(Scroll to bottom for photo album link.)
On Thursday, November 6, 2025, the St. Joe’s community assembled in the Miller Amphitheatre to celebrate the achievements of our researchers and recognize the recipients of the 2025 Research Institute Awards Program.
Celebrate Research was presented as part of this year’s Education & Research Week – a week of exciting events that includes workshops, seminars, and special events focused on professional development, networking, and community.
The recipients of the 2025 awards are:
Studentship Awards
Dr. Cameron Leveille
Project: “Assessing post operative stimulation to improve shoulder dysfunction and quality of life after head and neck dissection”
Zoryana Babiy
Project: “The psychological and physiological impacts of mindfulness on postpartum anxiety”
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award
Dr. Nazia Pathan
Project: “Integrative multi-omics approach to caffeine-derived drug validation for cardiometabolic disease and hyperlipidemia”
PAC Interprofessional Research Award
Dr. Michelle Kho
Project: “Arm cycle ergometry rehabilitation to improve ICU outcomes: a pilot randomized clinical trial”
Collaborators: Wendy Galloway, Michelle Fung, Dr. Deborah Cook, and Dr. Jill Rudkowski
Constantine Douketis New Researcher Award
Dr. Sarah McComb
Project: “Development and validation of the Slim-Thick Ideal Internalization Questionnaire”
Research & Innovation Collaboration Grant
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mohammad Rubayet Hasan
Project: “Improving Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Immunocompromised Patients using Nanopore-Based Sequencing for Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens: A Pilot Study”
Collaborators: Dr. Marek Smieja, Dr. Ciaran Scallan, Dr. Carson Lo and Dr. Ian Restall
Joe K Award in Forensic Psychiatry
Dr. Mini Mamak
Project: “Assessment of the association between the gut microbiome and aggression”
Research Staff Recognition Award
Kelly Waters
Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF) Special Awards:
Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health BASEF Special Award
Vedant Sheel (Waterdown District Secondary School)
Project: “Immediate pulmonary fibrosis prognosis using machine learning algorithms”
RSJH Junior Category Special Awards (grades 7 and 8)
Jordan LeBlanc (St. Matthew Elementary School)
Project: “Mind-Motion: an EEG-powered robotic exoskeleton for FMD patients”
Rahul Rao and Vivaan Kar (W.H. Morden Public School)
Project: “The Power of Pectin: attenuating toxic by-products for enhanced hydrogel drug delivery”
RSJH Intermediate Category Special Awards (grades 9 and 10)
Lana Ding and Salena Zhu (Oakville Trafalgar High School)
Project: “The role of ascorbic acid in enhancing melanoma treatment through oxidative stress modulation”
Jieun Park and Sam Johnkutty (Bishop Tonnos Secondary School)
Project: “Alzheimer’s disease: a comparison of current and potential treatments”
Poster Competition:
People’s Choice Award
Madeline Trio
Poster: “Small GRP78 binding molecules reduces pcsk9 secretion in hepatocytes”
Second Place
Derek Stouth
Poster: “Treating Hyperlipidemia by targeting IP3R1 to lower PCSK9 expression and secretion”
First Place
Vanessa Parise
Poster: “From sensation to symptom: disassociation as a mechanistic bridge to PTSD severity”
Thank you to everyone who attended Celebrate Research and who participated in this year’s student poster competition. Be sure to check out the research update video that was featured at Celebrate Research (embedded below or view directly on YouTube).