Tara Caffrey (2005)
Research Facilitator
I currently work as a Research Facilitator with the Mend the Gap project in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Mend the Gap is a research program focused on developing new approaches to repair and restore function following spinal cord injury. In this role, I support the management and facilitation of a large, multidisciplinary research program involving collaborators across Canada and internationally. My responsibilities include research management, project administration, scientific communication, trainee support, and fostering collaboration across disciplines.
Previously, I held research positions in both Canada and the UK, including as a Research Associate at the University of British Columbia and as a Career Development Fellow at the University of Oxford. My research career has focused primarily on in vitro modelling of the central nervous system. At UBC, I worked with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived models, including cerebrovascular models and in Oxford, I worked with iPSC-derived neurons, to investigate Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
My career has evolved from hands-on biomedical research to research facilitation and program management. This progression has allowed me to combine my scientific expertise and understanding of research with strengths in collaboration, organization, communication, and research leadership
