Featured Trainees

Katherine Mason

Katherine is a 3rd-year Biology Undergraduate Student at Carleton University & Research Assistant at the University of Ottawa. She has an interest in research that focuses on improving the experiences of patients as they navigate the Canadian health care system. Her passions have led her to work in a research group completing qualitative research that explores the experiences of next-of-kin of young sudden cardiac death victims as they learn about their relatives’ cause of death and their personal risk for heritable cardiac conditions.

Katherine was recently awarded the CHAT Travel Award to present her team’s research on Learning About Cause Of Death Of Young Sudden Cardiac Death Victims: A Qualitative Study Of Families’ Experiences at this year’s Heart Rhythm 2022.

When asked about CHAT, Katherine said “The CHAT community has allowed me to connect with and learn from senior researchers. Additionally, as a CHAT trainee, I was awarded the CHAT Travel Award, which allowed me to travel to San Francisco to attend and present my team’s research at Heart Rhythm 2022.”

Outside of her career and current studies, Katherine is a high-performance cross-country skier racing for Équipe Nakkertok Racing Group (ENRG) and a varsity skier for Carleton University. She spends her winters racing at events across North America.

Dominique de Waard

Dominique de Waard is a 2^nd-Year Resident in Cardiac Surgery at Dalhousie University. She joined the CHAT community in 2017 as a medical student while working on a project that looked at the effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy in women. This trial, Cardiac Resynchronization in Women: A Substudy of the Resynchronization-Defibrillation for Ambulatory Heart Failure Trial, was ultimately published in the JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology Journal in 2019. During her educational experience, she recognized the potential for change that research provides as well as the positive impact on patients.

“Throughout my undergraduate degree and medical school, I had many research opportunities which helped broaden my knowledge and allowed me to explore different types of research”, Dominique says. “As a CHAT trainee, I was awarded a CANet Travel Award, which provided me with the opportunity to attend a national research meeting and present our research. I met many CHAT members during the conference who were all welcoming and supportive. I also attended a CANet Annual Scientific Conference where I was touched by the involvement of patients and family members. It was inspiring to hear their stories and highlighted the importance of advancing research.”

“I have had an interest in research since my early undergraduate days where I was inspired by researchers at a local children’s hospital. With a focus on quality improvement and an eagerness to explore new areas of research, I plan to pursue a master’s during my residency that is focused on implementation science and qualitative research.”

Outside of cardiac surgery and research, Dominique has a passion for gardening. She explains that there is nothing more peaceful than tending to her plants for a few hours a week or as exciting as watching a new flower bloom.

Sina Safabakhsh

Sina Safabakhsh is a 3rd year medical student at the University of British Columbia. His interests lie in the pathophysiological mechanisms driving atrial fibrillation using mass spectrometry with the goal of identifying molecular signatures that may serve as therapeutic or diagnostic targets. Moreover, he is interested in the recent research on the clinical management of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy leading to follow up mechanistic studies of this patient population. He is excited to learn more about single cell RNA sequencing technology to characterize this disease process and look for novel cellular processes that can further our understanding of this condition and pave the way for improved therapies.

“I enjoy being a part of the CANet’s CHAT community because it connects me with experts across all aspects of the management and research of cardiac arrhythmias”, Sina states. “Patients, providers caring for those with arrhythmias, and researchers studying these processes at the cellular or population level all have a unique contribution to improving the lives of those living with arrhythmias.”

“To communicate and learn from these sources motivates me to strive for excellence as a trainee clinician and scientist. Apart from the strong sense of shared purpose that CHAT provides, the funding opportunities and resources on digital health innovations are further reasons to join this vibrant community!”

In his spare time, Sina enjoys going for runs, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. He is also a big fan of podcasts including, This American Life, The Hidden Brain, Heavyweight, Freakonomics, and Philosophize This!

Kate Bourne

Kate is currently enrolled in the Leaders in Medicine program at the University of Calgary, allowing her to complete both her PhD and MD training. After this program, her career goal is to become a clinician-scientist researching women’s cardiovascular health.”

“Being a member of the CANet Trainee (CHAT) community has allowed me to connect with investigators and other trainees from across the country, ” Kate expresses. “These valuable connections have allowed me to expand my research network, and build professional relationships.”

“Attending the CANet Annual Scientific Conferences and Trainee/HQP symposiums have provided opportunities for me to develop skills that I have applied directly to my research. I have also had the opportunity to attend international conferences, including the Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions, through the generous support of the CANet’s CHAT Travel Award.”

Kate’s research focuses on postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). POTS is a debilitating cardiovascular autonomic disorder that primarily affects young women.

Kate’s publication, “Compression Garment Reduces Orthostatic Tachycardia and Symptoms in Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome”, was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in January 2021. 

While in her graduate studies, she was also accepted into medical school at the University of Calgary.

Kate is also a leader with Girl Guides of Canada, a volunteer Medical First Responder with St. John Ambulance as well as the UCalgary Student Medical Response Team. In her spare time, Kate enjoys playing field hockey, and outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, biking, and orienteering.

Sol Vidal Amela

Sol is a PhD candidate in Human Kinetics in the at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Sol is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist certified by the American College of Sports Medicine with a strong passion to advance knowledge about the role of exercise training to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.

She completed her undergraduate degree in Sports Science in Valencia, Spain, where she is originally from, and her MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University, in the UK.

“CANet and CHAT offer great support for trainees working in an arrhythmia-related field. Arrhythmias are complex diseases which require multidisciplinary work to improve patient care. This community allows me to connect with other researchers and clinicians involved in the care of arrhythmias but from many different disciplines.

For example, my background is in cardiovascular rehabilitation and how we can use exercise training to improve the health of patients with arrhythmias – this is one of many pieces of the arrhythmia care puzzle. If you need another reason to become a CANet and CHAT member, they have funding opportunities for members including the publication award and a travel award (yes, we are all dreaming of in-person conferences!).”

Sol’s  PhD work is focused on sex-based analyses of the effects of exercise on physical and mental health outcomes in patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

Yuchen Dai

Yuchen is a medical student at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Wilfrid Laurier University where he was awarded the Gold Medal.

He is currently undertaking clinical research in cardiac imaging and nuclear cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute under the tutelage of Rob Beanlands and Robert deKemp.

Yuchen hopes to pursue training and a career as a clinician-scientist in cardiovascular medicine, ultimately serving the Canadian population. Outside of medicine, Yuchen enjoys playing tennis and visiting museums and is currently a violinist in the World Doctors Orchestra.

“Through the CHAT program and their funding support, I have been able to present my research at major conferences including the 2021 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress and engage with international leaders in cardiovascular medicine – both in terms of mentorships with established professionals, and with fellow trainees and the next generation of cardiovascular specialists. I am extremely grateful to CANet and the contributions of so many Canadian cardiovascular specialists for this educational mandate. I hope to contribute and advance the breadth of research and evidence we rely on as clinicians and affirm the role of Canadian institutions, including CANet, as international leaders in cardiovascular research.”