Tanner arrived at York in 1972 to join the gymnastics team and stayed through his BSc (’76) and PhD (’80). After his doctoral work, he joined Sciex – an innovative developer of mass spectrometry instruments and became a world leader in atomic mass spectrometry. During his 25 years at Sciex, he invented successful instruments for the measurement of pollutants in air, dioxins in soil and most notably a series of instruments for measuring the atomic composition of matter. In 2005, he joined the faculty at the University of Toronto where he was 2011 Inventor of the Year in Biomedical and Life Sciences and co-founded DVS Sciences, to bring the new power of mass cytometry to the world. 

He is currently a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Plasma Spectrochemistry, the Human Proteome Organization Award for Science and Technology, the Manning Innovation Award of Distinction and the WAE McBryde Medal from the Canadian Society for Chemistry. Upon retirement in 2015, Tanner enjoyed an appointment as adjunct faculty in the Department of Chemistry at �첥��Ƶ and sat on the board for Ontario Life Sciences and Ontario Genomics.  After moving to Nova Scotia in 2020, he became chair of the Three Churches Heritage Foundation in Mahone Bay. 

Read the full awards announcement.

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Launched in 2021, York’s Top 30 Alumni Under 30 program seeks to highlight the success and diversity of the University’s young alumni community, while inspiring the next generation of young alumni leaders to make a positive difference locally and globally.

“The �첥��Ƶ Top 30 Alumni Under 30 program showcases the remarkable work that York’s young alumni have done to create positive change at home and abroad,” said Julie Lafford, assistant vice-president, alumni engagement, in an in YFile. “The 2024 cohort is an accomplished group featuring creative artists, innovators in science, business leaders and champions for social justice.

Katrina Carver

Katrina Carver is a graduate student in the field of computational neuroscience at the University of Toronto, where she utilizes novel machine learning techniques to understand and explain Alzheimer’s Disease. With the results of her research, she aims to guide drug development, improve diagnosis and enhance patient care. Katrina has been awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship and a Medical Biophysics Excellence Award for her work, continuing the recognition of her dedication to academic and research excellence established as an Honours Physics student at �첥��Ƶ. At York, she was awarded the Schulich Leader Scholarship, three Undergraduate Student Research Awards and the Iristel Undergraduate Scholarship. Notably, her undergraduate thesis research using neural networks to improve adaptive deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease has been published in Nature Communications and presented internationally. Katrina’s ultimate motivation is to serve society by advancing diagnosis, treatment and care for those living with neurodegenerative diseases using artificial intelligence, while considering and advancing the highest standards of ethics and privacy.

Pablo Gonzalez

Pablo Gonzalez, a medical student at the University of Toronto, is a dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion. He founded the Canadian Association of Latin Medical Students (CALMS) to unite those interested in Latin American culture and healthcare. As CALMS president, Pablo and his team empower marginalized Latin American youth to pursue healthcare careers, addressing underrepresentation in the field. Pablo's community-building extends to his role as an ally to Jewish community leaders in the fight against antisemitism. As a keynote speaker at provincial interfaith events, Pablo fosters empathetic dialogues, seeking common ground with diverse cultural and religious communities. Furthermore, he is passionate about supporting underserved and marginalized groups through his academic endeavours. Collaborating with leading diabetes researchers at the University of Calgary, he sheds light on the healthcare barriers faced by those experiencing homelessness. He has presented his research at national and international medical conferences to drive policy discussions. Pablo's advocacy stems from his experiences at �첥��Ƶ, where he graduated from the Bachelor of Science Biotechnology Program. Active in student life, Pablo represented �첥��Ƶ students through the President's Ambassador Program and as a Student Representative on the �첥��Ƶ Alumni Board. In these roles, he collaborated with university executives and stakeholders to ensure that �첥��Ƶ remains a vibrant place for diverse learning experiences.

Adrian Leva

Adrian is the COO and co-founder of Nu-Rise Construction Management, a firm specializing in mid to high-rise construction in the Greater Toronto Area. Prior to co-founding Nu-Rise, Adrian founded New Mission Investments, a real estate company focused on building generational wealth through multifamily properties and increasing access to housing in Ontario. Adrian Leva's humanitarian background began in 2013, when he was an international missionary for The Samaritan Foundation. Adrian visited the Dominican Republic to help build homes for at-risk families who lived on less than $1 dollar per day. Adrian helped with fundraising and building over 25 homes between 2013 and 2019, which were equipped with basic electrical and plumbing services. To support this goal, Adrian inspires youth to engage with their community and to take philanthropic action. Since 2019, Adrian has influenced 800 students through keynote presentations, raising funds to further home construction in the Dominican Republic.

Brian Serapio

Brian Serapio is a resident physician in psychiatry based in Toronto with a strong interest in the psychiatric care of older adults and adults with complex health needs. Brian is exploring a newfound interest in psychotherapy. Throughout his career, Brian has been involved in geriatrics interest groups at the local and national levels that raise awareness about the health challenges older adults face and promote a career in geriatrics amongst medical learners. Brian has engaged in research on the impact of volunteers on hospitalized older adult patients and the views of long-term care staff on technological innovation. As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines who has had to overcome significant hurdles in his career, Brian is also passionate about rectifying the underrepresentation of minorities, including Filipinos, in medicine. While in medical school, he was involved in programs and initiatives including the Filipino Association of Medical Students (FAMS), Community of Support (COS) and Altitude Healthcare Mentoring that provide mentorship to pre-med and medical students from underrepresented groups. As Brian continues to progress through his training, he aims to equip himself with the necessary knowledge to provide care to underserved communities.

To view the full list of 2024 recipients, visit the Top 30 Alumni Under 30 web page.

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Bo Cheng (BSc '17, Faculty of Science; MMAI '20, Schulich School of Business)

Manager in Data Science, Rogers Communications

It was curiosity that led Bo Cheng to enrol in the specialized honors degree in biophysics at �첥��Ƶ. Now, he’s a manager in data science at Rogers, where he leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to solve real world problems for millions of people across Canada.

Cheng, who graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science, and went on to achieve a Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence from York’s Schulich School of Business, says his time at the University helped him to grow both personally and professionally. Now, he’s paying that back into his community.

“When I look back at my time at York, I not only learned math and physics, I also learned what it means to take responsibility for my own actions, to grow up,” says Cheng. “Being in the biophysics program was like attending a small and intimate university. You become lifelong friends with your peers and professors, who are like a family that help each other to grow professionally, and personally.”

Cheng participates in AI events where he applies his quantitative skills in AI and machine learning to build solutions for the benefit of society.

In the summer of 2019, he implemented a flood warning application to help Canadians nationwide predict and monitor natural disasters, supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada. He helped to promote and drive traffic to underutilized Toronto community stores through the Data for Good initiative. And, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he collaborated on an app to help elderly people cope with social and physical isolation. The app enables volunteers to assist with daily errands without risking exposure to the virus.

Cheng is the recipient of a Top 30 Under 30 Award from �첥��Ƶ, reserved for alumni who are exemplary leaders in creating positive change and impact, at home and abroad.

“My education at York gave me confidence and served as a great opportunity for my future success,” Cheng says.

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YUSAN Needs You

The purpose of the �첥��Ƶ Science Alumni Network (YUSAN) is to bring �첥��Ƶ graduates with degrees in science and science-related fields together to connect, network, remove the barriers of distance, and to enhance the profile of �첥��Ƶ’s Faculty of Science.

YUSAN has been an amazing opportunity to get together, share experiences, both between recent alumni and some long graduated from decades ago, as well as current undergraduate and graduate students. For current and new graduates networking and communication is one the major keys toward career and personal success and YUSAN has helped with that. You can make YUSAN your own by putting as much or as little time into it as you have.

Volunteer leadership position(s) available. Please contact Joanne Huy at johuy@yorku.ca or (437) 234 - 9324.

Ways to Help Students

Current students can benefit from your valuable experience.  Ways to help:

About YUSAN

What is YUSAN?

The �첥��Ƶ Science Alumni Network was formed by volunteer science alumni in 2015 to bring �첥��Ƶ science graduates together to network, remove the barriers of distance, connect job seekers and employers, enhance the profile of Science at �첥��Ƶ, volunteer if desired, and have fun!  Membership is free, and there is no registration except to sign up to your preferred method of communication shown below. It is open to all York graduates with a science degree, including BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees from many different faculties and departments. YUSAN is run by volunteer science alumni.

YUSAN is off to a Great Start

The �첥��Ƶ Science Alumni (YUSAN) was formed in 2015 in part to celebrate 50 years of science at �첥��Ƶ. YUSAN sincerely thanks Bethune College and �첥��Ƶ Community & Alumni Relations for their generosity and support for our Inaugural Dinner Meeting held on November 17, 2015 (). Fifty one people gathered in the Paul Delaney Lounge at Bethune College, enjoyed a great meal, and had a fun and productive networking experience with alumni from fields as diverse as Biology, Kinesiology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Geography, Earth Science, Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Space Science, Math, Statistics, Space Engineering and Commerce. The former Dean of Science, Professor Ray Jayawardhana, and the Master of Bethune College, Professor , shared their ideas for how the Science Alumni can interact with �첥��Ƶ. We received valuable feedback from the Alumni for future meetings, and closed the meeting with a free raffle of science-related items, and further networking.

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Welcome home

York Science is home to more than 20,000 alumni who have gone on to become scientists, medical professionals, entrepreneurs and more.

Quick Links

• Annual Reviews

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Alumni Spotlights

• 

  �첥��Ƶ's Top 30 Alumni Under 30

  Three Faculty of Science alumni –
  Anastasia Kalantarova��
  Claire Del Zotto and Oluwatimileyin Aina – were among the outstanding graduates named on �첥��Ƶ’s Top 30 Alumni Under 30 list for 2026.

  

  Bo Cheng (BSc '17, MMAI '20)

  It was curiosity that led Bo Cheng to enrol in the specialized honors degree in biophysics at York. Now, as a manager in data science, he leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to solve real world problems for Canadians.

• 

  Earle Nestmann and Pamela Ohashi Receive �첥��Ƶ Alumni Awards

  The �첥��Ƶ Alumni Awards celebrate alumni who exemplify the values of �첥��Ƶ, have made remarkable contributions to their fields, and have changed the world for the better.

  

  Naz Chaudary: Putting Her Heart into Cancer Research

  Now a researcher at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Naz Chaudary (Hon BSc ‘98, PhD ‘04) looks back fondly at her time at York as being the backbone for her career in academic science.

Stay connected with your alma mater

Learn more about how to get involved, alumni benefits, events and more through �첥��Ƶ’s Alumni & Friends website.

Visit the Alumni & Friends website

�첥��Ƶ Science Alumni Network

The purpose of the �첥��Ƶ Science Alumni Network (YUSAN) is to bring �첥��Ƶ graduates with degrees in science and science-related fields together to connect, network, remove the barriers of distance, and to enhance the profile of �첥��Ƶ’s Faculty of Science.

Learn more about YUSAN

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