Executive Board

Dr. Lauren Bilinsky brings critical experience and continuity to the President role, after completing two years as the Vice President of Leadership and Education. As a senior public health resident physician, Dr. Bilinksy has had unique training in governance, program planning and project management, in addition to pandemic response and crisis communications. She knows that resident physicians want communication, connectedness and to better understand the role of their resident physician association in this tumultuous time. Along with the talented team of PARA staff and the strong Executive Board, Dr. Bilinsky will continue to work on creating a positive and supportive residency experience for you.  

Dr. Kieran Steer is very excited to continue his journey with PARA as the VP Community and Internal Relations (VPCIR). Throughout medical school and residency, he has been highly involved with medical community affairs and feels the VPCIR position is an exciting opportunity to advocate for resident physicians, expand PARA initiatives and support resident physician wellness. This past year has seen numerous significant changes to the health care system, drastically affecting physicians. More than ever, Kieran sees a great importance in supporting the resident physician community through these challenges, by strengthening resident physician voices as advocates and continuing the incredible progress made in wellness initiatives.

Dr. Laura Morrison grew up in London, Ontario and then moved to Hamilton, Ontario while attending McMaster University. She competed in Cross Country, Track and Rugby as a McMaster Marauder and completed her undergraduate and medical degrees. Laura then made the big move out west to pursue a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Calgary. Since then, running and rugby have been replaced with mountain biking, hockey and Crossfit. She is currently enrolled in the Clinician Investigator Program where she is pursuing a Master of Medical Education. Next year, she will return to her final three years of Orthopaedic Surgery residency!

Dr. Tamara Yee looks forward to working alongside an incredible PARA Executive team and brings her experience in leadership, project management and finance. She has previous experiences as an executive on various student groups, managing national and international research projects and quality improvement initiatives. 

Dr. Lenka Stafl is delighted to serve her fellow resident physicians as the Calgary and Southern Alberta Ambassador (CSAA). She enjoys the fast paced learning of her internal medicine residency and always loves the opportunity to run into and connect with fellow resident physicians from all specialties on the wards. She is an avid mountain enthusiast and enjoys spending her free time scaling peaks with her husband and one-year-old daughter and drinking a hot cup of tea in the alpine. Lenka feels honoured be part of an incredible team of executive members invested in the well-being and empowerment of resident physicians. 

Dr. Qaddoura did his undergraduate studies at McMaster and medical school at Queen’s University. He had several electives in Calgary and Edmonton that led him to come to Alberta and he is currently an Adult Infectious Diseases resident physician at the University of Alberta. He enjoys cooking, tennis and has recently gotten more into hiking during COVID-19. -- 

Dr. Victoria Nkunu’s experience in advocacy started early in her undergraduate training at Queen’s University, where she led a 150-member campus organization for two years to advocate for increased supports for minority black  students on campus. Her role mainly involved presenting minority black student interests to key  stakeholders at the University, including the University Principal and advocating for academic and social supports to ensure a successful university experience for students. The advocacy efforts were  recognized by being awarded the Queen’s University Employment Equity Award in 2013. Since then, she has been involved in different roles, expanding on her advocacy experience, including being the Manager of a Free Clinic in Calgary and Elections Coordinator for the Calgary Medical Students’ Association. 

Dr. Franco Rizzuti says it is a privilege to serve on the PARA executive as your 2021-22 Past-President. Dr. Rizzuti has been involved with PARA since his first year of residency; this will be his fourth year on the executive board; first as VP-OF and then two-terms as President. Through these roles, he has seen the significant impact PARA has on resident physician education, health system advocacy and particularly on resident physician wellness. 

Working within student governments to promote supportive learning and working environments has been an interest of Dr. Rizzuti’s since 2010. From these past leadership roles, he brings experience with finance, governance and medical education. Throughout his medical education, Franco has had the opportunity to represent learners as a Past-President of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) and as a trainee representative on the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) board of directors, Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC) board, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) board, the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) board and on committees within the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) and Royal College. Dr. Rizzuti additionally brings a unique perspective of trainees with disabilities or requiring accommodations as President of the Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities (CAPD).

Dr. Rizzuti says a highlight of working with PARA is meeting resident physicians across the province; the stories of both successes and of struggles are inspiring. He looks forward to continuing to support PARA members, while advancing residency education and enhancing the work and learning environments. 

Outside of medicine you will find Dr. Rizzuti rock climbing, camping, playing with his dog, catching up on the latest political news, (re)posting on various social media platforms or lost amongst a wardrobe of paisley.