Sara Pollanen

Experience

• 

  Pickering Reading Circle

  Nov 2015 - now

  Maintaining and refreshing website, adding new student and parent blogs. Volunteer based program for improvement of literacy and mathematics skills.It is a highly interactive and beneficial opportunities for youth of all ages. Helped provide students with an invaluable opportunity to cultivate themselves into confident young adults.

  • Website Coordinator

    Jul 2020 - now

  • Reading Buddy

    Nov 2015 - Aug 2020
• 

  APOPO

  Jun 2021 - now

  Tanzania Tuberculosis Volunteering Student Researcher

  Analyzing tuberculosis testing rat training data directed provided from Tanzanian clinics and testing centers with professors from the University of Toronto and Trent University as well as 3rd-year students. Managing team folders and data.

• 

  Trent University

  Jun 2021 - Aug 2021

  Paid Lead Researcher

  Trent University Smoking Cessation Review 2021-2022 Paid Lead Researcher. Second author, paper work in progress. Conducted literature review and assisted in analysis on health economic project. Spearheaded analysis on smoking behaviours over 60 years in Canada using STATA.

• 

  Queen's Healthcare and Sciences Research Workshops

  Sept 2021 - now

  President

  Founded largest Health Sciences event with over 200 delegates. Collaborated with teams of 20 to provide practical research experiences and workshops. Planned resume and cover letter building events.

• 

  Queen's Conference on Ocean Sustainability

  Sept 2021 - Apr 2024

  Continuing to advocate for environmental practices and sustainability. Providing support and advice to new QCOS executive team. Advocating for environmental practices and ocean-sustainability. Spearheaded lakeshore cleanup with 200+ volunteers. Organized annual conference on biodiversity loss with Indigenous perspectives Advocating about ocean conservation and sustainability. Aiding in the planning of our annual conference, networking to speakers, and engaging first year students.

  • Senior Advisor

    Apr 2023 - Apr 2024

  • President

    Apr 2022 - Apr 2023

  • First Year Representative

    Sept 2021 - Apr 2022
• 

  Language Linx

  Sept 2021 - now

  Korean-English Hospital Translator

  Translating at therapy clinics for English to Korean and vice versa.

• 

  Élections Canada | Elections Canada

  Sept 2021 - May 2022

  Elections Information Officer

  Guiding voters to correct stations, delivering information, filling COVID-19 tracing information.

• 

  Queen's University Health Sciences Society

  Sept 2021 - now

  Representing the voice of 1500+ students in the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program to Department and to Queen's University alongside other Faculty Society Presidents. Responsible for executive team of 25 to manage over 100 student volunteers in the society. Founded student-initiative grants and EDI-project grants. Advocating for student body to the faculty society and department. Planning cohort-bonding events. Initiating academic activities and events for the second year cohort. Advocating for student body to the faculty society and department. Planning cohort-bonding events. Initiating academic activities and events for the first year cohort.

  • Elected President

    May 2023 - now

  • Elected Second Year Representative

    May 2022 - May 2023

  • Elected First Year Representative

    Sept 2021 - Apr 2022
• 

  Kingston General Hospital

  Apr 2022 - now

  Research Assistant

  Carotid ultrasound research aiming towards integrating carotid imaging in current stress tests to improve current detection procedures. CIRCE project. Patient recruitment, inclusion/exclusion criteria, responsible for data entry and onboarding/training new staff.

• 

  Queen's University Autism Spectrum Disorder Lab

  Apr 2022 - Aug 2022

  Research Assistant

  Administrating WASI and ADOS (Module 3 and 4) to assess autism among adolescents. Collaborated and conducted literature review.

• 

  Queen’s University, Menard Lab – Neurobiology of Anxiety

  Apr 2022 - Aug 2022

  Research Assistant, Rat Handling

  Trained in rat handling. Drew up weekly cortisol injection measures. Collaborated in data collection, safety assessments, trainings.

• 

  Trent University

  Apr 2022 - now

  Trent University Particulate Matter Impact on Health Project

  Co-author on 3 papers, submitted to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, awaiting peer review. Creating statistical models for PM2.5 air pollution expose on health risks. Data collected from National Air Pollution Surveillance Program, collaborating with Health Canada. Conducted 3 literature reviews on project.

• 

  Queen's University

  Jun 2022 - now

  Queen’s University Department of Biomedical Sciences Lab Research Assistant

  Testing biomedical equipment for a level 2 lab. Collaborated with lab coordinator to prepare weekly medical and undergraduate lab course materials.

• 

  Plant-Based Cities Movement

  Jan 2023 - Apr 2024

  University and Kingston Youth Lead

  The Plant-Based Cities Movement combines research, education, and advocacy to help cities and institutions adopt plant-based food procurement policies to lower food emissions.By advocating for increased plant-based food for all city events and facilities, institutional procurement, as well as to its citizens together, we can position our cities as Canadian leaders in environmental protection and reduction of food emissions.

• 

  Poppenk Lab

  Aug 2023 - Apr 2024

  Hippocampal Vasculature & Cognitive Neuroimaging Research Assistant

  Conducted novel literature review comprehensively analyzing parcellation and differentiation along hippocampal axis between anterior and posterior hippocampus and its respective vasculature. Analyzing MEMRI database using MATLAB.

• 

  Society for Conservation Biology North America

  Aug 2023 - now

  Kingston Chapter: Co-Chair of Sustainability and Issues

  Authored monthly environmental newsletters and organized events (cleanups, nature hikes, workshops) to advocate for sustainability.

• 

  Queen's University Residence

  Sept 2023 - now

  Queen's University Residence Don

  Supervising floor of 30+ students, and a total of over 100 residence students in Leggett Hall. Supporting them via weekly office hours and first-call responder shifts. Organizing community-wide events to help with resilience, academics and destressing.

• 

  CompanionLink

  Oct 2023 - now

  Kingston Chapter: Vice-President

  Coordinating team to provide service to elderlycare patients at Providence Care Hospital.