Congratulations to the many McGill-RI-MUHC trainees distinguished recently for their innovative work, and welcome to next year’s candidates!
It’s a giant step from the laboratory to the podium at a national conference. With the promise and challenges of the academic season ahead, new trainees at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) may not yet be thinking about taking that rite of passage.
In the past season, however, a large number of our more than 1,300 research trainees stepped up to present their work at local, national and international levels, courting expert scrutiny to enlarge their horizons and the impact of their findings. Whether or not they return with prizes, our conference-goers always say that they come back with more than they expected.
The four students below are among those distinguished for their innovative work this spring. If they have anything in common, it is an ambitious aim: to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events; to improve ligament reconstruction outcomes; to optimize opioid prescribing after colorectal surgery; and to help reach World Health Organization HCV elimination targets in Canada.
Mariam El Sheikh
New Investigator Award
Canadian Association for HIV Research
Mariam El Sheikh is a doctoral student in Epidemiology at McGill University. At the RI-MUHC, she is a trainee in the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program and Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation. Following her oral presentation at the International Workshop on HIV and Hepatitis Observational Databases in Villamoura, Portugal, in March 2024, she earned the New Investigator Award at the Canadian Association for HIV Research annual meeting in April 2024, for best oral abstract presentation in Epidemiology & Public Health Sciences.
“My research aims to identify individuals not receiving the care they need along the HCV – that is, hepatitis C – care cascade, highlighting how the system is failing them, to inform interventions that aim to reach World Health Organization HCV elimination targets in Canada,” she says.
The title of Mariam El Sheikh’s winning abstract is “Factors associated with not receiving optimal care (NROC) for hepatitis C (HCV) in the Canadian Co-infection Cohort (CCC).” Her research is supervised by Dr. Marina Klein and Dimitra Panagiotoglou, PhD.
Ioanna Gianopoulos
PhD Oral Presentation Award
Obesity and Hypertension in Canada: Science to Solutions Conference
Ioanna Gianopoulos is a doctoral student in Experimental Medicine at McGill and trainee in the Cardiovascular Health across the Lifespan (CHAL) Program at the RI-MUHC. She obtained the 2024 PhD Oral Presentation Award at the Obesity and Hypertension in Canada: Science to Solutions Conference (April 3-6, Banff, AB) as well as a Trainee Travel Award from Hypertension Canada and Obesity Canada. She is the first author of a 2024 publication that improved our understanding of the dynamic evolution of atherosclerotic plaques: “Macrophage profiling in atherosclerosis: understanding the unstable plaque,” Basic Research in Cardiology.
Her significant contributions in the cardiovascular field continued with another recent publication, “Adiponectin and Adiponectin Receptors in Atherosclerosis” in Endocrine Reviews. This study highlights the pivotal role of adiponectin and the adiponectin receptor pathway in atherosclerotic plaque instability, as well as their potential as therapeutic targets for clinical applications. Ioanna Gianopoulos’ research is supervised by Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou.
Tarek Klaylat
Best Poster Award
Canadian Connective Tissue Conference
Tarek Klaylat is a doctoral student in Experimental Surgery at McGill and trainee in the Surgical and Interventional Sciences (SIS) Program at the RI-MUHC. His achievements include winning Best Poster Award at the Canadian Connective Tissue Conference in May 2024 for his abstract titled “Continuous Expansion of Human Cruciate Ligament Cells For Ligament Tissue Engineered.”
His project investigates the continuous expansion of primary human ligament cells, using a custom computer-controlled bioreactor to increase cell numbers while maintaining their primary phenotype. This expansion technique provides a potential optimal cell source for tissue engineering strategies aimed at improving ligament reconstruction outcomes.
“I particularly enjoy poster presentations,” Tarek Klaylat says, “as they challenge us trainees to distill complex research into a clear, visual narrative, fostering meaningful discussions and connections that can drive our work forward.”
Tarek Klaylat holds both the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé and Nature et technologie (FRQ-S and FRQ-NT) doctoral scholarships. His research is supervised by Dr. Rahul Gawri.
Ghadeer Olleik
Gerald Marks Rectal Cancer Award
Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
Ghadeer Olleik is a doctoral student in Experimental Surgery at McGill and trainee in the SIS Program and Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation at the RI-MUHC. She received the Gerald Marks Rectal Cancer Award from the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons at its 2024 conference, in recognition of her work that aims to contribute evidence to optimize opioid prescribing after colorectal surgery.
“I’m thrilled to have received this award, which recognizes the impact of my research in colorectal surgery,” she says. “This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my supervisors, colleagues, and the RI-MUHC community. I look forward to contributing to the advancement of knowledge in this field.”
Ghadeer Olleik’s winning abstract is titled “Opioid prescription and consumption after hospital discharge following elective colorectal surgery: A prospective cohort study.” Her research is supervised by Julio Fiore Junior, M.Sc., PhD.
Watch for more news of “Trainee successes” this fall in the 2024 RI-MUHC Annual Report, as well as on the Trainee achievements page of the RI-MUHC website.
Related news
Focus on our trainees, 2023 RI-MUHC Annual Report