Faculty Spotlight: Meet the Chair
Cheryl Main has taken the role of chair, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, effective July 1, 2023.
Dr. Cheryl Main has a longstanding relationship with McMaster University as she completed all of her training (undergraduate, MD, and 3 residencies) at McMaster, and has lived in Hamilton her whole life. Main began her career as a Medical Microbiologist in the HRLMP in 2004, and became the Program Director for the Medical Microbiology resident training program in 2006. After being in that role for almost 10 years, she shifted her educational focus to working with the Royal College as the Chair of the Infectious Disease (ID) Specialty Committee and the Chair of the ID exam committee. As these terms ended, she then stepped into the roles of The Department Education Coordinator, and subsequently the Associate Chair of Education within the Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine PMM. These roles within the Department of PMM have proven to be her favourite opportunities so far as she was grateful to work alongside Dr. Murray Potter for 6 years during his term as Chair.
Q. What is your specialty and why did you choose it?
A. “I became interested in Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology when I took a Microbiology course in my second year in the Biology and Pharmacology program at McMaster. I found it so fascinating that we can play detective and figure out which organism is making a patient sick and then we can cure them. Microbes themselves are also so interesting, each one has it’s own “personality” and I am fascinated by how they avoid the immune system and adapt to the treatments we develop.”
Q. What is your favourite aspect of your position?
A. “There are too many to choose! I absolutely love teaching and working with learners, but I also love the people I work with and my patients! One of the things that is a bonus in our specialty is the fact that no two days are alike. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities with it.”
Q. What’s something about you (a fun fact) that people may not know about you?
A. “Many people know that I love my two Dachshunds very much, but most won’t know that my retirement plan is to buy a small farm and have a big garden, chicken coop and 6 Dachshunds! However I have a lot I want to accomplish as Chair before then!”
Spotlight