SPS executive team
Nidhi Kaushik PhD Managing Director
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology | Having research background in Virology, I have expertise for studying the molecular biology for various RNA viruses. During my previous and current post-doctoral experience, I have been working on developing a trans-complementation system that will provide a new tool allowing study of several aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle at Biosafety Level-2. Apart from this, I am also elucidating the role of long-noncoding human RNA on SARS-CoV-2 infection. Technically, my work includes cell culture, Biosafety level-3 and other biochemical techniques as well procedures.

Tamanna Jahan PhD Director of Operations
Department of Plant Sciences | Experienced scientist with expertise in a wide range of disciplines including plant sciences, statistics, plant physiology, nutrition, plant biochemistry, food sciences, plant cell and tissue culture, molecular biology, plant breeding, and genomics.

Zhihua He PhD Director of Communications
Centre for Hydrology| Experienced researcher on snowmelt, glacier melt, rainfall-runoff, and soil freezing in cold regions. Currently working on hydrology responses to climate and land use changes, based on water isotope, remote sensing, climate model, and hydrological model

Hiroshi Mamiya PhD Director of Member Relations
I obtained a Ph.D. from Epidemiology from McGill University and moved to Saskatoon in 2023 as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. I ride bike daily and love taking photos, and spend much of free time for cooking. My research investigate the influence of urban environment and public transportation on active lifestyle and dietary choices.

Dinesh Wellawa PhD Director of Finance
My name is Dinesh. I moved to Canada (from Sri Lanka), switching from my previous job as a veterinarian to the field of science. Got my Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan (Veterinary Microbiology). Currently working with the bacterium called Acinetobacter baumannii. Research is focused on understanding how a key allergy mediator histamine shapes pathogenesis in humans. Apart from science, I do photography, cycling (mostly for the Sick Kid Foundation), and a team player for the Huskies cricket club.