Research Team
Trevor Gascoyne, M.Sc., P.Eng
President/CEO Orthopedic Innovation Centre (OIC)
As the President & CEO, of OIC, Trevor is focused on leading research and development initiatives to improve orthopaedic medicine and enhance the safety and efficacy of medical devices. Through investing in local talent, he develops meaningful collaborations with both national and international groups to advance the state of orthopaedic care in Canada and around the world. Trevor also serves as the Canadian Chair of the ISO Implants for Surgery – Bone and joint replacements subcommittee and is the General Manager of the Canadian RSA (radiostereometric analysis) Network.
Sara Gustafson, M. Sc., P.Eng
Senior Biomedical Engineer, Technical Lead – Spine & Osteosynthesis
Sara is a senior biomedical engineer with years of experience at the OIC in clinical research, biomechanical testing, implant failure analysis, and precision measurement. She is focused on understanding the technical aspects of orthopaedic device testing to guide research projects for improving surgical techniques, implant performance, and technological advancements. Her knowledge and expertise in the orthopaedic industry grows as she continues to boost business development at the OIC.
Dr. Christiaan Righolt, Ph.D.
Director of Clinical Research
Christiaan is an engineer, data scientist, epidemiologist. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and an adjunct professor of Biomedical Engineering and Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba. He has experience in quantitative health research methods in statistics, big data, image analysis, and machine learning. He has applied these methods in cancer research, infectious disease epidemiology, and orthopedics in studies ranging from small pre-clinical studies to massive administrative database studies.
Christiaan has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal publications and obtained over $8 million in research grant funding as a (co-)investigator in local, national, and international research studies.
Shalini Hari Kumar, Ph.D.
Clinical Research Clerk
Shalini has over a decade of research experience with special focus on public health. She has experience in conducting clinical research, data collection, processing and project management. She has a passion towards community research and believes in science reaching the community. The scholastic knowledge along with her passion towards research helps her to thrive on challenges. She is enthusiastic about helping people and believes that together we can make a difference.
Sarah Tran, CCRP
Clinical Research Coordinator
Sarah joined the OIC in 2010. She is a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA), and is responsible for conducting clinical trials following good clinical practices (GCP). She ensures trials are conducted accurately and ethically, as defined by the Declaration of Helsinki, as well as by the International Conference on Harmonization Guidelines (ICH).