Our Team

As OVC Clinical Trials Program Research Manager, Charly is responsible for the daily operations and projects. Daily operations include working with faculty who have projects associated with the platform to assist in recruiting, supporting, reviewing and implementing study (animal use and research ethics) protocols, development and execution of research agreements, grant writing, execution and tracking of grant billing, and scientific writing for abstract and manuscript presentation. She also works to assist with project data management and quality assurance, coordination and communication with clinicians and hospital administration.  

Email: mckennch@uoguelph.ca

Office: ANCC Rm2155

Phone: ​​​​​​​+1-519-824-4120 x53935

Natalie completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph where she received an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology. She continued her education at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, where she graduated with distinction from the Veterinary Technology Program and obtained her registration the same year. Natalie gained a wealth of knowledge working at a small animal general/emergency practice in Guelph that handled both exotic and companion animals. Since then, Natalie has had the opportunity to advance her training and develop her skill set by working alongside a variety of board-certified specialists in the Guelph and Mississauga-Oakville region, in departments such as dentistry, oncology and dermatology.

Email: mashtaln@uoguelph.ca

Vicky assists with the administrative aspects of companion animal OVC Health Sciences Centre-based clinical research projects with priority being given to Oncology-related and Pet-Trust funded projects (including MSc, PhD & DVSc). She helps to guide principle investigators through appropriate paperwork, coordinates patient recruitment and obtains informed consent from clients, coordinates & ensures compliance of patients recruited into clinical trials with study protocols (internal & external), liaises with referring clinics and provides trial information to all interested parties, assists with publicity, facilitates sample collection & logistics and associated data management, paperwork & billing.

Email: vsabine@uoguelph.ca

Office: OVCPRm:2109

Phone: ​​​​​​​+1-226-218-0338

Deirdre has spent many years doing what she loves best – helping people and their pets live the best lives possible. Graduating from Centralia College’s Veterinary Technology program in 1993, she has worked with small, large, exotic and research animals in a variety of clinics and labs. In 2013, she decided to return to university to pursue her undergraduate degree followed by a Master’s program in reproduction in U of G’s Biomedical Science department, which she hopes to complete this semester.

Starting as a volunteer with the Clinical Trials Coordinator during her undergraduate work, Deirdre spent several years behind the scenes and joined the ICCI team full time in 2019 as the Tumour Bank Coordinator.  This allows her to be back in the clinic chatting with clients and cuddling their pets! In between cuddle breaks, she collects, organizes and logs samples from patients with potential cancer diagnoses which are stored in the Tumour Bank for researchers to access. This allows ongoing research in different cancer types with minimally invasive techniques as tissue is collected from tumours already being removed, and blood or urine is often collected with standard of care sampling.

Email: dstuar01@uoguelph.ca

Phone: 226-979-8467

Charlotte is a Phase 3 veterinary student at the Ontario Veterinary College (go Opal Otters!). As a Work Study student, Charlotte assists with data collection for retrospective studies, and in creating graphics for the Clinical Trials social media platforms. She strongly believes in the importance of the work being done through clinical trials at OVC, not only for animal health but human health as well! In her spare time, Charlotte enjoys trying out new recipes, exploring the city of Guelph (her home for the last 7 years!), and spending time with family, friends & all creatures big and small.

Selina is a 3rd year Bio-Medical Science Student at the University of Guelph. As an assistant for the Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation (ICCI), she is responsible for record keeping and assisting with clinical trial recruitment. She finds this field of science enthralling because of its potential to address conditions that were previously untreatable, meanwhile contributing to the betterment of both animal and human health! 

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her cat Luna and volunteering for mental health initiatives.