Jenny Nguyen, a trainee at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health (FIRH), has received numerous awards to support her research and academic growth.

A PhD candidate within the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, Nguyen works in the laboratory of Dr. Jeremy Hirota. Her doctoral research is focused on the regulation of cyclic-AMP in airway epithelial cells in the context of lung health and disease.

Nguyen was recently awarded the Yates Scholarship from McMaster University ($500). She was also awarded two travel awards: the James F. & Helen S. Harvey Travel Scholarship ($1,000) and the SGS Grant in Aid of Travel Research and Field Study ($5,000), both from McMaster University.

In addition, Nguyen received a Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement through CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarships, which will provide $6,000 to allow her to travel to the Netherlands for six months to study, beginning in April. She has since joined Dr. Pieter Hiemstra at Leiden University Medical Center for an international exchange.

In 2020, Nguyen was awarded a CIHR Doctoral Award that provided her with $5,000 in research allowance funding annually for three years (2021 to 2024).

“Jenny is a most deserving recipient of these multiple awards – she is an open-minded, critical thinker, who is always willing to go the extra step for her own research and also to help those around her,” said Dr. Jeremy Hirota, whose lab is affiliated with the FIRH at St. Joe’s and conducts research related to lung health.

“She is an excellent individual to represent the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health on the international scale with her foreign study experience in Leiden, Netherlands.”

Earlier this year, Nguyen participated in The Research Institute’s Women in Science campaign. Click here to learn about her experiences as a woman in science.

“Trainees are the lifeblood of the Firestone. Their creativity, hard work, and skill are what drives our research. We are so fortunate to be able to recruit the best and brightest, who come to the Firestone because they want to do impactful research with caring and driven faculty,” said Dr. Dawn Bowdish, Executive Director of the FIRH.

“Jenny is a gifted researcher who exemplifies the best qualities of the Firestone – curiosity, passion, and a desire to make a lasting impact,” added Dr. Bowdish. “I'm so pleased to see her recognized as the emerging leader we know her to be.”

The Research Institute congratulates Jenny Nguyen on her academic success!