434
E: msaleh@laurentian.ca

Denice Bay

Dr. Denice Bay

Meetings Secretary

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Dr. Denice Bay is an assistant professor (as of June 2015) in the Department of Medical
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Bay began her studies at the University of Manitoba where she completed both her BSc (in 2000) and PhD (in 2007). Her PhD thesis examined mitochondrial voltage dependent anion channel (VDAC) folding and function from the fungus Neurospora crassa with Dr. Deborah Court. During her post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Raymond Turner’s lab at the University of Calgary (in 2007-2015), Dr. Bay examined TolC-independent efflux pumps, the role of biofilm formation in efflux mediated antimicrobial resistance, and protein secretion system structure-function in Enterobacteria. Her current research program explores how antiseptics and disinfectants contribute to antibiotic resistance in critical priority bacterial pathogens.

University of Manitoba
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Rm 514 BSMS, 745 Bannatyne Ave
Winnipeg, MB R2K 1N4

Contact
T: 204-977-5679
F: 204-789-3926
E: Denice.Bay@umanitoba.ca

Sarah_Piche-Choquette_2023

Dr. Sarah Piché-Choquette

Post Doc Representative

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Sarah Piché-Choquette is a postdoctoral fellow working with Profs. Steven Kembel at UQAM and Marie-Claire Arrieta at UCalgary. She completed her B.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology at Université de Montréal, her Ph.D. at INRS Armand-Frappier Health and Biotechnology Centre and her first postdoc at the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Her current postdoctoral research focuses on how the gut microbiome mediates asthma risk in premature infants.

Université du Québec à Montréal
Département des Sciences Biologiques
141 Av. du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 1Y4

University of Calgary
Cumming School of Medicine, 
3330 Hospital Dr NW,
Calgary, AB T2N 4N1

Contact
T:
E: piche-choquette.sarah@courrier.uqam.ca

CamilleOu

Ms. Camille Ou

Graduate Student Representative

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Camille Ou is a Ph.D. student at Université de Montréal. She is working with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi in the laboratory of Dr. France Daigle and co-supervised by Dr. Charles Dozois from Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre – INRS. Her research focuses on characterizing fimbriae regulation of S. Typhi, a human specific pathogen. With the current antibiotics resistance crisis, treatments are becoming less efficient. Thus, better understanding of S. Typhi pathogenesis will contribute to the identification of new therapeutic targets.

Université de Montréal
Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology
2900 Bd Édouard-Montpetit,
Montréal, QC H3T 1J4

Contact
T: 514-343-6111 ext. 3135
E: camille.ou@umontreal.ca

Wafaa Antonious

Mrs. Wafaa Antonious

Secretariat

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Wafaa Antonious has been providing secretariat services for CSM since 2008 first through the Canadian Federation of Biological Socieites (CFBS). When CFBS folded at the end of 2008, Wafaa resumed providing secretariat services through her own company “Rofail Conference and Management Services (RCMS) as of January 2009. Wafaa’s services for CSM includes providing support to CSM Executive (services and consultation), organizing the annual conference when requested, maintaining the website, book keeping, dealing with inquiries from members and others related to CSM activities. Through RCMS, Wafaa provides secretariat services to other organizations and organizes scientific workshops, meetings and conferences from 20 – 800 attendees. Wafaa graduated in 1983 with a BA in English from Faculty of Linguistic, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt and moved to Canada within a month of her graduation.

Canadian Society of Microbiologists
17 Dossetter Way
Ottawa, ON K1G 4S3

Contact
T: (613) 421-7229
E: info@csm-scm.org

AEM: Applied & Environmental Microbiology
II: Infections & Immunity
MGCM: Molecular Genetics & Cellular microbiology

ResponsibilitySurnameFirstWorkFaxEmail
AEM Chair (2021-2022) Hug Laura (519) 888-4567 laura.hug@uwaterloo.ca
AEM Vice Chair (2021-2022) Bottos Eric (250)216-4380 ebottos@tru.ca
II Chair (2021-2022) Cox Georgina (519) 824-4120 gcox@uoguelph.ca
II Vice Chair (2021-2022) Weadge Joel 519-884-0710 x2161 jweadge@wlu.ca
MGCM Chair (2021-2022) Hynes Alex (905) 525-9140 hynes@mcmaster.ca
MGCM Vice Chair (2021-2022) Thomassin Jenny-Lee (306) 966-5322 jenny-lee.thomassin@usask.ca

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Call for Nominations and Volunteers - Take an Active Role in Our Society!

Deadline: January 21, 2022

The Canadian Society of Microbiologists encourages members to take an active role in running the society. We are currently looking for members to serve on the following committees for the upcoming year. If you are interested in helping your society in this, or in any other way, please contact the CSM secretariat at info@csm-scm.org for more information. All terms start July 2022 except for the Student Representative Position which is currently vacant and needs to be filled ASAP. You may choose either of the following methods to apply for these positions.

  1. Acceptance of this position implies a commitment of 4 years to the CSM, 2nd Vice-President, 1st Vice-President, President and Past President. In the absence or disability of the 1st VicePresident, the 2nd Vice-President will perform the duties of the 1st Vice-President.
  2. To attend all meetings of the Executive and Council and all business meetings of the Society.
  3. To serve, if agreed by the Executive, as one of the two signing officers of the Society.
  4. To plan and prepare for his/her term of office as 1st Vice-President.
  5. To perform such additional duties as may be imposed from time to time by the Executive or Council.
  6. To succeed the 1st Vice-President at the conclusion of his/her term.
  1. The Meetings Secretary shall maintain a repository of information pertaining to the financial and scientific planning and operation of the annual conference.
  2. He/she shall provide abstract forms to all members of the Society and, in consultation with the First Vice-President, shall undertake the responsibility of handling the abstracts submitted and of coordinating with the Local Organizing Committee to ensure timely printing of the Program and Abstracts for each annual conference.
  3. To present a written report to each meeting of Council and to the annual business meeting of the Society
  1. To liaise with the university Student Representatives and to publicize CSM Student activities
  2. To encourage student membership in CSM
  3. To encourage participation of students at the Annual Conference
  4. To encourage input from students to the activities of CSM
  5. To liaise with the CSM Executive member
  6. To present a written report to each meeting of Council and to the annual business meeting of the Society.
  1. Acceptance of this position implies a commitment of 4 years to the CSM, 2 years as Vice Chair and 2 as Chair.
  2. The Chair of each section shall preside at all meetings of the section.
  3. The Vice-Chair of each section shall assist the Chair of the section as required. In the absence or disability of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair.
  4. The Chair and Vice-Chair of each section shall be members of Council and shall attend all meetings of Council during their respective terms of office.
  5. Must attend the CSM Annual Conference to participate in Section Officer’s activities during the Annual Conference.
  1. Acceptance of this position implies a commitment of 4 years to the CSM, 2 years as Vice Chair and 2 as Chair.
  2. The Chair of each section shall preside at all meetings of the section.
  3. The Vice-Chair of each section shall assist the Chair of the section as required. In the absence or disability of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair.
  4. The Chair and Vice-Chair of each section shall be members of Council and shall attend all meetings of Council during their respective terms of office.
  5. Must attend the CSM Annual Conference to participate in Section Officer’s activities during the Annual Conference.
  1. Acceptance of this position implies a commitment of 4 years to the CSM, 2 years as Vice Chair and 2 as Chair.
  2. The Chair of each section shall preside at all meetings of the section.
  3. The Vice-Chair of each section shall assist the Chair of the section as required. In the absence or disability of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair.
  4. The Chair and Vice-Chair of each section shall be members of Council and shall attend all meetings of Council during their respective terms of office.
  5. Must attend the CSM Annual Conference to participate in Section Officer’s activities during the Annual Conference.

Please complete the following information and send to the CSM-SCM at the address below, along with a photograph and CV.

Nominations for Executive & Council Positions
Nominee for: