Division Head / Section Chairs
Each section is composed of healthcare professionals with section-specific clinical expertise. Most of the faculty members are physicians; however, as NOSM University’s curriculum is interdisciplinary, other healthcare professionals are also encouraged to seek faculty appointments. The Clinical Sciences faculty includes several hundred clinicians from various specialties.
For general faculty inquiries, please call the toll-free line at 1-877-678-7358.
Division Head, Clinical Sciences
Dr. Barb Zelek
Division Head, Clinical Sciences
Tel: 807-766-7416
Fax: 705-662-7265
Email: bzelek@nosm.ca
Dr. Barb Zelek graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1998 and completed her Family Medicine residency at Queen’s University. Since 2002, she has worked in Marathon in an inter-professional rural family practice where her clinical work includes emergency medicine, office-based practice, obstetrics, and hospitalist medicine. She has enjoyed being involved with teaching learners throughout her career.
Section Chair, Anesthesia
Dr. Diana Noseworthy
Email: dnoseworthy@nosm.ca
Dr. Noseworthy is a talented teacher, innovator, and respected leader deeply dedicated to clinical service and anesthesia education in Northern Ontario and nationally. She is an anesthesiologist based in Sudbury, Ontario. She graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland and completed her Anesthesia residency at NOSM University/University of Ottawa. She then completed a fellowship in Simulation and Medical Education.
Dr. Noseworthy is actively involved in clinical innovation and educational leadership. She serves as the Simulation Coordinator for the anesthesiology residency program and mentors colleagues. Nationally, she has chaired the Canadian National Anesthesiology Simulation Curriculum (CanNASC) since 2020, where she helps design and evaluate simulation-based educational tools for anesthesiology training and promotes collaboration among anesthesia residency programs across Canada.
For further information on the Anesthesiology Postgraduate Program.
Section Chair, Emergency Medicine
Dr. Eshan Mohammadi
Email: emohammadi@nosm.ca
Dr. Ehsan Mohammadi is an Emergency Physician with more than two decades of clinical experience. He earned his Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science in Bio-Psychology from the University of British Columbia, followed by a Family Medicine residency through the McMaster University Northern Program. He later completed the Emergency Medicine competency certification (CCFP-EM).
Since 2002, Dr. Mohammadi has practiced at Sault Area Hospital, serving as Emergency Department Medical Director. He currently leads simulation-based education initiatives and acts as the education lead for the Emergency Department in Sault Ste. Marie. In addition to his clinical work, he is an Assistant Professor at NOSM University, widely recognized for his excellence in teaching and contributions to medical education and simulation training. His academic and clinical leadership have been acknowledged with multiple awards, including the William Hutchinson Award for excellence in care and education.
Section Chair, Family Medicine
Dr. Edward Hirvi
Email: ehirvi@nosm.ca
Dr. Edward Hirvi graduated from McMaster Medical School in 2006 and completed the Northeastern Ontario Family Medicine Residency Program. He practices in Sault Ste. Marie at the Group Health Centre, which has won National Best Practice Awards, was featured in Maclean’s Magazine as one of Canada’s top ten models of healthcare and was once referred to as “Canada’s best-kept health care secret” by the Commissioner for the Future of Health Care in Canada, Roy Romanow. Dr. Hirvi has been extensively involved with NOSM Undergraduate Medical Education and participates as a Medical Advisor for NOSM CEPD, and has been committed to medical education, teaching NOSM learners since 2008. He continues to advocate and represent NOSM Clinical Faculty as the current Physician Clinical Teachers’ Association President.
For further information on the Family Medicine Postgraduate Program.
Section Chair, Health Sciences
Ms. Sheila Renton
Email: srenton@nosm.ca
Sheila Renton has been an active NOSM U faculty member in the Clinical Sciences Division since 2006. Ms. Renton was the inaugural Chair of NOSM U’s Community Learning Sessions Committee, has acted as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Undergraduate Medical Education Program’s Phase 1 Committee and is a member of NOSM U’s Committee to Support Student Professionalism.
In addition to her wealth of NOSM U experience, Ms. Renton has a Master’s in Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy.
Section Chair, Internal Medicine
Dr. Birubi Biman
Email: bbiman@nosm.ca
Dr. Birubi Biman (University of Ottawa, MD 1992, Respirology from McMaster University 1998). Dr. Biman has been in clinical practice as a Respirologist in Thunder Bay since 1999, with an interest in Airway Disorders and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Dr. Biman is passionate about teaching and building our undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Since 1999, she has been on staff at Thunder Bay hospitals and began teaching at NOMP residency programs, which are now NOSM undergrad and postgrad programs. She has been actively involved in teaching in the Internal Medicine residency program since its inception and has served as Site Co-Director for Thunder Bay since 2015.
For further information on the Internal Medicine Postgraduate Program.
Section Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Frank Potestio
Email: fpotestio@nosm.ca
Frank Potestio is an obstetrician, gynecologist, and associate professor at NOSM U’s Clinical Sciences Division. Dr. Potestio has over 20 years of experience providing clinical care and has extensive leadership experience as the previous Postgraduate Medical Education Program’s Regional Director, Site Director for the NOSM U/Ottawa U Obstetrics/Gynecology residency program, a representative on the Physician Clinical Teachers’ Association Executive, and the Lead for the Lakehead Obstetrics/Gynecology LEG.
Dr. Potestio is the current Clinical Lead for gynecology surgery at Ontario Health and remains committed to improving access to care in northern Ontario.
Section Chair, Pathology
Dr. Kona Williams
Email: kowilliams@nosm.ca
Dr. Williams is a forensic pathologist and coroner with the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS). She is both Cree (Peguis First Nation) and Mohawk (Kahnawake).
She is the Director of the Northeastern Regional Forensic Pathology Unit and has been appointed the First Nations Liaison for the OFPS. She is also an Assistant Professor at NOSM University and serves on the Senate. She has been appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Residential Schools, Missing Children and Unmarked Burials. She has been accepted to the Rotman School of Management’s Global Executive MBA for Healthcare and Life Sciences, starting in 2026.
Section Chair, Pediatrics
Dr. Justin Jagger
Email: jjagger@nosm.ca
Dr. Jagger is a pediatrician practicing at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. He is a NOSM U Associate Professor and the Section Chair of Child and Adolescent Health. He is a graduate of the MD program at Western University (2004) and completed a pediatrics residency at Queen’s University (2009). Dr. Jagger is a longstanding and respected clinical preceptor at NOSM and was the former Chief of Pediatrics at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
For further information on the Pediatrics Postgraduate Program.
Section Chair, Psychiatry
Dr. Mariwan Husni
Email: mhusni@nosm.ca
A respected clinician, researcher, and leader, Dr. Husni is deeply dedicated to mental health care and medical education in Northern Ontario. Dr. Husni completed his medical training at the University of Mosul and later completed a residency in psychiatry through Western University, London, Ontario. He has worked in diverse clinical settings, including Northwestern Ontario since 1997, and internationally, including training as a psychiatry lead at Northwick Park, London, UK, and as Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at Arab Gulf University. He has engaged with research and published extensively across many domains, including cultural psychiatry and epigenetics. Dr. Husni is well known for his commitment to comprehensive, patient-centered and evidence-based psychiatric care.
As Section Chair, Dr. Husni will use his extensive academic experience to support psychiatry faculty and strengthen NOSM University’s mission and vision. His approachable leadership style, strong mentorship of learners, and substantive research make him exceptionally well-suited to this role. Additionally, Dr. Husni has some musical talents, and we may have an opportunity to enjoy some of his Kurdish compositions!
For further information on the Psychiatry Postgraduate Program.
Section Chair, Public Health & Preventive Medicine
Dr. Barb Zelek
Tel: 807-766-7416
Fax: 705-662-7265
Email: bzelek@nosm.ca
Dr. Barb Zelek graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1998 and completed her Family Medicine residency at Queen’s University. Since 2002, she has worked in Marathon in an interprofessional rural family practice where her clinical work includes emergency medicine, office-based practice, obstetrics, and hospitalist medicine. She has enjoyed being involved with teaching learners throughout her career.
For further information on the Public Health & Preventive Medicine Postgraduate Program.
Section Chair, Radiology
Dr. Amer Alaref
Email: aalaref@nosm.ca
Dr. Amer Alaref is a staff Radiologist at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and an Assistant Professor of Radiology at NOSM. He received his MD and completed his Radiology residency program from Damascus University, Syria. Before joining NOSM and TBRHSC, Dr. Alaref completed several fellowships at McMaster, McGill and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Dr. Alaref brings extensive research experience to his new position.
Section Chair, Surgery (including Orthopaedic Surgery)
Dr. Roy Kirkpatrick
Email: hkirkpatrick@nosm.ca
Roy Kirkpatrick (Queen’s 1977, FRCSC Ottawa 1982) has been in practice in Huntsville, Ontario since 1987. He has provided intermittent locum coverage in Nunavut since 2004 and has worked for the Canadian Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
He is a member of the Specialty Education Committee and the Regional Advisory Committee (Ontario/Nunavut) of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He has recently been appointed to the Implementation Committee for the “Rural Roadmap for Medicine in Canada” collaboration.
For further information on the General Surgery Postgraduate Program.
For further information on the Orthopedic Surgery Postgraduate Program.
For further information on the Urology Postgraduate Program.
