Promotions 2023: Q&A with Vanessa Allen
This year, we celebrate 8 promotions in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology.
We speak to each of them to learn more about their role and what this promotion means to them.
Dr. Vanessa Allen has been promoted to Associate Professor.
What is your role in LMP?
I work as a medical microbiologist and infectious diseases specialist at Sinai Health and the University Health Network.
In addition, I serve as site lead for the Medical and Clinical Microbiology Residency Training programs at the Sinai Health/ University Health Network Department of Microbiology. I teach, and along with the lab education team, support the implementation and refinement of the curricula. I also serve as wellness lead for the U of T Microbiology Residency Training Program.
Why did you pursue an academic career?
I am most interested in preventing, detecting and responding to existing and emerging infectious diseases through an integrated approach that addresses the microbiology, clinical, social, and public health aspects these threats.
The academic setting allows me work with and learn from experts and trainees throughout many fields, and to implement innovative and practical solutions.
What does this promotion mean to you?
It is wonderful to be recognized for the contributions that I, along with so many others, have made to address infectious diseases threats.
My focus to date has been to 1) prevent and find novel solutions to diagnose, treat, and prevent antimicrobial resistant gonorrhea, and 2) build integrated and innovative microbiology testing infrastructure and services for SARS-CoV2, including the Ontario Diagnostic Network that supports lab based and point of care testing, and the Ontario COVID-19 Genomics Network.
If you can go back, what advice would you give your younger self?
Keep seeking out kind, smart and practical people, have confidence that there is a unique way for each of us to contribute, and take time to enjoy the many wonderful things we are privileged to be able to do.
What advice would you give faculty who would like to apply for promotion?
Keep a folder to put in all of your documents, evaluations & evidence of your contributions, it will really help the process of applying for promotion.
One of my mentors, Dr. Don Low, advised this, and I really wish I had listened to him as much on this front as I did about everything else he advised.
How did you manage your time in putting your dossier together considering your multiple priorities?
Putting a dossier together is an incredible amount of work that requires the help and support of many. I cannot thank the staff and leadership of LMP enough, in particular Patricia Cayetano, Cathy Streutker, Tony Mazzulli and Rita Kandel for their advice and generous support.
Find out more about promotion
Promotion guidelines: to Associate Professor and Professor
Contact lmp.hr@utoronto.ca if you are a faculty member in LMP and want to learn more about the promotion process, workshops, and more.