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Meet the Team
The Breast Health Research Unit in Halifax, NS is dedicated to advancing breast health care through innovative research and education. We are committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals affected by breast health issues. Our team of experts works tirelessly to push the boundaries of knowledge and provide the best care for our community.
BHRU Primary Investigator &
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Gregory Knapp
Dr. Gregory Knapp is a Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Dalhousie University. His clinical practice is focused on Breast Cancer and advanced GI malignancies. He is the Director of the Global Surgery Office at Dalhousie University and a member of the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO). He is co-chair of the Breast Cancer Site Team within Cancer Care Nova Scotia and co-Director of the Breast Health Research Unit at the IWK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
BHRU Primary Investigator &
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Ashley Drohan
Dr. Ashley Drohan is Surgical Oncologist, Assistant Professor and Health Services Researcher at Dalhousie University. Her clinical practice focuses on taking care of patients with breast cancer, sarcoma and advanced gastrointestinal cancers. She is the incoming Program Director of the Clinician Investigator Program at Dalhousie and is Co-Director of the Breast Health Research Unit at the IWK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Research Scientist
Dr. Andrea Mayo
As Research Scientist, Andrea oversees research and administrative activities within the BHRU and facilitates communication between the co-directors and lab members. She brings expertise developed through her PhD and previous roles, including grant and manuscript writing, research methodology, data analysis, knowledge translation, and the integration of research into practice. In addition, Andrea supervises research and medical students engaged in BHRU projects.
Research Coordinator
Rachel Hemsworth
Rachel is a Research Coordinator with the BHRU, where she helps guide patients at the Breast Health Clinic through the research consent process. With several years of experience in Nova Scotia’s healthcare system, Rachel leads communications with Research Ethics Boards and industry sponsors. She also assists with research dissemination and data collection.
Research Coordinator
Hanna Stewart
Hanna is a Research Coordinator at the Breast Health Research Unit and her primary roles include management of our provincial breast cancer database and data analysis and knowledge translation for projects at the BHRU. With her background in Epidemiology, she helps develop and assist with study design, research protocols and manuscripts, and visualization of our research findings. She also collaborates on medical student projects and liaises with the Nova Scotia Health Biobank.
Graduate Student
Dr. Cameron Penny
Originally from Cape Breton, Cam is a third-year General Surgery resident at Dalhousie University. He is currently enrolled in the Clinician Investigator Program (CIP), completing his MSc in Community Health & Epidemiology at Dalhousie under the supervision of Dr. Ashley Drohan and Dr. Robin Urquhart.