Dr. Maria Castro is a pediatric respirologist and sleep specialist with an interest in pediatric home ventilation. Dr. Castro has been part of the Respiratory Division in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta for over 10 years and is the current Medical Lead for the Stollery Pediatric Home Ventilation Program. She has established liaisons with partners across Canada to advance the care for children requiring home ventilation.

Dr. Castro’s research program is patient- and family-oriented. Along with her team, Dr. Castro uses participatory methods to involve patients and families as partners to design research that facilitates the implementation of best evidence available into clinical practice. Currently, Dr. Castro’s team is working on a standard acute care pathway for children who receive a tracheostomy and their transition from the medical system to their homes and communities. Ultimately, their goal is to help these children and families to reach their best potential.

Dr. Castro is a passionate mamma of two daughters, Irene and Emma, a kind partner to Jose, and a running pal for her dog, Bruno. She loves to spend time outdoors, running, hiking, climbing, camping or trying new activities. She has great admiration for culture and art: ‘It is an act of courage to share an artistic output with the word, not knowing if it would be liked or appreciated’. She profoundly believes in the shared humanity among individuals as the way to address challenges and resolve conflict.

Check out Dr. Castro's research here.

Daniel became a research coordinator in the Castro Research Lab in May 2023 and has been actively involved in various research studies. His contributions to the lab include coordinating research activities, applying for grants, developing and refining research tools, implementing research projects, and sharing research findings. His previous experience includes clinical trial research involving pharmaceutical and biological drugs, primary care research focused on chronic disease prevention and screening, and quality improvement research in food safety. He holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Food Science from the University of Ghana.

Check out Daniel's research here.

Nadia has 16 years of experience as a Respiratory Therapist specializing in neonatal and pediatric intensive care. After 10 years with the Stollery Children’s Hospital, she moved to the Middle East to help open a greenfield hospital with speciality pediatric services not previously available in the country, establishing both the Respiratory Therapy department and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Driven by a passion for leadership and improving healthcare outcomes, she has completed a Master’s in Healthcare Leadership. Her Master's thesis focused on psychological safety as a critical leadership competency within multicultural healthcare teams, aiming to foster environments where every team member feels valued and empowered. Currently, Nadia is a PhD candidate in maternal and infant health at the University of Dundee while working as the Project Manager and Clinical Implementation Lead for DECIDE-T.

Alexis received a Bachelor of Science with Specialization in Psychology from the University of Alberta in 2026. She has worked on various projects with the team as a volunteer research assistant since 2025. The summer of 2026, she received the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) Summer Student award. Her research is focused on understanding the lived experiences and positive coping factors that support the maintenance of hope for siblings of children with tracheostomies. Her goal is to create a space for these siblings’ voices to be heard and to one day develop psychological resources that are tailored to their unique needs.

Outside of the lab, Alexis continues striving to support the mental well-being of children by volunteering weekly at the Zebra Child and Youth Advocacy Centre as a child/youth advocate. Her role is dedicated to providing emotional support to the children and their families when they attend the centre for a forensic interview.

After a rewarding day doing research or volunteering, she loves to curl up with a good book and a warm cup of tea!

Joanna Czupryn is a research assistant at the University of Alberta. She has over 15 years of service supporting qualitative and mixed methods research in the faculties of Science, Nursing and Medicine. Over the past year, she has brought her person-centered and implementation grounded experience to Dr. Casto's team after supporting Nephrology and End-of-Life Care projects over the past decade. 

In her spare time, Joanna plays recreational slo-pitch, is an outdoor enthusiast, embraces wild weather and is often found looking for the 'right' piece to her latest jigsaw puzzle.