Meet The Team

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee oversees STEM Fellowship’s operations and sets the strategic direction for the charity

Arshvir Singh Dhari

Chief Executive Officer

Previously serving as Chief Partnerships Officer, Arshvir secured support for the charity from government, academia, and corporations. He studies Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. Beyond this, his long-standing interests lie at the crossroads of world health diplomacy and international cooperation.

Arman Athwal

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Arman is in the final year of his Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Simon Fraser University. He has co-authored several research papers in vision science, and currently works for two research labs in Vancouver, BC and Perth, Western Australia. He loves astronomy and human spaceflight, and is working on his pilot’s license with the hope of applying to be a Canadian astronaut candidate sometime in the future.

“I joined STEM Fellowship back in 2018 as the SciComm Workshops team lead. Since then, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have served in multiple positions, most recently as the co-CEO of the organization. Out of any volunteer experience I’ve had, SF tops the list. The opportunities to develop skills like leadership, communication, and team management are endless, and the people here are truly the best in town.”

Patrick Prochazka
CO-Chief Operating Officer

Patrick is a 4th year student at Johns Hopkins University, where he is pursuing a double major in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Applied Mathematics and Statistics. He is also completing a concurrent Master’s Degree in Biology, where his research focuses on the biochemistry of RNA folding. As STEM Fellowship’s co-COO, he is passionate about designing and providing STEM opportunities for youth – especially those from traditional underrepresented backgrounds – and developing initiatives to build the internal team dynamic within the charity. Outside of STEM Fellowship, Patrick loves playing the piano and violin, teaching math and science (especially organic chemistry), and cheering on his hometown Toronto Raptors.

“I first heard of STEM Fellowship when I was a competitor at the 2017 Canadian Young Physicists’ Tournament (CaYPT). I ended up joining the charity in 2018 as a Mentorships Coordinator on the STEMpowerment team. I served in several roles since, including STEMpowerment Mentorships Team Lead, Associate STEMpowerment Officer, and Associate CaYPT Officer, prior to taking on the COO role. My experience on STEM Fellowship has been transformational to my personal growth, and my phenomenal teammates over the past several years have pushed me to become a better leader and person. I have also made several close friends through the charity world that have shaped me to the person I am today!”

Mohit Sodhi
Co-Chief Operating Officer

Mohit is a UBC Medical student and was awarded the Governor General Gold Medal in 2019. He is a highly published and cited medical author and is an avid philanthropist. He enjoys American football, golf, and Marvel movies.

Zackary Masri

Chief Data Officer

Zackary is an undergraduate student at McMaster University majoring in Mathematics and Statistics. He has worked as an IT Solutions and Data Analyst in the past, and is currently responsible for running STEM Fellowship’s Undergraduate and High School Big Data Challenges (UNBDC and HSBDC respectively). His interests include sports and adventuring, and one day hopes to have a career in sustainable energy and development.

“I joined STEM Fellowship as a Program Management Team Member in September 2019, and have held roles in the other positions within the Data Science Committee. I’m really engaged in the Big Data Challenges that we run. The feeling of running an event with hundreds of students participating across many different countries is exhilarating, and being able to teach important data analysis skills, knowing the impact that it can have on a student’s professional development and career, is something that I enjoy dearly.”

Manisha Rullay
Chief STEMpowerment Officer

Manisha is a Biology student at York University. She has an interest in engaging youth in STEM through mentorship and research opportunities.

Anish Verma
CO-Chief Executive Officer

Anish Verma is a leader driven to make impact through emerging technologies like Quantum Computing, and by equitably empowering students across Canada with the power of Data Science. Anish pursued a B.Sc. honours degree in Chemical Physics at Simon Fraser University and an M.Sc. in Physics jointly between the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo. As STEM Fellowship’s co-CEO, he oversees the national charity’s programs, providing equitable opportunities for scientific research, academic publishing, and science communication. In addition to this, Anish is a Quantitative Analyst and Quantum Researcher at 1QBit – a leading Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence company.

Learn more about him at https://AnishRVerma.github.io

“As a Fijian, genderqueer person of colour, the lack of representation and accessbility in STEM had me wavering in my youth about pursuing STEM. Indeed, when I was younger there were no accessible programs that would allow people in my community to develop the necessary skills for STEM that others had. Through STEM Fellowship, I was able to make genuine impact facilitating equitable opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM. There are countless people in underrepresented communities that can be immensely successful, if provided the opportunities and resources. At STEM Fellowship, I am proud to be able to make this possible, and will always proudly look back on my time here.”

Irene Chang
Chief Human Resources Officer

Irene is a Health Sciences undergraduate student at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She has research interests in medical education, specifically involving aspiring physicians admissions policies. Outside of academics, Irene enjoys learning new languages and musical instruments, and one day hopes to pursue a career in healthcare.

Harleen Klair
Co-Chief Marketing Officer

Harleen Klair is in her 3rd year in the mechanical and biomedical engineering program at McMaster University. She has worked as a business development consultant for MGD Health ICE, allowing her to explore the innovative technologies space as she aspires to become an entrepreneur within the prosthetics, personalized healthcare and e-health industries. Outside of academics, Harleen works in the creative space designing art pieces (and more recently planning out a comic series) as well as starting a new podcast on the intricacies of navigating adulthood.

“I joined the STEM Fellowship in 2017 as an outreach ambassador but wanted the opportunity to combine my passion for STEM and the arts. I was very fortunate to get the chance to join the design team and shortly held several positions within the team before becoming the co-Chief of Marketing for the organization. Being a part of such a creative and passionate group of individuals has not only motivated me to continue to push myself but has also taught me what it means to be a good leader and help others achieve their goals within an organization as supportive as the STEM Fellowship!”

Jack Yang
Co-Chief Marketing Officer

Jack is pursuing a Master’s degree in Medical Sciences at McMaster University. With a keen interest in immunology research, he is conducting studies to demonstrate the functionality of humanized mouse models for infectious diseases such as HIV and TB studies as well as cancer studies. Throughout his work in the lab, he is an advocate for science communication and importance of research. He hopes to inspire other youths to pursue their passions and interests in the STEM field. Outside of academics, he enjoys staying active by playing sports – he is also a big fan of the Toronto Raptors.

“Throughout my time with STEM Fellowship, I’ve been very fortunate to have experienced several different roles and developed a multitude of personal skills. After starting as a STEM Fellowship social media member within the marketing department, I had visions to expand our social media reach for the organization. I decided to become a team lead as I wanted to become more involved in decision making processes in a leadership role. During this time, the supportive environment within STEM Fellowship has allowed me to pursue my expansion initiatives and eventually become the Co-Chief Marketing Officer. These roles have greatly helped in the development of soft skills such as effective communication and problem solving that are essential for a professional career.”

Gurman Khera

Chief Science Communication Officer

Gurman is a UBC graduate in Psychoneuroimmunology with a minor in Public Health and coordinates research studies in pediatric IBD. She’s worked in student healthcare and education for over 7 years and continues to work in emergency first aid as a volunteer. With experience as a market analyst and research assistant for tertiary care centres across Lower Mainland and biotechnology companies such as Tel Array Diagnostics, she’s passionate about encouraging science and research literacy, especially within minority groups and inner-city schools. Outside of academics, you can find her running her small business in wedding, newborn, fashion, and family photography.

“I joined STEM Fellowship in 2020 as the SciComm Workshops Team Lead. Since then, it’s been an absolute pleasure to work in several roles, most recently as the Chief of Science Communication where I coordinate our sponsorships/partnerships, academic blog, scholarly writing workshops, scholarly writing challenge, one-on-one consulting service, and assist with the STEM Fellowship Journal’s administrative tasks. In my highschool experience, I had very little exposure to STEM research and had to jump through hoops to hone my skills and find the right research opportunities for myself. This organization gives first-time scholars and young researchers the opportunity to learn these skills in various ways: workshops, challenges, panels, tailored feedback, etc. On top of that, it’s great working with a global team of professionals; everyone’s bursting with ideas and always ready to help bring an innovative concept to life.”

Jim Chen
Chief CaYPT Officer

Jim is a past IYPT participant and team captain. He is currently a second year student at the University of Toronto, pursuing the Math and Physics Specialist program.

Christy Chan
Chief Outreach Ambassadors Officer

Christy is a third year Physiology honours student at the University of Alberta. Her interests are in the health sciences field, particularly in the areas of cardiovascular and maternal health. After her undergraduate degree, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine, either as a physician or a clinician-scientist. Outside of research and volunteering, she enjoys practicing martial arts and finding different sites for evening walks in the Edmonton river valley. Christy began as a STEM Fellowship outreach ambassador back in Grade 10 and ultimately hopes to continue spreading awareness for the STEM disciplines through her current role as the Chief Outreach Ambassadors Officer.

“Having been a part of STEM Fellowship since I was a 15 year-old, I feel very grateful and honoured to be able to grow alongside the organization. Through my various roles within the Outreach Ambassadors Committee, I’ve developed invaluable interpersonal and leadership skills that I am now able to pass onto a network of other budding innovators across Canada. The Outreach Ambassadors program is a wonderful way for young student-leaders to hone their professional skills through speaking about and representing our organization in the community at large. My involvement in STEM Fellowship has doubtlessly shaped me into the person I am today, and I have so much gratitude for all the opportunities it has given me.”

Kevin An

Chief University Branches Officer

Kevin graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacology. He currently works as a Formulation Scientist at NanoVation Therapeutics, where he utilizes his expertise in lipid nanoparticle delivery systems in developing novel liposomal formulations in hopes of treating various genetic diseases. Kevin hopes to pursue a future career in healthcare, intertwining his foundational knowledge in science with his passion for helping others. Outside of his professional life Kevin enjoys playing table tennis, hiking, listening to music, and watching Netflix. Kevin joined STEM Fellowship as the Treasurer of the UBC STEM Fellowship branch before taking on his current role as Chief University Branches Officer, where he hopes to provide university students across Canada and the US with experiential learning opportunities to jumpstart their professional career.

“STEM Fellowship has undeniably been the catalyst that has led me to where I am today. I joined the charity in 2017 as the Treasurer of the UBC STEM Fellowship branch, which was the first leadership position I held as an undergraduate student. The connections and opportunities that STEM Fellowship provided me with has allowed me to develop strong interpersonal and professional skills, enabling my growth as an individual and my foundational experience in basic science. I now provide similar experiences for students across Canada and the US in hopes bringing inspiration to our next generation of new STEM leaders. I would not be where I am today without STEM Fellowship, and I am ever so grateful for the opportunities the charity has provided me.”

Elvira Nurmambetova
Chief High School Chapters Officer

Elvira is a undergraduate Bioinformatics student at the University of Calgary. Her interests include coding, research and fine arts.

Catherine Xu
Chief Partnerships and Sponsorships Officer

Catherine is a second year Pharmacology and Master of Management Dual Degree candidate at the University of British Columbia. Aside from STEM advocacy, she is passionate about teaching youth and pharmaceutical research.

Haruskh Benipal

SFJ Editorial Coordinator

Harsukh Benipal is a MD Candidate at the University of Toronto. She has completed a MSc in the Health Research Methodology Program and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) from McMaster University with an Interdisciplinary Minor in Community Engagement. Her research interests include evidence-based therapeutics, aging populations, and observational study designs. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading and hiking.

Ab Thaivalappil

STEM Fellowship Journal Co-Managing Editor

Ab is a PhD Candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. His research interests include public health policy, environmental health, food safety, and health behaviours. He has worked with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Public Health Association, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on breakthrough research. His career goals are to find a position where can exert influence over important public health decisions at the provincial and federal levels. Outside of STEM Fellowship and research, Ab is also passionate about fitness, DIY projects, Spanish, and volleyball.

“I’ve had numerous mentors who shaped and amplified my interest in science. This spurred me to join STEM Fellowship as an editor at the STEM Fellowship Journal (SFJ) in 2019. Since then, this organization has offered me an incredible amount of autonomy and opportunities to exercise the skills I’ve developed. I participate as a STEM Viewpoint Competition mentor and am currently one of the managing editors for SFJ which has allowed me to be a part of a team that encourages young students to pursue STEM, challenge their critical thinking, improve scientific communication and develop talented young Canadian researchers.”

Ruijia Zhang
STEM Fellowship Journal Co-Managing Editor

Ruijia is an undergraduate student in the Honours Chemical Biology Co-op program at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She is currently working in a cancer research lab where her project focuses on studying the binding characteristics and therapeutic efficacy of novel small molecule cancer immunotherapeutics. Outside of STEM Fellowship, she loves digital planning and enjoys making templates for fun!

“I initially joined the STEM Fellowship Journal as a Typesetter in May 2019 where I was able to combine my passion in digital art with learning more about the scholarly publishing process. I have since had the opportunity to partake in various side projects which helped me discover my interest in workflow optimization and led me to my current position as one of the co-Managing Editors of the SFJ. Throughout my journey with the SFJ, I’ve had the opportunity to develop my professional communication and logical thinking skills amongst an inspiring team of highly-driven individuals. I am incredibly grateful for the experiences the journal has provided me and look forward to continue growing with the organization as a whole!”