Meet the Eltonsy Lab

Faiza Farooq is a PhD student at college of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba. She got fully funded scholarship from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and started her PhD in the Eltonsy Lab since January 2023. Her PhD research focus is determinants of COVID-19 vaccines uptake in pregnant population of Manitoba. She has done her Master and PharmD from Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan. Before joining University of Manitoba, she was working as a lecturer of Pharmacy in a renowned university of Pakistan.

Naira is an MSc student in Pharmacoepidemiology at the University of Manitoba. Her research focuses on the real-world utilization and safety of biologic therapies in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases using population-based data. She is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) with clinical experience as a hospital pharmacist and prior academic experience as a clinical lecturer and preceptor in the United Arab Emirates. Her work aims to generate high-quality evidence that informs clinical practice and health policy, with a focus on optimizing medication use and improving outcomes for diverse populations.

Hoda Hussein is a MSc student at the college of Pharmacy. She is a recent addition to the Eltonsy Lab. She completed an Honours Double Major in Rehabilitation Sciences and Medical Sciences at Western University. Before joining the lab, she gained research experience through assisting on clinical trials in neurodegenerative disease and treatment-resistant depression, as well as through conducting a literature review alongside a Western University faculty member. She is excited to begin her graduate studies and contribute to the lab's research. In her free time, she enjoys reading and cooking new dishes.

I am a PhD candidate in Pharmacoepidemiology at the University of Manitoba. I originally trained in physics, with graduate work in theoretical and medical physics, before transitioning into epidemiology and real-world health data research. My current research focuses on developing and evaluating methods to better describe medication use over time using real-world health data. More broadly, I am interested in exploring new statistical methods and their applications in epidemiological studies, including study design, time-varying exposures, and the use of large health databases to answer practical questions about medications, vaccines, and health outcomes.

Lab Alumni

Lara Haidar is currently a second year PhD student at the College of Pharmacy, with a concentration in pharmacoepidemiology. Before joining the University of Manitoba, she obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Lebanese International University and a Master’s degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the Lebanese University. She has previous experience working as a community pharmacist in Lebanon. Her current research focuses on the effects of drugs and medications on metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes in people with HIV. Through her PhD research she hopes to bridge health equity gaps by contributing to the knowledge required to improve the health of marginalized communities. Outside of school, she enjoys watching movies and TV shows, going out dancing, and drawing. 

Laila completed her PhD in February 2026 at the College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba under the supervision of Dr. Sheirf Eltonsy and co-supervision of Dr. Kaarina Kowalec. Laila obtained her bachelor degree of pharmaceutical sciences and  Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degrees from Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Egypt. She later completed a visiting research fellowship in Hospital Pharmaceutics at Showa University in Tokyo, Japan.

Her research focuses on pharmacoepidemiology and perinatal epidemiology. During her PhD, she examined trends in prenatal care utilization, medication use during pregnancy, and perinatal outcomes, including how these were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Laila received several awards and scholarships during her PhD, including the CIHR Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Martha Donovan Leadership Award, and the Dean of Graduate Studies Achievement Prize. 

She has been actively involved in leadership roles, including serving as a board member and student representative with the Canadian Association for Population Therapeutics (CAPT). Outside of research, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and watching movies.

Samuel graduated with a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Pecs in Hungary and another in microbiology from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Prior to joining the College of Pharmacy, he managed a small team of specialists monitoring the safety of one of the COVID-19 vaccines on the European and Canadian markets. His research focuses on the complex issue of treating epilepsy during pregnancy. He is currently investigating the risk of autism spectrum disorder in children of mothers exposed to antiseizure medications during pregnancy. He hopes to generate real-world evidence for standard epilepsy care during pregnancy, ultimately improving the quality of life of mothers and their children.

Outside of school, he writes, records, and performs his original songs. He is an accomplished R&B artiste who has performed on several big stages in Europe, Africa, and North America. He has over 500,000 streams across all streaming platforms. He is currently working on a project that is scheduled to be released later this year.

Alekhya completed here PhD from College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba in 2024. Before joining University of Manitoba in 2019, Alekhya completed a PharmD degree from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Science, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Alekhya is specializing in drug safety and pharmacoepidemiology, with a research program that focuses on medications in pregnancy and neonatal safety outcomes. Alekhya’s is supported by provincial and national research funds. Alekhya plans to develop advanced research skills that will establish her as a successful pharmacoepidemiologist. Alekhya is always keen to take on leadership roles and adventures. Alekhya also likes to travel, play sports, cook food and host events.

Walid graduated in July 2021 with a Master's in pharmacy from the University of Manitoba, where he was the first student to graduate from Eltonsy lab. Prior to starting his Master's degree, Walid gained valuable experience as a salesperson and community pharmacist. He is an accomplished Associate Research Scientist at Evidinno Outcomes Research Inc., where he conducts Systematic Literature Reviews and Meta-analyses for major pharmaceutical companies. During his time as a Master's student, he developed a keen interest in the use of real-world data while writing his thesis. He also enjoyed the opportunity to interact with students from diverse backgrounds and cultures.