Toronto, ON · Kingston, ON · LinkedIn
I am an MD student at Queen's University and philosopher of medicine from Toronto, ON. I have three years of progressive experience in hospital systems research as a research student and assistant at Mount Sinai Hospital. I hold a Master of Arts in Philosophy of Medicine from the University of Toronto. My research interests are in how medical research ought to guide and inform policy and clinical decision-making, with a particular focus on recognizing and mitigating barriers for those with disabilities. In my spare time I am a swing dancer and professional dance event photographer.
Education
Doctor of Medicine, School of Medicine — current MD student
MA in Philosophy of Medicine — Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
- MA research project examined how the current approach of evidence-based medicine guiding policy and clinical practice impacts care for patients with disabilities. Graduated with a GPA of 4.0/4.0.
- Concurrently: served as TA for 3 undergraduate courses, organized a major multi-day international conference, and was invited to present work locally and abroad.
Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BAS) in Biology and Philosophy
- Concurrently: served on the university improv team, coordinated the improv club, was lead executive of the school musical, conducted academic philosophical research, and participated in hospital research and volunteering.
Employment & Experience
Co-Investigator — Peer Mentorship Program, Limb Reconstruction/Lengthening Clinic
- Work on developing mentorship framework, systems, and creating database of mentors/mentees to match participants. Identify and study mixed-methods research findings to refine program, and secure further program funding.
- Leveraging experience as a 3-time patient of limb reconstruction clinic to inform program development.
Teaching Assistant — Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
- TA for three humanities classes on philosophy of science.
- Designed and led tutorials for 90 students to introduce novel content and reinforce learning goals, held office hours, provided thoughtful feedback in grading, and helped develop course workflows alongside other TAs and instructors.
Research Assistant — Science of Care Institute @ Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital
- Lead database manager of study materials on a qualitative project examining COVID-19 policy impacts in hospital; handled 500+ documents and 120 interviews in NVivo, generating preliminary reports and presenting findings.
- Interviewer for 60-minute semi-structured qualitative interviews; consulted on interview design and study workflow.
- Managed REB, DSA, and grant funding submission and tracking; aided in budget and expense tracking.
- Presented findings in symposium; contributed to storyboarding, writing, referencing, and manuscript submission.
- Responsible for screening and recruitment in clinical research projects examining the use of digital tools for inpatients.
Research Assistant — Department of Psychiatry
- Lead researcher on a comprehensive literature review examining inpatient psychiatry suicide risk; presented findings to unit leadership to inform policy development.
- Conducted an extensive scoping review of burnout and stress in healthcare workers; programmed a custom tool to partially automate data entry, and trained and supervised volunteer research students to evaluate and code papers.
Conference Appearances
Invited Participant — Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
- Invited participant in a workshop-style forum to advance social accountability in Canadian medical education.
- Spoke in a small roundtable from personal lived experience and scholarship on disability and healthcare access — to medical school deans, policy drivers, advocacy leaders, and community partners — generating actionable next steps for systemic change.
Poster Presenter — King's College London
- Presented on evidence-based medicine, measurement in medicine, and intersections with critical disability studies.
Organizer — University of Toronto
- Co-organizer for an international conference hosting faculty and graduate students from Cornell University on the history and philosophy of science and technology.
- Coordinated academics, scheduling, catering, and hosting to further academic engagement and inter-school relations.
Guest Lecturer — University of Guelph
- Invited to lecture on research in evidence-based medicine, epistemology, and philosophy of science.
Publications
Author
- Maunder RG, Strudwick G, Heeney ND, Lawson A, Chaukos D, . What Nurse Leaders Can Learn from the Pre-Pandemic Literature Regarding Occupational Stress in Hospital-Based Healthcare Workers. Canadian Journal of Nursing Leadership. 2026;38(4):79–91. doi:10.12927/cjnl.2026.27822
Acknowledged Contributor
- Jeffs L, Heeney N, Johnstone J, et al. Long-term impact of COVID-19 pandemic: Moral tensions, distress, and injuries of healthcare workers. PLOS ONE. 2024;19(9):e0298615. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0298615
Community & Volunteer Work, Personal Achievements
- First Place — Toronto Lindy Exchange: Choreograph Competition (Oct 2025).
- Professional Swing Dance Event Photographer — events across Toronto, New York, Montreal, and more (Jul 2025 – ongoing).
- Board Member & Event Organizer — Education Committee (Jun 2024 – ongoing).
- Volunteer — Various Departments, Mount Sinai Hospital (Sept 2020 – Jun 2021).
- Volunteer Researcher — Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Hospital (Jun 2020 – Jun 2021).
Additional
Technical & software: NVivo, MaxQDA, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint), Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Admin), Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Slack.
Interests: Swing dance, photography (portrait, wildlife, dance), cooking, travel, juggling.