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 Contact Us
LifeLabs - Ontario
Dr. Huda Almohri
BSc, MD, FRCPC
Medical Microbiologist
Specialty: Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Areas of special interest/ expertise: Antimicrobial resistance; Hospital infection control; Infections in immunocompromised patients
Office address: 100 International Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 6J6
Phone 416-675-4530 ext 2105
Professional biography:
Dr. Almohri obtained her medical degree at McGill University. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at McGill as well, and her Medical Microbiology residency at the University of Toronto. She obtained her Royal College certification for Internal Medicine in 2005, Infectious Diseases in 2006 and Medical Microbiology in 2007. She is also American Board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Almohri’s main areas of interest are hospital infection control and infections in immunocompromised patients.
Dr. Almohri joined LifeLabs as a Medical Microbiologist in 2008 and became the Discipline Head for Microbiology in 2011. Currently she is working on introducing more advanced molecular technology to the Microbiology laboratory at LifeLabs.
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Dr. Abdel Belhaj
MD, FRCPC, FCCM
Medical Microbiologist
Specialty: Medical Microbiology
Areas of special interest/ expertise: Infection Prevention and Control; Medical Microbiology
Office address: 100 International Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 6J6
Phone: 416-675-4530 ext 2344
Professional biography:
Dr. Belhaj obtained a Medical degree from Al Fateh University in Tripoli, Libya. He then continued his studies at the McMaster University with residency training in Medical Microbiology. He is a fellow of Canadian College of Microbiologists, Royal College of Physicians of Canada and a Diplomat of American Board of Medical Microbiologists.
Since 2010, Dr. Belhaj has been a Medical Microbiology Consultant at LifeLabs. As well, he works as a Medical Microbiologist and Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Rouge Valley Health System.
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Dr. Sheila Boss
PhD, FCACB
Laboratory Director, 100 International Blvd. Toronto, Ontario
Scientific Director, LifeLabs Ontario
Specialty: Clinical Chemistry
Areas of special interest/ expertise: Routine biochemistry, Immunoassay analyses, Trace metals
Office address:
100 International Blvd,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9W 6J6
Phone: 416-675-4530 ext 2296
Professional biography:
Dr. Boss holds a PhD in Clinical Biochemistry and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemists. She has published more than 20 peer previewed papers and made 24 scientific presentations. She is co-author to 2 patents for work completed in QC management and enzyme immobilization.
Dr. Boss has been with MDS and LifeLabs for over 17 years and is the Laboratory Director at 100 International (IRL) Laboratory and the Discipline Head of Clinical Chemistry for LifeLabs ON. Dr. Boss is adjunct appointed faculty in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Until recently Dr. Boss acted as Chair of the QMPLS Chemistry Committee and Professional Advisory Council.
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Dr. Peter Catomeris
PhD, FCACB
Clinical Biochemist
Specialty: Clinical Chemistry
Areas of special interest/ expertise: Immunoassays, Protein electrophoresis, Immunology, Hepatitis serology
Office address: 100 International Blvd,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9W 6J6
Phone: 416-675-4530 ext 2029
Professional biography:
Dr. Catomeris obtained his PhD in Clinical Chemistry from the University of Windsor and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry. Previously he held a joint position at the Windsor Regional Hospital and Leamington District Memorial Hospital, and consulted for the Medical Laboratories of Windsor. He was also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor.
Dr. Catomeris joined LifeLabs in 1995 as Technical Director. Dr. Catomeris was the Lab Services Director of the MDS Pharma Services Central Lab for six years and returned to LifeLabs in 2004 in a Clinical Biochemist role.
Dr. Catomeris serves as a member of the Chemistry Scientific Committee of the Ontario Quality Management Program – Laboratory Services. He has also served as Team Leader of numerous Ontario Laboratory Accreditation laboratory assessments and as a team member of many College of American Pathologists laboratory inspections.
Dr. Catomeris was a panel member of Ontario Association of Medical Laboratories committees, generating two laboratory testing guidelines. Dr. Catomeris is the Head of Education & Scientific Affairs of the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists.
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Dr. Daniela Leto
BSc, MD, FRCP
Medical Microbiologist
Specialty: Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine
Areas of special interest/ expertise: Infections in the Immunocompromised host especially bone marrow transplant patients and patients with hematological malignancies,
Office address: 100 International Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 6J6
Phone: 416-675-4530 ext 2898
Professional biography:
Dr. Leto obtained her Medical degree from McMaster University in Hamilton , Ontario. She proceeded to pursue her post-graduate specialties at McMaster University with residency training in Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. Her clinical roles at McMaster include consulting services within the Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases division, dealing mostly with immunocompromised individuals. She also provides consulting services in the sexual health program delivered through Hamilton Public Health, and is involved in teaching within both the undergraduate and postgraduate medical training programs at McMaster University.
In April 2012, Dr. Leto joined LifeLabs as a consultant in Medical Microbiology.
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Dr. Doug Tkachuk
MD, FRCPC
Chief Medical Officer
Specialty: Anatomical Pathology, Hematopathology
Areas of special interest/expertise: Hematopathology, Lab informatics, Telemedicine, Digital pathology, Web 2.0 medical education
Office address: 100 International Blvd.,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9W 6J6
Phone: 416-675-4530 ext 2811
Professional biography:
Dr. Doug Tkachuk obtained his medical degree at the University of Manitoba. Doug then spent two years working in family practice in northern and remote communities, including Churchill, Manitoba and surrounding Arctic regions; Kenora, Ontario; Shelburne, Nova Scotia and Christchurch, New Zealand. He completed his residency in Anatomical Pathology at the University of Toronto, followed by post-doctoral work in molecular diagnostics working with Joe Gray and Dan Pinkel at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Michael Cleary at Stanford University. Since then, Doug has worked as an academic hematopathologist at Seattle Veterans Medical Center and the University of Washington and until coming to LifeLabs at the Toronto General Hospital and University of Toronto.
Prior to joining LifeLabs, Dr. Tkachuk was hematopathologist at University Health Network as well as Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at University of Toronto. While at UHN he became familiar with LifeLabs as a reference laboratory. In January 2009, Dr. Tkachuk joined LifeLabs as Medical Director, Ontario and then became Vice President, Chief Medical Officer in May, 2010.
Dr. Tkachuk continues to be actively involved in textbook writing and teaching. The first edition of his “Wintrobe’s Atlas of Clinical Hematology” has been translated into three languages and work is currently underway on the second edition. Dr. Tkachuk is a founder and President of Objective Pathology Ltd., a digital pathology software development and services company competing in the educational, proficiency and diagnostic market place.
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Dr. Kika Veljkovic
MD, PhD
Clinical Biochemist
Specialty: Clinical Chemistry
Areas of special interest/expertise: immunoassays, tumor and cardiac markers, pediatric biochemistry
Office address:
100 International Blvd
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9W 6J6
Phone: 416-675-4530 ext 2832
Professional biography:
Dr. Veljkovic earned her MD from University of Belgrade and her PhD in hemostasis, thrombosis and vascular disease from McMaster University. She is a graduate of the McMaster Postdoctoral Training Program in Clinical Biochemistry.
Dr. Veljkovic has published over 20 scientific papers and conference abstracts, including first-author papers in Blood and Clinical Biochemistry. She has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences, and has received many awards for research excellence, including major funding from Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Dr. Veljkovic also participated in many educational activities during her studies, including tutoring and lecturing undergraduate, medical and postgraduate students.
Dr. Veljkovic joined LifeLabs as Clinical Biochemist in 2012. Her daily work is focused on routine biochemistry and immunoassays, and she is involved in several projects, including immunoassay platform upgrades.
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Dr. Virginia M. Walley
MD, FRCPC, MSc (Health Administration)
Ontario Medical Director and Discipline Head, Cytology and Histology
Specialty: Anatomic Pathology
Areas of special interest/ expertise: Quality Assurance, Surgical Pathology
Office address: 100 International Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9W 6J6
Phone: 416-675-4530 ext 2811
Professional biography:
Dr. Walley’s medical and anatomic residency training was at the University of Western Ontario. She then took up the position of cardiac pathologist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, the Chief of Laboratory Medicine, and held senior hospital administrative positions at the Ottawa Civic Hospital where she spent 15 years. Dr. Walley subsequently enjoyed two years as the Chief of Anatomic Pathology at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, and 10 years as Chief and Medical Director of Laboratory Medicine at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
Dr. Walley was a full professor at the University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University. She is currently an adjunct professor at Queen’s University and the University of Toronto. Dr. Walley has over 150 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has made numerous presentations at scientific and other professional meetings. Dr. Walley has held many positions with regional, provincial, national and international professional organizations, and continues work with the Ontario Medical Association in various capacities.
Dr. Walley joined LifeLabs as the Ontario Medical Director and Discipline Head for Cytology and Histology in 2011. She has focused since then on quality assurance activities related to the professional work that LifeLabs various medical consultants contribute to patient-care.
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Dr. Miranda Wozniak
MD, FRCPC
Hematopathologist
Specialty: Hematopathology
Areas of special interest/expertise: Routine hematology, Coagulation, Hemoglobinopathies, and Diagnostics in benign and neoplastic hematopathology, including morphology and flow cytometry.
Office address: 100 International Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 6J6
Phone 416-675-4530 ext 2040
Professional biography:
Dr. Wozniak obtained her medical degree from the University of Ottawa in 2006. After training for one year in family medicine she went on to complete her residency training in laboratory medicine at The Ottawa Hospital. She obtained her FRCPC certificate in Hematological Pathology in May 2010 and joined LifeLabs as Director of Hematology in November 2010.
Dr. Wozniak is currently involved in several projects at LifeLabs including the national hematology platform upgrade project, the provincial hematology total quality management plan, and provincial standardization of blood film reporting.
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Dr. Zohra Daw
MD, FRCPC
Hematopathologist and Transfusion Medicine Specialist
Specialty: Hematopathology and Transfusion Medicine
Areas of special interest/expertise: Morphology, Flow Cytometry, Blood Transfusion, Coagulation and Hemoglobinopathies.
Office address: 3680 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 4V8
Phone: (604)412-4519 (Office)
Professional Biography: Dr. Daw obtained her medical degree from Al-Fateh University, Libya where she was honored with the top ten student scholarship award to complete her post graduate studies. In 2001, Dr. Daw came to Canada – first to Montreal to take her Medical Council of Canada exams, and then to Ottawa, to enroll in the residency training program at Ottawa Hospital/ University of Ottawa. She obtained her FRCPC degree in Hematological Pathology in 2005 and then went on to a two year Transfusion Medicine fellowship program at the University of Ottawa/ Queens University and Canadian Blood Services. Dr. Daw joined LifeLabs’ hematology department in October 2007.
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Dr. Kent Dooley
Ph.D.
Clinical Chemist
Specialty: inherited metabolic diseases
Areas of special interest/expertise: newborn screening, pediatric and maternal-fetal clinical chemistry
Office address: 3201-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC, V8Z 7X8
Phone: 250-881-3100
Professional Biography: Dr. Dooley obtained his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from UBC in 1976. He then did a post doctorate fellowship in inherited metabolic diseases at the BC Children’s Hospital. He went on to a clinical chemistry fellowship at the University of Texas in Houston where he was subsequently appointed to the position of Assistant Technical Director of Clinical Chemistry at Hermann Hospital. In 1981, Dr. Dooley moved to the IWK Children’s Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia to become the Head of Clinical Biochemistry. In 1984 he became a Founding Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemists. In 1990 he assumed the role of Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the IWK Grace Health Center.
Dr Dooley is also an adjunct Associate Professor of Pathology at Dalhousie University. From 1999 – 2007 he was the Chair of the Nova Scotia Newborn Screening Committee and from 2001 – 2003 President of the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. In 2007 he was awarded the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists award for Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Chemistry.
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Dr. Michael T. Kelly
MD, PhD, FRCPC
Medical Director of Laboratories, Microbiology Discipline Head
Specialty: Medical Microbiology
Areas of Special Interest/Expertise: Medical Microbiology, Marine Microbiology, Molecular Diagnostics, Antibiotic Discovery
Office Address: 3680 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 4V8
Phone: 604-412-4435
Professional Biography: Dr. Kelly received his MD/PhD (microbiology) from Indiana University and did post-graduate training at University of Minnesota Medical School and US National Institutes of Health. He worked for several years in Salt Lake City VA Hospital as Acting Chief, Laboratory Services and the University of Texas Medical Branch as Professor of Pathology. Dr. Kelly moved to Vancouver, BC in 1984 to become Professor of Pathology at the University of British Columbia and microbiologist at Vancouver General Hospital. In 1987, he joined MDS Metro as Head of Microbiology; the BC Provincial Lab as medical head, enteric section; and Shaughnessy Hospital as Division Head of Microbiology and Infection Control. He has been LifeLabs' BC Medical Director of Laboratory Services since 1998. He is also the President and owner of Ocean Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Seatek Marine Biotechnology, Inc. Dr. Kelly has also written more than 100 articles published in medical and scientific journals.
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Dr. Anil K. Mangal
DSM, ABIM, FRCPC, MBA
Specialty: Hematology
Areas of special interest/expertise: Stem Cell, Cord Blood Banking & Transplant
Office address: 3680 Gilmore Way. Burnaby BC V5G 4V8
Phone: 604-412-4523
Professional Biography: Dr. Mangal trained at the Fiji School of Medicine and took his internship at the War Memorial Hospital in the Fiji Islands. Between 1975 and 1978, Dr. Mangal was enrolled in the residency training programs at both Shaughnessy Hospital and Vancouver Hospital at the University of British Columbia, where he was also Chief Resident in Hematology from 1978-1980. After receiving his fellowship in Hematology in 1982, Dr. Mangal joined the staff at Vancouver General Hospital and then moved to UBC Health Science Centre Hospital to be Head of Laboratory Hematology and Transfusion Medicine.
Dr. Mangal became Head of Hematology at Metro-McNair Clinical Laboratories (MDS Metro) in 1984, and in 1986, assumed the role of Senior Pathologist as well. Between 1990 and 1996, Dr. Mangal became Vice President of Medical Affairs. During that time, Dr. Mangal obtained his MBA from Simon Fraser University. Between 1996 and 2000, Dr. Mangal was the Chair, Tariff Committee of the BC Association of Laboratory Physicians (BCALP) and between 1997 and 2001, he was Medical Director at Canadian Blood Services (CBS), BC & Yukon Division. Since 2001, Dr. Mangal has held hematopathologist positions at Vancouver General and BC Biomedical Laboratories/CJ Coady Associates. Since 2005, he has been Medical and Scientific Director at Life Banks Cryogenic Corporation and also in Clinical Hematology Practice at the Surrey Memorial Hospital. Dr. Mangal re-joined LifeLabs' Hematology Department in a part time role in May 2006.
Dr Mangal is also a Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC.
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Dr. Luis Martinez
MD, FRCP ©
Medical Microbiologist
Specialty: Medical Microbiology
Areas of special interest/expertise: Clinical relevance in Medical Microbiology
Office address: 3201-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC, V8Z 7X8
Phone: 250-881-3111 ex 2243
Professional Biography: Dr. Martinez graduated from the National University (Universidad Nacional) in Bogotá, Columbia. He started his post-graduate training at the University of Connecticut and completed it at McGill University in Montreal. He obtained his Quebec certification as Microbiologist and Infectious Disease Specialist in 1974, his Canadian Microbiology fellowship in 1976 and became a USA Diplomate (ASCP & ASM) in 1979
He served as Chief Microbiologist and Infectious Disease consultant at the Royal Victoria, St. Mary's and Veterans Hospital in Montreal; while a faculty member in the Department of Microbiology at McGill he was the Director of the Medical Microbiology residency training program. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Martinez joined Island Medical Laboratories (now MDS Metro) as Head of Microbiology and then became an advisor at the BC Centre for Disease Control. In 1996, Dr. Martinez became a Microbiology consultant at Intercounty Laboratories in Toronto and also operated a general practice in Oakville and Hamilton. And in 2006, Dr. Martinez returned to the west coast and re-joined LifeLabs' medical/scientific team.
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Dr. Michael Moss
MB BS, MSc, FRCPC, FCACB
Vice President, Medical Affairs
Specialty: Medical Biochemistry
Areas of special interest/expertise: Laboratory automation, protein electrophoresis, autoimmunity, environmental & occupational toxicology.
Office address: 3680 Gilmore Way, Burnaby BC , V5G 4V8
Phone: 604-412-4426
Professional Biography: Dr. Moss obtained his medical degree from University of London , UK . He undertook residency training in London , UK and Halifax , NS , and obtained his Canadian Fellowship in 1982. He served as Director of the Division of Clinical Chemistry at Victoria General Hospital , Halifax (1983-1992). He then served (1992-2004) as Head/District Chief, Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine at the QEII Health Sciences Centre/Capital District, Halifax, during which time he was also appointed Professor & Head, Department of Pathology at Dalhousie University . He was also a part-time medical examiner. Dr. Moss has held a longstanding interest in environmental & occupational toxicology, and developed the human health criteria upon which several Canadian drinking water standards are based. Dr. Moss joined LifeLabs in 2004.
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Dr. Colette Pienaar
MBChB, FCPath, MMed, DTM & H
Medical Microbiologist
Specialty: Medical Microbiology
Office address: 3680 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 4V8
Phone: 604-412-4409
Professional Biography: Dr. Pienaar trained in South Africa, graduating in medicine from the University of Stellenbosch. She completed her medical microbiology residency at the University of Stellenbosch. Worked as medical microbiologist on the joint establishment of the National Health Laboratory Services and University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa prior to joining LifeLabs in 2003.
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Dr. Suseela Reddy
MBBS, FRCPC, Diplomat of the American Boards of Anatomical Pathology and Clinical Pathology
Hematology Consultant
Specialty: General Pathology
Office address: 3680 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 4V8
Phone: 604-412-4483
Professional Biography: Dr. Reddy was raised in India and came to Montreal, PQ in March 1965 with MBBS degree. She trained in General Pathology at the Vancouver General and St Paul's Hospitals and worked at Shaughnessy Hospital in Hematology in 1977 - 1978 after FRCPC. She joined Metropolitan Clinical Laboratory in June 1978. Dr. Reddy worked in Hematology and Chemistry until 1994 and has specialized in Hematology since 1995.
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Dr. Cheryl Tomalty
Ph.D
Specialty: Biochemistry
Areas of Special Interest/Expertise: Point-of-care testing; Cost effective Quality Control; Blood Gases/Electrolytes; Cardiac Markers
Office address: 3680 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC V5G 4V8
Phone: 604.412.4412
Professional Biography: Dr. Tomalty graduated with a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa and a post-doctoral Diploma in Clinical Biochemistry from the University of Toronto. She began her career as a Clinical Chemist at the North York General Hospital in 1981. She received her certification in Clinical Biochemistry from the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemists (CACB) in 1982.
Dr. Tomalty joined Dynacare Medical Labs (now Gamma-Dynacare) in Ottawa in 1985 as a Clinical Chemist, and was later appointed as Technical Director of Chemistry and Hematology. In 1994, she became the Laboratory Coordinator of the Montreal General Hospital responsible for administration of all the clinical laboratories, and she went on to lead the laboratory integration team of the three hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre. She then returned to Ottawa in 2000 as a Clinical Chemist with Abbott Point of Care, manufacturer of the i-STAT System, located in Ottawa.
Dr. Tomalty is a Founding fellow in the CABC and she was President of the Ontario Society of Clinical Chemists from 2005-2007. Dr. Tomalty joined LifeLabs in November 2007.
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Dr. Ekram Zayed
MD, ChB, FRCPC
Hematopathologist
Specialty: Hematopathology
Areas of special interest/expertise: Morphology, Coagulation, Flowcytometry, Blood Transfusion
Office address: 3201-4464 Markham Street, Victoria, BC, V8Z 7X8
Phone: 250-881-3109
Professional Biography: Dr. Zayed obtained his medical degree from Alexandria, Egypt. He did his residency training in Ottawa and obtained his Canadian fellowship in 1982. His career started in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1983. He has been the chief of service, Division of Hematopathology at Halifax's Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre and was also a Professor in the Department of Pathology and the Program Director for Hematopathology Residency Training program at Dalhousie University. He is an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
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Dr. Romina C Reyes
MSc, MD, FRCPC
Medical Microbiologist
Specialty: Medical Microbiology
Areas of special interest/expertise: Clinical epidemiology and statistical analysis.
Office address: 3680 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC, V5G 4V8
Phone: 604-412-4451 (office) | 604-632-2205 (pager) | 604-230-3416 (cell)
Professional Biography:Dr. Reyes completed a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology at the University of British Columbia (1996) and Master of Science degree in epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Western Ontario (2000). She obtained her Medical Degree from UBC (2004). In 2009, Dr. Reyes completed her residency training in medical microbiology at UWO and obtained the FRCPC certification.
Dr. Reyes has a particular interest in evaluating novel clinical microbiology methodologies to increase laboratory diagnostic capabilities and to improve patient care.
Dr. Reyes joined LifeLab’s microbiology department in 2009.
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