As the Research Ethics Coordinator, I facilitate the ethics review process to help ensure that research in the NWT meets the highest ethical standards. My goal is to connect researchers and community members with resources that support research benefiting our northern communities.

Growing up in the NWT, my family lived in the Dehcho and Tłı̨chǫ regions before moving to Fort Smith. I previously worked as a research assistant with the Aurora Research Institute (ARI). Since then, I have been a library clerk, tutor, and instructor at Aurora College, as well as a wildland firefighter and crew leader.

I hold an Environment and Natural Resources Technology Diploma from Aurora College, which brings a natural science perspective to the Ethics Office. I value on-the-land experience, environmental stewardship, and staying active outdoors. I enjoy gardening, kayaking, snowboarding, and exploring trails with my dog, Pan, a lab/husky mix.

Education:  MBBS, MD, MHI, MEd

Research Statement:

As the Manager, Research Ethics and Regional Programs, at the South Slave Research Centre in Fort Smith, I work to develop, support and facilitate research capacity and scientific awareness in the NWT and oversee administration of the research ethics program at Aurora College. I strive to ensure that all research receiving ethics approval from Aurora College meets the requirements of the internal college policies and applicable national standards.

I have held diverse research ethics administration positions across Toronto area hospitals over the past fifteen years. I am an Internal Medicine specialist by training and have worked as a geriatrician, an intensive care specialist and a medical school lecturer in Mumbai, India. I hold masters degrees in Health Informatics and Health Professionals Education and a graduate certificate in molecular biology.

Scientific Publications:

1. Rochon PA, et al.2011.Investigator Experiences with Financial Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Trials.Trials.12:9 (12 January 2011) doi:10.1186/1745-6215-12-9

2. Rochon PA, et al.2010.Institutional Financial Conflicts of Interest at Canadian Academic Health Science Centres: A National Survey. Open Medicine.4(3):134-138

3. Rochon PA, et al.2010.Financial Conflicts of Interest Checklist 2010 for clinical research studies. Open Medicine.4(1):69-91

4. Lexchin J, et al.2008.National Evaluation of Policies on Individual Financial Conflicts of Interest in Canadian Academic Health Science Centers. Journal of General Internal Medicine.23(11):1896-903. PMID: 18716848

5. Reddy M.,  et al.2008.Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: A Systematic Review.JAMA.300(22):2647-2662

6. Reddy M.,  et al.2007.Oral Drug Therapy for Multiple Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Systematic Review.JAMA.298 (16):1911-1924. PMID: 17954542

Research Statement

As the part-time manager of the South Slave Research Centre based out of Fort Smith, my role is to support and facilitate research happening in this region. I consider myself a generalist and am willing to take on a wide range of projects that propel community-identified priorities. My academic training includes water and waste management from a science and engineering perspective, however, I have learned a lot about the importance of community knowledge and participation in science during my career, which has included the non-profit, consulting and academic sectors. My engineering work, while brief, included piloting small scale ‘living machines’, which harnessed the power of plant-based systems to deal with wastewater, something I have a keen interest in revisiting from a northern perspective. 

My other passion is education, and youth engagement specifically. I earned my B.Ed. in 2007 and then later an M. Ed., which led to the creation of a partnership with researchers from across the country to re-think our education systems and look at how we can do a better job supporting Indigenous learners in the classroom. My passion for education and the environment continues today with a focus on teaching about sustainability and connecting the college with environmental initiatives in the community. 

Teaching Responsibilities

Environment and Natural Resources Technology Program:

• Geology (ENSC0240), Ecology (ENSC0102)
• Environmental Stewardship (ENSC0232)
• Environmental Science (ENSC0105)

In the past, I have also taught for the Bachelor of Education program

•  Science Education (440-204)
• Environmental Science and Society (125.3)
• Technology Applications in Education (440-107)
• Inquiry Project (EDUC411)

Significant Contributions

Rosolen S, Conrad D, Stewart S, Belczewski A, George C, Baker J, Senk T, Sleeper B, and Rodriquez J. 2018. Stories of Hope: Celebrating decolonized Indigenous education. Oral presentation at the Think Indigenous Educators Conference, Saskatoon, SK.

Rosolen S, Conrad D, Porter D, and Fournier J. 2018. Decolonizing learning: Exploring strategies and overcoming obstacles. Oral presentation to the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association Educators Conference, Yellowknife, NT.

Rosolen, S. 2017. Capacity, leadership, and training to support watershed stewardship in the NWT. Oral presentation and panelist at the Water Stewardship Strategy Implementation Workshop, Dettah, NT.

Porter D, and Rosolen S. 2016. B. Ed., our journey. Oral presentation at the Think Indigenous Educators Conference, Saskatoon, SK.

Connor SJ, Baird DJ, Curry C, Gibson J, Hajibabaei M, Heard K, Hussey B, King I, Monk W, Rosolen S, and Shokralla S. 2014. Applying the Biomonitoring 2.0 approach in two contrasting sub-arctic tributaries of the Slave River, NWT, Canada. Poster presentation at the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR.

Scott A, Dixon M, and Rosolen S. 2013. Socio-economic benefits of space exploration for Canada. Oral presentation at the Canadian Space Society Space Summit Ottawa, ON.

Click here to view my CV

Personal info

I moved to Fort Smith in 2008 and taught at the high school for several years. After a couple of years home with my children, I began working at ARI in Spring 2018. I have lived and travelled around the world and because of that, love to try new things! One of my favourite things about my outreach job is that I get to connect with youth in my region and make learning fun by bringing them exciting, hands-on STEM activities.

I am a life-long learner and enjoy working with educators to develop meaningful curricular experiences for students. Experiential, inquiry-based learning is a must for all students and STEM programming in our schools is the perfect way to introduce our youth to real-world challenges.

Skills and expertise

For the past several years, teaching and outreach have been my main work focus. I also own a small business and each spring I operate and manage a 6500 square foot greenhouse, growing bedding and indoor plants and produce for our community. As we move towards a future requiring more STEM knowledge and experience in the workforce, it is important that we give our youth opportunities to engage in meaningful, hands-on learning experiences to equip them with the skills and mindsets they will need.

Current Project

• ARI STEM Outreach – I work with educators and professionals to engage our youth in STEM subjects. I encourage them to make connections between our local and scientific knowledge and coordinate family-friendly community events and presentations by researchers working in our region.