Celebrating the academic excellence of health sciences students from equity seeking groups
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) awards, celebrating the outstanding academic achievements of trainees from diverse backgrounds who are helping shape the future of health care research.
EDI Award for Academic Excellence: This year, 14 exceptional medical and health science students from Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities have been recognized for their academic achievements and potential to advance medical research. These awards aim to address historical funding disparities by supporting researchers from racialized communities. Securing funding early in a researcher’s career can make all the difference.
In addition to these academic excellence awards, The Institute also supports trainees who demonstrate leadership and commitment to inclusivity in research.
MISI prize for Inclusive Science: The Integral Mentorship for Inclusive Science (Mentorat intégral pour la science inclusive, MISI) project aims to increase the participation and success of women and Indigenous students in health research training. Through financial support, mentorship, and training in inclusive leadership and research, MISI empowers these trainees to become leaders who drive change and incorporate inclusive research practices.
MISI internship award for Indigenous students: In an effort to promote inclusivity and provide research opportunities to underrepresented groups, the MISI program has selected two Indigenous undergraduate students for its summer research internship. This initiative offers hands-on experience in cutting-edge research projects within the RI-MUHC, fostering the next generation of Indigenous health researchers.
“At The Institute, we take pride in creating an inclusive and collaborative research environment that reflects our 2030 Vision of advancing precision health across the life course. As a globally respected institute, we are committed to attracting world-class talent—scientists who bring bold, transformative ideas to improve human health. Our collaboration with the sponsors of these awards reflects our shared mission to accelerate discovery, advance health outcomes, and ensure equitable access to research funding —amplifying the voices of all scientists, especially those whose perspectives have historically been overlooked.”
— Dr. Rhian Touyz, Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer, The Institute
EDI Awards for Academic Excellence:
- Abdelrahman AlOkda, a PhD candidate in neuroscience, is investigating how the green, biomass-derived solvent Cyrene™ promotes longevity and neuroprotection in the model organism C. elegans. His research integrates genetics, stress physiology, and omics approaches to uncover novel aging-related mechanisms and potential therapeutic insights.
- Yousra Benslimane, an M.Sc. student in pathology, is creating tiny, smart delivery systems called lipid nanoparticles, inspired by the body’s own messengers to help mRNA treatments—like vaccines or gene therapy—reach the right cells and work better.
- Kristina Cunanan, an M.Sc. student in McGill’s Division of Clinical and Translational Research, is studying sex differences in the impact of psychological distress on cardiovascular disease, aiming to help reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease in women.
- Minza Haque, a PhD student in neuroscience, is studying the neural circuitry regulating social impairment in a preclinical mouse model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), aiming to help guide future therapeutic strategies for social dysfunction.
- Bryan Inibhunu, an M.Sc. student in neuroscience, is investigating how astrocytes may contribute to the disease pathogenesis of POLR3-related leukodystrophy. His research aims to deepen our understanding of the disease’s mechanisms and provide new insights into how glial interactions contribute to disease progression.
- Yi Yvonne Jin, a PhD student in nutrition, is exploring the role of dairy foods and dairy fat intake on cardiometabolic health in individuals with prediabetes.
- Naiya Patel, an M.Sc. student in McGill’s Division of Clinical and Translational Research, is studying novel biomarkers for gestational diabetes risk prediction. Her research aims to enable earlier intervention and mitigate adverse outcomes of gestational diabetes.
- Phoenix Plessas-Azurduy, an M.Sc. student in McGill’s Division of Clinical and Translational Research, is investigating how postnatal corticosteroids impact cardiovascular function in extremely preterm infants in the NeoCardio Lab.
- Maisha Maliha Promi, a PhD student in neuroscience, is using a geroscience approach to explore how lifespan-extending drugs can protect against neurodegeneration in diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. Her research employs the model organism C. elegans to study age-onset diseases with the goal of supporting the development of improved prevention and long-term care interventions for these disorders.
- Ali Roosta, an M.Sc. student in experimental surgery, is studying how effective opioid-free analgesia could be in comparison with opioid analgesia after surgery. His research aims to contribute to national efforts in reducing opioid prescribing and ultimately, tackling the devastating opioid crisis.
- Anabel Selemon, an M.Sc. student in epidemiology, is studying the durability of tuberculosis preventive treatment among populations born outside of Canada. Their research aims to inform policy and resource allocation for tuberculosis prevention.
- Aditi Singh, an M.Sc. student in rehabilitation science, is studying how web-based self-management tools can improve health outcomes for kidney transplant recipients. Her project evaluates GETonTRAK, a digital guide that supports patients post-transplant by promoting self-care, improving quality of life, and enhancing patient-centered care.
- Aura Andrea Tamez Gonzalez, a PhD student in neuroscience, is exploring how the body’s natural resilience systems—the ways our cells protect and repair themselves—can affect how long we live and how likely we are to develop brain diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
- Sacha Williams, a Jean-Martin Laberge Global Pediatric Surgery Fellow and PhD student in the Department of Surgical and Interventional Sciences. Her research focuses on health equity, namely gender disparities in pediatric surgical care.
MISI Prize for Inclusive Science:
- Orthy Aiyana, an M.Sc. student in Experimental Medicine, is studying the role of acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) in suppressing T-cell responses in people living with HIV. Her research aims to advance our understanding of immune system dysfunction in the context of HIV infection.
- Yasaman Hekmatnia, an M.Sc. student in Surgical and Interventional Sciences, is investigating lipidomic alterations in plasma to uncover metabolic signatures linked to dilated cardiomyopathy. Her research aims to advance precision diagnostics and improve early detection of cardiovascular disease through innovative biomarker discovery.
- Jessica Patone, an M.Sc. student in Clinical and Translational Research at McGill University, studies Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries (MINOCA) using novel cardiac MRI techniques to understand microvascular dysfunction in women. She also co-leads The POWER Hub, an initiative dedicated to improving heart health equity for women from diverse and underserved communities.
- Ayla Gerk, MD, a doctoral student in surgical and interventional sciences, is investigating how overlapping social factors impact pediatric surgical care. Her work aims to inform equity-focused health policies and improve outcomes for marginalized children.
MISI internship award for Indigenous students:
- (To be announced)
These awards and internships reflect The Institute’s commitment to inclusive excellence and precision health for all.
The Institute is grateful for the financial support from Fiera Capital Corporation, The MUHC Foundation, the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and the Government of Quebec.