STACEY MILLER

Stacey Miller is a physiotherapist at BC Children’s Hospital where she is the Coordinator of the Child Health BC Hip Surveillance Program for Children with Cerebral Palsy, the first province or state wide hip surveillance program for children with cerebral palsy in North America. Stacey has completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy and Master of Rehabilitation Science, both at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her research interests are focused on the orthopaedic management of children with cerebral palsy, particularly hip displacement and hip surveillance. She has a keen interest in family engagement in research. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UBC. In September 2022, Stacey will begin a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at UBC. In her spare time, Stacey enjoys spending time with her family outdoors.

MARIA JURICIC

Maria is a physiotherapist at BC Children’s Hospital, working in the Orthopaedic Clinic, caring primarily for children and youth with cerebral palsy and those with complex hip conditions. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University and completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto. She went on to complete a Master of Rehabilitation Science degree at the University of British Columbia. Her work with Kishore Mulpuri brought her to the HIPpy Lab, where she contributes to research into the care and management of hip health for children with cerebral palsy.

DAPHNE O’YOUNG

Daphne has been an Occupational Therapist at BC Children’s Hospital for 18 years and graduated from UBC. She has been working with Dr. Mulpuri and the Orthopedic CP team since its inception and she has seen the team grow over the years. Daphne enjoys interacting with the children to find out what might help them through their surgical journey towards hip health.

JENN FARR

Jennifer started her career exporting poultry and pet food; she has travelled the world working with various government agencies and organizing international trade shows.

In 2008 Jennifer developed an illness which started her journey into the healthcare system as a patient. That's when she realized she could make a difference. Jennifer started working at BC Children's Hospital with Dr. Mulpuri in 2010. Currently, she is studying to get her degree in Healthcare Administration. Jennifer volunteers for several charities and sports associations and is an active advocate for good patient care.

In her spare time, she is an amateur photographer and loves to spend time with her grandson.

SALIMA DAMANI

Salima Damani is currently a Clinical Administrative Assistant for Dr. Kishore Mulpuri and the team for 5 years at BC Children’s Hospital. She has been working for BC Children’s Hospital in a variety of different areas for the past 24 years and comes with a great amount of experience and forging relationships. She studied at Douglas College and BCIT. Salima enjoys learning and growing in these diverse areas, including collaborating with other specialties. In her spare time, Salima loves to travel, walk outdoors, and just stay home with a good book or a good movie.

SARAH PESCITELLI

Sarah has been a paediatric nurse for 25 years. After graduating in London, Ontario she began an adventure of travel nursing in various US states. This eventually led her to nursing overseas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In 2001 she moved back to Canada and made BC home. She has been a clinical nurse at BC Children’s Hospital since that time. She has worked primarily in Critical Care, including Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Emergency and Anesthetic Care Unit.

With a strong desire to work as a clinician - advocating for, and supporting patients and families throughout their medical/surgical journey, she joined the Orthopaedic clinical team. She strives for exemplary patient-centred care. She is honoured to be a part of the research HIPpy team.

Sarah is married with two children. She loves physical fitness, travelling, and spending time with her family.

VARUN NAIR

Varun is a 4th-year undergraduate student in UBC’s Faculty of Science, studying Genetics and Global Health. He joined the team at the tail end of 2019 as a research volunteer and since then, he has held various roles within the team, most recently in my current capacity as a Clinical Research Assistant. He focuses on our Cerebral Palsy (CP) research, which consists of recruiting and following up with patients eligible for our CP studies in the Orthopaedic Clinic. As well, he assists with any other studies in our CP research portfolio, wherever they may be in the research timeline, and also leads his own projects. He plans on continuing his research involvements with this team for the foreseeable future and beyond that, he hope to pursue a career in pediatrics (as a clinician-researcher) and global health policy. Outside of research and academics, Varun passionately plays and watches a number of sports, loves to read books, and spends time with friends and family.

DUNEESHA DE SILVA

Duneesha is a 4th-year undergraduate student at UBC’s Faculty of Science studying Biology and minoring in Psychology. She joined the HIPpy research team as a Clinical Research Assistant in September 2021 through the UBC Science Co-op Program. Duneesha mainly focuses on managing the Trauma studies the team is conducting as well as creating digital abstracts for knowledge translation initiatives. She also assists with recruiting patients for our Hip Registry programs such as IHDR and SLIP. Duneesha has helped initiate a project to create a DDH Care Pathway for Sri Lanka that aims to optimize clinical and functional outcomes using accessible resources. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a clinician-researcher. Outside the realm of clinical research and academia, you can find her curled up with a book, searching for the best tiramisu in BC, perfecting her baking skills, or watching sunsets.

ASHLEEN KHATRA

Ashleen is a third-year undergraduate student in the UBC Microbiology and Immunology program. She first got involved with the HIPpy Lab as a summer volunteer focussing on data entry for the International Hip Dysplasia Registry. She is currently working as a Research Assistant with the team and focuses on the hip-related research studies, including the International Hip Dysplasia Registry (IHDR), the International Perthes Study Group (IPSG) registry, and the Slipped Longitudinal International Prospective (SLIP) registry. After graduation, she is looking forward to further exploring her interest in clinical research. Outside of work you can find Ashleen enjoying the outdoors with friends.

JACQUELINE LI

Jacqueline is currently a Masters student at UBC working under the supervision of Dr. Mulpuri and Dr. Schaeffer. Before pursuing her graduate degree, she was a summer volunteer in the HIPpy research lab for multiple years. Her current areas of research include the development of DDH and CP care pathways and understanding physical activity in children with hip conditions. She aspires to continue engaging in clinical and global health research while also pursuing her dream of attending medical school. Outside of the research lab, she enjoys cooking, hiking, volunteering at a seniors care home, and playing field hockey.

LUKE JOHNSON

Luke Johnson is a PhD Candidate in the School of Biomedical Engineering at UBC, focusing on biomechanics and medical imaging. He holds an MA and MEng in Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

He joined the HIPpy lab at the start of his PhD, and is jointly supervised by Dr. Mulpuri (clinical) and Dr. David Wilson (engineering).

Luke is currently studying the long-term effects of Perthes disease using advanced MRI scanning, hoping to understand how residual deformity leads to hip osteoarthritis, and when the first signs of damage appear in hip cartilage. He also looks at ways to describe the often very varied shapes of Perthes hips to try and improve clinical decisions.

In the future, he wants to develop patient-specific hip motion models to individually predict risk for arthritis.

Luke enjoys writing and playing music, running, crochet, and adding creature comforts to his MG Midget.

ASHLEY MUNOZ

Ashley Munoz completed her undergraduate studies at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 2018 and holds a degree in Biological Sciences. She has previously worked as a Research Assistant at SFU and a Clinical Research Coordinator at St. Paul’s Hospital. She is currently a Clinical Research Coordinator for the HIPpy Research Lab at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at BC Children’s Hospital. The HIPpy Research Lab focuses on the paediatric hip and trauma, and Ashley works closely with various teams to coordinate and support the lab’s many studies. Ashley also coordinates two major international pediatric hip registries, the International Hip Dysplasia Registry (IHDR) and the Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) Longitudinal International Prospective (SLIP) Registry, which are the largest registries of their kind in both size and scope. These registries aim to improve the detection and management of hip dysplasia and SCFE, respectively. Ashley is proud to be part of a team that strives to reduce the burden of pediatric hip disorders on a global scale. In her spare time, Ashley likes to bake and go on long walks around the city with her dog, Otis.

DAVID STEPHEN-TAMMUZ

David grew up on Vancouver’s North Shore and graduated from UBC in 2016 with a degree in geophysics. Since graduating, he has done work in geothermal research, river surveying, and English Language Instruction. 

David began by volunteering with the HIPpy Lab and later transitioned to his current role as a Clinical Research Coordinator. His current focus is the development of a standardized screening program for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip across BC, but, David also helps to coordinate the International Hip Dysplasia Registry and support various other projects with the team.

He hopes to be able to continue expanding the reach of our global registries to underserved countries and improve data quality in the registries. David plans to return to school and pursue a career in geography and urban planning. 

In his free time, David enjoys hiking, playing guitar, language learning and road hockey.

ANYA SMITH

Anya F. Smith, PhD, is a Scientific Lead and Epidemiologist at Child Health BC, Provincial Health Services Authority, and a Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC. Dr. Smith is originally from Vancouver, BC but has lived and worked in various locales; she did her PhD in epidemiology and parasitology in Calgary, AB, and lived in the Netherlands, for a time, working on an international outbreak investigation team. Dr. Smith has a background in epidemiology, population and public health, and One Health. Her history spans research in infectious disease, chronic conditions, as well as population health initiatives with BC First Nations. Currently, Dr. Smith's work with the HIppy Lab is focused on leading population and clinical-level research, evaluation, and surveillance initiatives that inform pediatric clinical service innovation - with a focus on select chronic hip conditions – Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Hip Dysplasia. 

EMILY SCHAEFFER

Emily first joined the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at BCCH in September 2014. She has an extensive background in basic science and translational research as she holds a PhD in Experimental and Molecular Medicine from Dartmouth College. Seeking to expand her knowledge and expertise into the realm of clinical research, Emily worked closely with Dr. Mulpuri to develop and expand their pediatric hip research program, with much of her work focused on the creation and expansion of the International Hip Dysplasia Registry (IHDR), the SCFE Longitudinal International Prospective Registry (SLIP Registry) and the Hip Health Outcomes in Pediatrics (Hip Hope) Network. As Research Director for the Orthopaedic Surgery Department of BC Children’s Hospital, Emily also supports the department as the research program grows by offering high-level scientific advice and expertise on study ideas and methodology, and provides feedback on grant applications, manuscripts, and protocols.

BRYN ZOMAR

Bryn grew up in Cloverdale, has a B.Sc. from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and an M.Sc. and PhD from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. She also has several years of experience working as a research coordinator during her studies.

She met Kishore at the Canadian Orthopaedic Association annual meeting in June 2019 and joined the HIPpy research lab at BC Children’s Hospital in January 2021 as a postdoctoral research fellow after finishing her PhD. 

Bryn’s research focus in the HIPpy lab is pediatric trauma and knowledge translation of the lab programs. She is working to establish the Global PedORTHO registry, an international multi-centre research study to collect health outcomes after pediatric trauma. From this registry, Bryn is hoping to develop a stream of trauma research to establish best practices for treatment and inform management decisions around the world.

In her free time, Bryn enjoys reading, playing board games, wake surfing, and spending time with her family.

JOEL SLOAN

Joel Sloan has over 20 years of international leadership experience. He is an accredited CPA, and carries an Executive MBA from SFU, a diploma in Creative Advertising, as well as several data analytics and product management certifications.

After his family had direct experiences in the orthopaedic clinic at BC Children’s Hospital, Joel first became involved in the HIPpy Lab as a volunteer, developing interactive data dashboards for the lab’s global registries.

Joel currently helps lead the new Hip Hope Network and Implant Safety & Efficacy registry, provides strategic organizational guidance in support of the lab’s operations, and is driving the launch of the new AI-enablement program.

Joel most aspires to help the lab grow and use its unique potential to meaningfully change the world in terms of reducing the burdens of hip help in children.

Joel enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, and watching and playing a variety of team sports.

TAMARA DUDLEY

Tamara Dudley is the Global Hip Health Coordinator with the Hippy Lab. As part of her portfolio as a Research Coordinator for the Centre for International Child Health, she began working with the Hippy Lab in summer 2020. Her work includes supporting the Hippy Lab’s efforts in global collaboration and knowledge exchange, science communication, and coordinating the Hip Hope Network: an emerging global network of hip health professionals built to catalyze idea exchange and galvanize effective collaboration amongst pediatric hip-focused orthopaedic research groups and organizations worldwide. Tamara has a Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences, and as a lifelong learner, she continues to engage in educational opportunities. She grew up in Squamish, though she now makes her home in Vancouver. She is a creative in the kitchen and in life, and loves to bake and care for her plants.

Dr. Kishore Mulpuri is the Head and a Professor of the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of British Columbia, as well as a Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at BC Children’s Hospital. He completed his medical and orthopaedic training at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, India, prior to pursuing orthopaedic fellowships at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, Australia, the Melbourne Orthopedic Group, and Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Mulpuri also completed a clinical research fellowship in orthopaedics at BC Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Mulpuri’s clinical practice and research interests focus on the pediatric hip and cerebral palsy. He regularly treats patients with a wide range of conditions, including developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), cerebral palsy (CP), Legg-Calvé-Perthes (Perthes) disease, osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), and trauma. Dr. Mulpuri also founded the Hip Health Outcomes in Pediatrics (Hip Hope) Network, a growing global network of hip health professionals whose aim is to reduce the burden of all hip conditions through clinical care, research, and education and training.

Dr. Mulpuri is also regularly involved with the development of new clinical practice guidelines. Most recently, he chaired the work group that developed the guidelines for non-operative treatment and management of DDH. Dr. Mulpuri takes on several roles, some of which include the following:

Dr. Mulpuri also mentors PhD, masters, and co-op students on a regular basis.