2026 Executive Council
Chair / Présidente
Camille Rousseau, Ph.D.
Dr. Rousseau, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute since July 2024, is working on a priority setting partnership to establish the next research priorities in brain-related implications of heart failure. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Ottawa (2016), a Master of Arts in Child and Youth Studies from Brock University (2018), and a Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of British Columbia (2024). The postdoctoral fellowship is contributing to the enrichment of her expertise in patient-centred research strategies and public engagement in scientific research.
Stagiaire postdoctorale à l’Institut de cardiologie de l’université d’Ottawa depuis juillet 2024, la Dre Rousseau, en partenariat avec les patients partenaires, se concentre sur les priorités en matière de recherche de pathologies cérébrales concomitantes associées à l’insuffisance cardiaque. Elle est titulaire d’un baccalauréat ès sciences de l’Université d’Ottawa (BSc spécialisé Psychologie, 2016), une maîtrise ès arts de Brock University (MA in Child and Youth Studies, 2018) et un doctorat de The University of British Columbia (PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies, 2024). Son stage postdoctoral contribue à son perfectionnement en usage de stratégies de recherche axées sur le patient et l’engagement des publics à la recherche scientifique.
Past Chair / Présidente sortante
Chanele Polenz, Ph.D.
Chanele is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, studying the bidirectional relationship between depression/anxiety and cardiovascular disease. She completed her doctoral degree at the University of Toronto, where she specialized in inflammation and vascular biology. Outside of lab work, Chanele is passionate about teaching and improving research trainee experiences.
VC Operations / VP Opérations
Furkan Altincicek, Ph.D.
Furkan Altincicek is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta, working with the Molecular Scale Devices Group. He completed his PhD in the same group in May 2025. His research focuses on advancing atom-scale electronics using scanning tunneling microscopy. Furkan has fabricated atomic wires, switches, memory elements, and random number generators, each constructed atom by atom and some as small as just two atoms in length. Through atomic electronics, he aims to develop ultra-low-power technologies that contribute to the global effort against climate change.
Furkan is passionate about science outreach and communication. He has participated in initiatives such as the USchool program and the Three Minute Thesis competition to share scientific ideas with broader audiences. During his PhD, he was an active member of the Graduate Physics Students’ Association, and he currently serves as VP Internal of the Postdoctoral Fellows Association at the University of Alberta, as well as VP Operations with CAPS. He looks forward to continuing his involvement in the broader Canadian postdoctoral community and supporting fellow postdocs.
VC Communications /
VP Communications
Manpreet Kaur, Ph.D.
Dr. Manpreet Kaur is honored to seek the opportunity to contribute to this association, as she deeply values its mission and the community it fosters. Currently, Dr. Manpreet Kaur is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Food Protein and Bioproducts Lab at the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. She completed her Ph.D. journey at Punjab Agricultural University under the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Program. She was privileged to be a visiting scholar at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, US. Dr. Manpreet Kaur is passionate about strengthening the community by sharing valuable insights and creating a supportive network that enhances research excellence. She believes that by working together, we can amplify opportunities, navigate challenges effectively, and make a meaningful impact in our fields. She is eager to contribute her experience, enthusiasm, and dedication to support fellow postdocs and advance the organization’s goals.
VC French / VP Français
Vacant position / Position vacante
L’ACPP est à la recherche d’une personne pour occuper le poste de VP Français. Ecrivez à chair[at]capsacpp.ca pour obtenir plus d’informations et exprimer votre intérêt!
VC Finance / VP Finances
Titus Olukitibi, Ph.D.
Titus Olukitibi is a Dr. Dick Smith Research Manitoba Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Manitoba, with research focused on understanding the immune interplay responsible for the clearance of human papillomavirus (HPV) in women. His work uses female sex workers from the Sex Workers Outreach Program (SWOP) in Kenya as a cohort. Titus aims to examine memory T cells’ response to HPV recall antigens in women who can clear HPV infection, which may suggest a novel approach for an HPV therapeutic vaccine to reduce HPV-related cervical cancer (CC).
Titus earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Medical Microbiology at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, before relocating to Canada for his PhD program. He completed his PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba, focusing on universal influenza vaccine development and characterization.
In addition to his academic achievements, Titus is the founder of Raising the Foundations of Generations Inc. (www.rfgimpacts.org), a faith-based organization dedicated to mentorship and professional development for children and teenagers in Canada.
VC Survey / VP Enquête
Jolene Phelps, Ph.D.
Jolene is a postdoctoral fellow in mechanical engineering and medical sciences at the University of Victoria, where her research focuses on testing stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles as treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related neurodegeneration, and contributing to the development of novel 3D bioprinted models for AD.
She did her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Calgary and then worked for 2 years as program manager for a Canada-wide health research training platform focused on improving research training, career and professional development, and collaboration in the field of vascular cognitive impairment.
She is interested in exploring how we can best use CAPS survey data to support advocacy for postdoc wellbeing and career development in Canada and improve survey clarity and engagement going forward.
VC External / VP Externe
Manaswini Ramkumar, Ph.D.
Dr. Manaswini Ramkumar is currently a McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Teaching and Leadership Fellow with McMaster University. She received her PhD in International Relations from the School of International Service, American University in Washington DC in 2024. Her research explores civil-military relations, democratic decline, and postcolonial democracy. In CAPS, as Vice-Chair-External, she plans to foster connections – between institutions and postdocs, among postdocs from various disciplines, and between postdocs and those postdocs who have successfully managed to transition into careers in academia, government, the private and non-profit sectors.
VC International / VP International
Paris Jeffcoat, Ph.D.
Paris is a former regulatory scientist and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She obtained her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Sydney and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences. Working closely with regulators across jurisdictions, her work focuses on New Approach Methods (NAMS) in (eco)toxicology, risk assessment, chemicals management, and regulatory science.
VC Membership / VP Adhésion
Yu (Yulian) Weng, Ph.D.
Dr. Yu Weng, also known as Yulian, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University, specializing in biomedical ultrasound. He began this role in February 2024 after earning his doctorate from Georgia Tech and gaining extensive industry experience in the United States before relocating to Canada. His current goal is to develop next-generation ultrasound imaging systems and drive innovation in biomedical ultrasound technology.
As of January 2025, Yulian serves as the Vice Chair of Membership for CAPS/ACPP. In this role, he is responsible for approving new members, sending welcome communications, and managing membership records. Furthermore, he is dedicated to fostering a stronger, more connected postdoctoral community.
VC Career Development /
VP Développement carrière
Adefarati Oloruntoba, Ph.D.
Dr. Adefarati Oloruntoba is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Calgary, Canada, working on environmental impact assessment and sustainable energy systems, with a focus on greenhouse gas accounting and low-carbon technologies across large-scale energy and infrastructure projects in Canada and Europe.
He served on the United Nations Environment Programme Life Cycle Initiative Technical Committee for the Biogenic Carbon Project Phase 1, contributing to international efforts to harmonize approaches to biogenic carbon accounting in life cycle assessment. His research and consulting work spans computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, bioenergy, LNG systems, environmental stressor analysis, and policy-relevant sustainability assessments that support government decision-making and industry planning.
As Vice President of CAPS, Adefarati is dedicated to advancing national advocacy for postdoctoral researchers and fostering collaboration across Canadian postdoctoral associations.
Le Dr Adefarati Oloruntoba est chercheur postdoctoral à l’Université de Calgary, au Canada, où il travaille sur l’évaluation des impacts environnementaux et les systèmes énergétiques durables, avec un accent sur la comptabilisation des gaz à effet de serre et les technologies à faibles émissions de carbone dans le cadre de projets énergétiques et d’infrastructures à grande échelle au Canada et en Europe.
Il a siégé au comité technique de l’Initiative du cycle de vie du Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement pour la phase 1 du projet sur le carbone biogénique, contribuant aux efforts internationaux visant à harmoniser les approches de comptabilisation du carbone biogénique en analyse du cycle de vie. Ses travaux de recherche et de consultation couvrent la simulation en dynamique des fluides numérique (CFD), la bioénergie, les systèmes de GNL, l’analyse des contraintes environnementales et les évaluations de durabilité orientées vers les politiques publiques, à l’appui de la prise de décision gouvernementale et de la planification industrielle.
À titre de vice-président de l’ACPP, Adefarati s’engage à faire progresser la représentation nationale des chercheurs postdoctoraux et à favoriser la collaboration entre les associations postdoctorales canadiennes
VC Website / VP Site internet
Maxime Ranger, Ph.D.
Maxime is a postdoctoral fellow at Université Laval in Quebec City. He holds a PhD in civil engineering from the Technical University of Denmark, and works on the durability of concrete structures and the design of low-carbon concrete mixes. VC Website since 2025, Maxime is responsible for administrating the website, ensuring that all CAPS information are available in both English and French.
Maxime est chercheur postdoctoral à l’Université Laval à Québec. Il possède un doctorat en génie civil obtenu à la Technical University of Denmark, et travaille sur la durabilité des infrastructures en béton ainsi que la conception de formulations de béton bas-carbone. VP Site internet depuis 2025, Maxime est responsable de l’administration du site internet de l’ACPP, et s’assure que toutes les informations relatives à l’ACPP sont disponibles en français et an anglais.
Advisor / Conseillère
Henrietta “Henny” Bennett, Ph.D. (she/her)
Henny is a research associate at the Advanced Optical Microscopy Facility at the University Health Network in Toronto. Henny completed postdoc positions at the Hospital for Sick Children and at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. She is the former Chair, Secretary and Finance Lead of the Postdoctoral Advisory Committee at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto; former VC Operations for CAPS/ACPP (2023), Chair CAPS/ACPP (2024), and Past Chair CAPS/ACPP (2025).
Continuing as an Advisor to the Executive (2026), Henny supports the work of the executive council and its working committees with institutional knowledge. Her goal is to improve the Canadian Postdoc experience.
Advisor / Conseiller
Peter Harrington, Ph.D. (he/him)
Peter is a teaching postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia, where he is working to improve the experience of first-year students taking calculus. His past research was in mathematical biology, where he used analytical tools from mathematics to better understand the spread of sea louse parasites between salmon farms.
Advisor / Conseiller
Rade Zinaic, Ph.D.
Rade is a Bridging Divides Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Immigrant Health and Wellbeing at Toronto Metropolitan University where he is involved in several projects that explore the nexus between immigrant health and wellbeing and practices such as community gardening, restorative storytelling, and decolonial grassroots empowerment strategies, respectively.
Advisor
Edris Madadian, Ph.D.
Edris Madadian is a former AMTD Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Waterloo) and a Killam Postdoctoral Scholar (Dalhousie University). He served CAPS/ACPP as Chair from 2021-2023 and built strong relationship with the postdoctoral association across Canada as well international counterpart. His area of expertise is primarily in the design of renewable energy systems and sustainable engineering for a wide range of applications including agricultural, oil and gas, and automotive industries.
As Advisor Edris is focused on continuing to strengthen both the support offered to Canadian postdocs by CAPS/ACPP, and its advocacy work.
Advisor
Christine Gibb, Ph.D.
Advisor
Catherine Hume, Ph.D. (she/her)
Catherine is a postdoctoral associate in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary, studying how cannabis use alters appetite and metabolism. She is the former CAPS-ACPP Website Management and Communications VC, and Executive of The Postdoctoral Fellows Association of The University of Calgary.
Member-At-Large
Madeline Ward, Ph.D.
University of Saskatchewan
Madeline is a postdoctoral associate at the University of Saskatchewan. She is involved with several projects related to building statistical models to better understand the behaviours and outcomes of migratory waterfowl. Her previous research during her PhD at the University of Calgary focused on modelling the spread of infectious diseases. She currently serves as Director of Member Relations in the University of Saskatchewan Society for Postdoctoral Scholars, where she connects members of the postdoctoral scholar community through events and outreach.
Member-At-Large
Mona Maadani, Ph.D.
Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador
Dr. Mona Maadani is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Polymer Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Her research focuses on materials characterization, corrosion protection, and advanced polymer and coating systems for marine and offshore applications. She has extensive experience in experimental design, surface and electrochemical testing, and microstructural analysis using techniques such as SEM/EDX, as well as in evaluating the mechanical properties of coatings.
Mona is also completing a Bachelor of Education (Post-Secondary), reflecting her strong interest in evidence-based teaching, curriculum development, and student-centred learning. She has taught multiple undergraduate chemistry laboratories, actively mentors students, particularly international and newcomer learners in Canada, and serves as the Director of Mentorship for WISENL.
As a Member-at-Large with CAPS, Mona is committed to advancing chemistry education, supporting professional growth, and fostering inclusive and collaborative scientific communities.
Member-At-Large
Ganesh Dhungana, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia
Dr. Ganesh Dhungana is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia UBC, Canada. Before joining UBC, he served as Project Lead for the Program on Resilient Communities at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University. His work bridges risk science and governance to understand how communities can better adapt to natural hazards. His interdisciplinary focus contributes to more robust governance frameworks that integrate hazard science, planning, and inclusive stakeholder engagement.
Member-At-Large
Alsayed Mostafa, Ph.D.
University of Alberta
Alsayed is a postdoctoral fellow in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Alberta (UofA). His current work focuses on combining the principles of environmental biotechnology and bioelectrochemistry to develop bioenergy and resource recovery from waste and wastewater. Currently, Alsayed serves as Vice President (External) in the Postdoctoral Fellows Association (PDFA) of the University of Alberta. Alsayed obtained his Ph.D. in early 2022 from Inha University, South Korea, where he also served as a postdoctoral fellow. Before settling in Canada, Alsayed worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the State University of New York, USA.
As Member-At-Large, Alsayed contributes to discussions and serves as a bridge between CAPS/ACPP and the PDFA of UofA to ensure that the opinions of the PDFA of UofA are reflected and to pass on CAPS/ACPP ideas and recommendations to the PDFA of UofA. Alsayed’s ultimate goal is to improve the conditions of the Canadian postdoc community.
Member-At-Large
Hadi Jooybari, Ph.D.
Member-At-Large
Arash Salahinejad, Ph.D.
Western University
Dr. Arash Salahinejad is a postdoctoral fellow at the Robarts Research Institute, Western University (UWO). He specializes in testing innovative therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on evaluating the efficacy of new drugs targeting amyloid beta (Aβ). Arash’s research aims to assess the prophylactic effects, as well as potential side effects, of these new treatments on cognition and behavior. Arash actively fosters collaboration, advocates for postdoctoral interests, and works to enhance the visibility and impact of postdoctoral research within the broader scientific community, while supporting the well-being and professional development of other postdocs.