Marcia MacDonald, PhD, chats with host Danniele this week about working at the World Anti-Doping Agency. You'll hear about how her work helps to implement more efficient processes in the Athlete Biological Passport Program or ABP. But you'll also hear about Marcia's life as a woman in STEM - how relocating from Vancouver to Montreal for her career has been, and what she is most passionate about outside of work (hint: it involves activism in a big, worldwide issue that we are all familiar with - but you'll have to listen to find out more!). 

Please note some of the abbreviations and jargon used in this episode:

• ADO = Anti-Doping Organization
• ABP = Athlete Biological Passport (an individual electronic record for professional athletes, in which profiles of biological markers of doping and results of doping tests are collated over a period of time)
• EPO = erythropoietin (a hormone, secreted by the kidneys, that increases the rate of formation of red blood cells, often used to treat anemia or as a performance-enhancing drug)

Please also note one small correction: Xenon Pharmaceuticals was incorrectly referred to as "Xenon Biopharma."

Guest: Marcia MacDonald (Twitter)

Marcia MacDonald is a Deputy Director in the Science and Medicine department at the World Anti-Doping Agency. Marcia oversees a team responsible for the global development of the Athlete Biological Passport program, which monitors biological variables over time to indirectly reveal the effects of doping in sport, rather than attempting to detect the doping substance or method itself. With more than 20 years of experience overseeing a range of projects, Marcia understands the challenges of implementing research findings and policy recommendations into practice. Marcia obtained her BSc in Biochemistry from Queen’s University and PhD in Genetics from The University of British Columbia. In addition to her work, Marcia serves on the Board of Directors at the Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST).

For a full transcription of this episode, click here.

Relevant Links:

• Athlete Biological Passport
• Congenital Indifference to Pain
• Genome BC
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report
• Make Possible (SCWIST)
• Marcia on LinkedIn
• Omic markers
• Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST)

Hosted by: Danniele Livengood (@livengood)
Theme Music: “Positive and Fun” by Scott Holmes
Produced by: Vanessa Reich-Shackelford