Regulated Members

Marie Grabowski, MLT - President
Marie graduated with a Medical Laboratory Technologist diploma from NAIT in 2010. She was offered employment at Red Deer Hospital Laboratory after completing her student practicum there and has been a laboratory professional in Red Deer since. The diverse structure of the lab in Red Deer allowed Marie to first work in hematology and transfusion medicine, then leap into Microbiology for a decade and now Marie has returned to Hem/TM.  The Red Deer Hospital laboratory supports a large area of Alberta and analyzes samples from both urban and rural communities which has helped Marie develop an understanding of both. Marie has held various leadership positions including past positions with the technical professionals union including Chair, Job Steward, Constitutions/Bylaws/Resolutions and Policy Committee, delegating for the Red Deer & District Labour Council, Red Deer County Division 3 recreation board member, and as an executive member on her condo board. Marie is an avid fan of curling having participated in competitive bonspiels winning two silver medals as an Ook at NAIT and volunteering locally including Draw Master for the former Hospital and Friends Social League for four years. Marie also holds a diploma in Radio & Television and is in the process of attaining NAIT's Bachelor in Technology Degree with electives focusing on healthcare organization and project management.

Jessica Wiebe, MLT – Vice President
Jessica graduated with honours from the MLT program at SAIT in 2013. Her position right after graduation was with the hematology department at the Foothills Medical Centre for two years. Here she gained experience in some specialty hematology testing and bone marrow collections through the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. Ready for an adventure, she made a big move to the Northwest Territories. For 4 years, Jessica worked as a lead MLT at the Hay River Regional Health Centre. During her employment there, Jessica got to work a great deal with validating new instruments and laboratory information system interface testing and setup. This helped to further ignite her interest in quality management, which eventually led to her completing a certificate in Clinical Laboratory Quality Management, through the Michener Institute. Ready for yet another adventure, Jessica moved back to Alberta, where she worked as the Tech II at the Devon General Hospital laboratory for 3 years. After this Jessica worked as a Credentialed Trainer with the Alberta Connect Care Project for a year, where she loved getting to meet Laboratory Staff from all around the province. She is currently working with Roche Diagnostics - getting to combine her love of instrumentation while still training Laboratory Staff. Jessica is fascinated with all aspects of the laboratory profession and is looking forward to increasing hers and others awareness about legislation and regulation for medical laboratory professionals in Alberta. In addition to being the Vice President for the CMLTA, Jessica also volunteers on the Legislation and Finance/Audit Sub-Committees.

Eugene Cheung, MLT
Eugene is currently a laboratory manager for Genetics and Genomics/Molecular Pathology at Alberta Precision Laboratories. He completed a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science in 2008 and started his career in Transfusion Medicine at the University of Alberta Hospital. After working for a few years, he chose to pursue his Masters in Public Health in Public Health Leadership which he completed in 2016. Following that, Eugene completed a Certified Health Executive designation with the Canadian College of Health Leaders in 2017. During this time, he continued to work full-time in various areas including Special Chemistry and Endocrinology as well as serving as a Tech III at the Sturgeon Hospital laboratory. Eugene is passionate about building strong teams as well as improving patient care. As a mentor for the past 7 years with the WiSER (Women in Science and Engineering and Research) program through the University of Alberta, he has mentored 14 individuals to reach their potential and has found it invaluable in his growth as a leader. Eugene’s interest in volunteering for Council stems from his passion for the Medical Laboratory Technology profession but also in his current role, a passion for supporting our Clinical Genetics Technologists.

Deanna Faist, MLT
Deanna graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Alberta in 2018. During her time in the program, she was always eager to get involved with … everything! In between classes, she was on the MLS Student Association, volunteering as a microbiology Teaching Assistant, and working as a lab assistant. After graduating, Deanna worked at Dynalife’s Base lab’s chemistry department. Working in the immunology and routine chemistry areas, she loved working with instrumentation, training students, and solving problems. However, towards the end of the pandemic, Deanna wanted to explore other career paths and opportunities offered within the lab world. Currently she works at Somagen Diagnostics as an Application Specialist for their chemistry and immunology products. This job enables her to support customers across Western Canada, offering them troubleshooting assistance, instrument validation, and user training. Always eager to try new things and experiences, she is excited to serve on the CMLTA council and see where that takes her! When Deanna’s not being a keener in her work life, she is a keener in her personal life, for instance by being the captain and playing on a recreational Women’s volleyball team and organizing corgi-themed events across Edmonton.

Harpreet Manhani, MLT
Harpreet graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Alberta in 2016. Harpreet started her career in microbiology at the Red Deer Hospital. She is very passionate about healthcare and actively participates in projects to enhance healthcare structure and organization. Harpreet was recently involved in the validation and training of the staff for a new analyzer for testing Respiratory Syncytial virus, Influenza A and B; and now COVID-19. She also volunteered at the Red Deer Festival of Trees in November 2017 for raising donations towards implementing a front-end automation for the microbiology laboratory. To continue her ambition for healthcare, Harpreet joined the Connect Care project as a credentialed trainer for central zone laboratories where she gained technical skills pertaining to information technology of the laboratory. Harpreet is now working as a Medical Informatics Education Lead with the Chief Medical Information Office of Connect Care, Alberta Health Services. Harpreet is pursuing a master's degree in healthcare administration. By incorporating the knowledge gained from this master's degree relating to healthcare budgeting, resource allocation, human resources management, healthcare structuring and organization, and strategic planning, Harpreet believes she can serve the CMLTA Council to continue to strengthen the field of laboratory medicine.

Megan Parrish, MLT
My name is Megan Parrish and I am an MLT II with Alberta Precision Labs in Edmonton Alberta. I have worked as an MLT for 8 years in the Regional Transfusion Medicine and Point of Care Testing departments at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton.

I completed a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) and obtained my MLT certification in 2014. In 2017, I completed the Clinical Laboratory Quality Manager certificate which focused on understanding quality issues in the clinical laboratory. In addition to completing this certificate, I was chosen as one of two MLTs in Canada to attend the CSMLS Leadership Development Scholarship in Ottawa. This workshop focused on learning effective leadership and communication skills, understanding and learning to adapt personal strengths and challenges as a leader, and understanding leadership in the laboratory profession. I am currently enrolled in an MSc in Public Health with a focus on Health Policy Research in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

In additional to my professional career, I have served as VP Administration on the Aboriginal Student Council and VP Finance and Co-Chair on the Indigenous Graduate Student Association at the University of Alberta.

Public Members

Domingo Chavez 
Domingo Chavez was born in Santiago, Chile. In 1973, while working on his mechanical engineering degree at the Technical State University in Chile and while working for the Public Work Ministry, the democratic elected government in Chile was overthrown in a coup d’état. As a result, Domingo lost his job and was deprived of his chosen career path. He was interrogated, tortured, and sent to a concentration camp. In 1974 with the help of United Nations and various humanitarian and religious organizations, Domingo moved to Argentina where he was joined by his fiancé Monica, and they later married in 1974. He and his wife moved to Canada in 1975 and settled in Edmonton and had two daughters. While in Canada, Domingo and his wife participated in various initiatives to denounce the violations of human rights that occurred in Chile during the military dictatorship. Both were deeply committed to re-establishing the democratization in their motherland. Domingo has been an active member of the Latin American community. In 1993, the Government of Chile appointed Mr. Chavez as the Honorary Consul of Chile until 2001. He has served in many positions dealing with cultural, media, solidarity, and human rights. He has also volunteered with the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Teen Time. Domingo was a member of the Human Rights Commission and Multiculturalism and Education Fund for the Government of Alberta from 2000 until 2006. Domingo was a Licensed Practical Nurse for the past 25 years and is currently employed at the University of Alberta Hospital as a nursing attendant.

Alissa Harding
Alissa Harding has a broad career spanning public and private sectors in managerial, policy, and HR roles. She works extensively in disability management, accommodation, and equitable employment, with deep expertise in occupational and non-occupational obligations. Alissa holds a Justice Studies degree and Graduate Certificates in Human Resources, Psychological Health and Safety, Occupational Health and Safety, and Administrative Justice, plus training in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Disability Management. In off hours, Alissa spends time with her family, enjoys being outdoors, and volunteering in her community.

Sajid Khan 
Biography to be added

Patricia Palechuk 
Biography to be added