GSU Bridging Gaps 2024
Keynote Speakers
Name: Dr. Maryam Kebbe (She/Her)
Bio: Dr. Maryam Kebbe received her Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from the University of Ottawa, and her Doctorate in Medical Sciences from the University of Alberta’s Department of Pediatrics. She completed postdoctoral training in the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford first, followed by the Reproductive Endocrinology and Women's Health Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana. Dr. Kebbe joined the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick as an Assistant Professor in January 2023. She directs the Prenatal and Postnatal Exposures on Adiposity Development in infantS (PEADS) Laboratory. Her research interests are on the interplay between nutrition (including human milk), physical activity, and the infant gut microbiome; specifically, how these factors may prevent obesity programming in infancy through childhood. Outside of academia, Dr. Kebbe enjoys being in an airport (travelling!), outdoor activities, and the piano
Name: Dr. Emilie Lacroix, Ph.D. (she/her)
Bio: Dr. Emilie Lacroix is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at UNB-Fredericton. She co-directs the Maritime Eating and Appearance Lab (MEAL), a research group that investigates questions related to the development, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders and body image disturbances. Dr. Lacroix has been passionate about dismantling diet culture since she began working in the fashion and retail industries as a teenager in Vancouver and France. Her studies and research have since brought her to Germany, Brazil, and the UK, as well as Montreal, Calgary, and Halifax. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at McGill University, and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary. Dr. Lacroix’s current research is focused on three major areas: (1) the overlap between eating disorders and substance use; (2) disordered eating and body image disturbances in 2SLGBTQI+ populations; and (3) understanding the burden of eating disorders in New Brunswick.
Advocacy statement:
I advocate for women in STEM who are first-generation students.
Navigating university as a first-gen student can be more challenging due to a lack of familial or cultural knowledge about higher education systems and expectations. Advocating for first-gen students is crucial to ensure they have access to the support and resources needed to succeed in their academic journey and overcome systemic barriers.
Name: Erin Bigney (she/her/elle)
Bio: Erin Bigney holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Experimental and Applied Psychology from the University of New Brunswick. With over 20 years of research experience, Erin currently serves as the Director of Research for the Canada East Spine Centre (CESC) specializing in orthopaedic and neurosurgery spine research. CESC operates 6 sites at 5 different hospitals across Canada. In 2023, Erin co-founded the Canada East Foot and Ankle Centre, expanding her impact in clinical research. These centres introduce cutting edge techniques and implement empirically driven best practices to enhance patients’ surgical outcomes and quality of life. Erin strongly advocates for mentorship, embedding programing to support undergraduate, graduate, and medical student research and skills training opportunities within the CESC strategic plan. She is a passionate advocate for advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM fields and was named a Women of Inspiration in 2021 for her mentorship programing for women in STEM.
GSU Breakout speakers
Name: Xiuming Shi,BPhil, DMNB MD Candidate (She/Her)
Bio: Xiuming Shi graduated from UNB’s Renaissance College in 2021 and is currently in her second year at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.
Her advocacy efforts have primarily focused on educating others about issues that people of colour may face through offering presentations with the organization she co-founded, Shades of Change.
During her free time, she enjoys staying active, sketching portraits, and reading.
Advocacy statement:
I advocate for women in STEM who are facing imposter syndrome.
Despite hard work for achievements, imposter syndrome seems to emerge from every corner. I advocate for women grappling with imposter syndrome, aiming to empower them to recognize and celebrate their achievements throughout the journey that brought them to where they are today.
Name: Leah Bidlake (she/her)
Leah is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science at UNB. After completing her undergraduate degrees she taught in rural New Brunswick before returning to UNB to complete her graduate studies and becoming a teaching professor. She is involved in coordinating the activities of the Computer Science Creative Space (CS Square), a collaborative, knowledge-sharing space for computer science students that strives to create and foster an inclusive knowledge-sharing and community-building student experience in the faculty of computer science. CS Square is devoted to extracurricular technical-creative IT related activities including workshops, speakers, book club, camps and other forms of outreach.