Who We Are

Katherine Pullella

Hi everyone! My name is Katie Pullella and I’m excited to be the President for the 2022-23 NSGSA. My primary goal is to create a strong sense of community among all DNS graduate students and will work to ensure all students remain well-connected to each other and have access to the appropriate resources and support throughout the year! Our team is inspired, engaged and ready to get to know you all! 

A little bit about me - I’m a senior Ph.D. candidate, supervised by Dr. Joanne Kotsopoulos at Women’s College Hospital. My research examines the impact of dietary and environmental exposure to heavy metals, such as arsenic, on cancer risk in Canada. In addition to my role on the NSGSA, I’m also one of the editors of Nutrizine, our graduate-student-led department magazine. In my free time, I love to get outside and explore different areas in Toronto, cycle, read and catch up with friends!

I hope to get to know all of you better and meet you at one of our events soon! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions/ comments or concerns.

Contact: katherine.pullella@mail.utoronto.ca 

Sarah Jarvis

Hi everyone! I’m Sarah and I am excited to be this year’s NSGSA Vice-President. This year I am dedicated to building the academic and professional skills-related programming on behalf of the NSGSA. 

I am a PhD student working under the co-supervision of Dr. Vasanti Malik and Dr. David Jenkins. My research integrates nutrition and environmental impacts to study sustainable dietary patterns and cardiometabolic health outcomes. I am developing a database and multidimensional index of foods in Canada to model and analyze dietary patterns and am also implementing a nutrition education program among youth. Outside of my research, a few of my favourite things include cooking with friends, getting outside for a bike ride/run, and any activities on the water or in the snow!

I look forward to meeting everyone at our events throughout the year! If you have any suggestions/questions/ideas you want to chat about, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Contact: sarah.jarvis@mail.utoronto.ca

Tara Zeitoun

Hello! My name is Tara, and I am delighted to be this year’s Administrator. My roles include overseeing the financial administration and website for the NSGSA.

I am a 4^th year PhD Candidate in Dr. El-Sohemy’s lab, where my research is investigating the relationship between genetic markers of micronutrient metabolism and premenstrual symptoms. I am also one of the editors, alongside Katie Pullella, of Nutrizine! In my spare time, I enjoy reading, exercising, cooking, and spending time with my loved ones.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Contact: tara.zeitoun@mail.utoronto.ca

Kate Braddon

Hello everyone! I am Kate and I will be one of your mentorship representatives for the year. My role is to organise the DNS mentorship program, which includes offering events that help incoming students prepare for their departmental milestones during their first year.

I am in my second year of the MSc program working under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Birken through SickKids. My research is in preconception maternal health and its association to early child nutrition. Outside of my research, I like to get outside for runs, practice yoga and spend time with friends.

I am looking forward to working with the NSGSA Executive Team again this year!

Contact: kate.braddon@mail.utoronto.ca

Kelly Watson

Hello! My name is Kelly Watson, and I am excited to be one of your mentorship reps this year! I will be responsible for planning and overseeing the NSGSA’s mentorship program. We have lots of exciting workshops and events planned for this upcoming year, and I look forward to seeing some new faces, as well as familiar ones.  

I am currently in my second year of the MSc program, completing research under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Roth at SickKids’ Centre for Global Child Health. My project involves secondary analysis of published nutritional interventions conducted in low- and middle-income countries, using a novel growth metric that has the potential to change our understanding of how effective these interventions are. In my free time I love running, yoga, eating, and exploring the outdoors.

Contact: kellym.watson@mail.utoronto.ca

Jennifer Onuoura

Hi Everyone, I am Jennifer and I am excited to serve as the Unions and External Affairs Representative for the 2022-2023 academic session.  

I will be representing the department at university wide meetings that includes the Faculty of Medicine (FoM), the Graduate Student Union (GSU) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) meetings for Teaching Assistants. 

I am a second year Ph.D. candidate supervised by Dr. Daniel Roth. For my PhD, I will be describing the natural variations in the neonatal microbiome and how these microbiome variations are affected by maternal and infant characteristics. I will also be investigating the effects of a probiotic intervention on the infant microbiome.  Outside of studies, I enjoy dancing, content creation, cycling, movies and cooking.

I look forward to meeting everyone during our seminars and social events. Please, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions! 

Contact: jennifer.onuora@sickkids.ca /  jennifer.onuora@mail.utoronto.ca

Jenn Lee

I’m the Student Engagement and Outreach Representative for the NSGSA, your social representative within the department and outside in our community.

I’m a PhD candidate in Dr. L’Abbe’s lab, examining the potential implications of the Canadian front-of-pack labelling regulations. 

I enjoy hiking, running, and playing golf in my spare time. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just want someone to chat with!

Contact: jennjm.lee@mail.utoronto.ca

Howard Chen

Hi! My name is Howard and I will be one of your student engagement representatives for this academic year. I look forward to meeting and interacting with everyone at various NSGSA events. 

Currently, I am in my first-year masters supervised by Dr. Kozeta Miliku. My research involves dietary patterns of Canadian children and looks into puberty development and cardiometabolic health. When I am not lost in a pile of literature readings, I enjoy baking and trying out different food places in Toronto.

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding future events, feel free to reach out - I don't bite!

Contact: zhenghao.chen@mail.utoronto.ca

Tori Chen

Hi everyone! My name is Tori Chen and I am excited to be one of your Student Engagement Representatives along with Teenie and Howard.

I am a 1^st year MSc student supervised by Dr. John L Sievenpiper. My research explores modifications of the association between the Portfolio Diet score and cardiometabolic markers by genetic variation in lipid metabolism. Outside of the lab, I love spending time with friends and family, trying new foods and playing soccer. I am looking forward to meeting many of you throughout the year!

Contact: tori.chen@mail.utoronto.ca

Teenie Siu

Hi everyone! My name is Teenie (yes - it is my real name) and I am super excited to be one of the student engagement representatives for NSGSA this year. I will be working with the team to create new socials and events as well as posting social media content.

Just a little bit about me: I was born and raised from Hong Kong and came to UofT 4 years ago. I am now starting my masters under the supervision of Dr. Jenkins. Some things I do outside of school are weight training, painting, and doing anything outside! I am also in the university college dragon boat team. I can't wait to meet everyone in-person and I am happy to answer any questions you may have!

Contact: teenie.siu@mail.utoronto.ca

Antonio Rossi

Hello everyone! My name is Antonio Rossi and I am thrilled to be one of your first-year representatives for the year. My role is to act as an ambassador to new students keeping them up to date with NSGSA-related events and other important information. As well as assist in planning and hosting events throughout the year!  

I am in my first year of the MSc program working under the supervision of Dr. Miliku. My research focuses on investigating prenatal paternal factors associated with the developmental origins of cardiovascular health. Outside of my research, I enjoy playing sports and spending time with friends. Looking forward to working with the NSGSA team in making this year a fun year for all!  

Contact: antonio.rossi@mail.utoronto.ca 

Kuorosh Rezaei

Hello everyone! I am Kuorosh and I will be one of your first-year representatives for this year. My responsibility is to communicate important information to new students on upcoming NSGSA-related events.

I am in my first year of MSc program, working under the supervision of Dr. Adam Metherel. My research involves investigating the role of sex on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism. More specifically, I'm trying to understand how sex-specific differences in Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) levels emerge in the body.

In my free time, I play video games, practice piano, and walk my dog. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Graduate school can be isolating, and you might feel lonely at times. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you just want to chat with someone. I'm always eager to meet new people and make new friends!

Contact: kuorosh.rezaei@mail.utoronto.ca

Stanley Leung

Hi everyone, I’m Stanley (you can call me Stan) and I’ll be the Nutrizine Representative for this school year, where I’ll be reporting on NSGSA events happening throughout the year. I’m currently a 1st year masters student under the supervision of Dr. Richard Bazinet, where I will be investigating the effects of DHA synthesis from a low or high linoleic acid diet in the brain for my thesis. I also did my undergrad here at UofT, where I majored in Neuroscience and Nutritional Sciences.

In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, swimming, and started learning archery and muay thai. I also like playing the guitar, filming videos, cooking, and trying new cuisines.

Contact: stanleyhc.leung@mail.utoronto.ca

Cino Ling

Hi there! I’m Catriona, a PhD student supervised by Dr. Robert Bandsma. My thesis is aiming to improve the understanding of the mechanisms that underly malnutrition enteropathy, specifically the role of the tryptophan-nicotinamide pathway and mitochondrial dysfunction in the intestinal barrier dysfunction. In my spare time I like to get outside whenever possible and spend time on and in the water!

I will be acting as an advisor to the mentorship program for the 2022-23  academic year and I am available to advise any students intending to reclassify from the MSc program to the PhD program! Please reach out if you have any questions!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!

Contact: cino.ling@sickkids.ca