Kathryn Vanya Ewart, PhD, holds a BSc from the Université de Moncton and a PhD from Memorial University of Newfoundland, both in Canada. Following post-doctoral work at the Research Institute of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, she spent several years in a federal research laboratory before joining the faculty of Dalhousie University, also in Canada. Dr. Ewart’s research spans the fields of immunology, molecular biology and protein chemistry. She has also conducted applied research and project management for industrial clients. Her research is focused on proteins that stick to surfaces, e.g., lipid bilayers, lipopolysaccharide, ice crystals, or to one another. Some of these proteins may be valuable building tools, whereas others have critical roles in disease. The central role of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease is an example of the latter and the main focus of her research at this time.