By Andy Hsu, Admin Team and Undergraduate Student, Conway Lab
Some of the students at CBR’s Research Day 2020, who presented their summer research projects in 2.5 minutes or less
Have you ever wanted to learn more about machine learning in biology, strategies for teaching science to the general public, or even the link between bees and human well-being? Then the annual Research Day at the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) is an event you can’t miss!
The CBR and School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) communities gathered online on Thursday, Aug. 13th, 2020, to celebrate 40 summer students’ accomplishments with our CBR-SBME Summer Studentship Program. Traditionally, this program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the lab, accompanied by workshops, tours, and social events. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the CBR successfully transitioned online and continued to provide undergraduate students with research experience and professional development opportunities.
Nominees for the 2020 Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award
Our first-ever virtual CBR Research Day started off with an introduction by Dr. Ed Conway, Director of the CBR. This was followed by the first round of student presentations. Ranging from transfusion medicine to 3D-printed EEG caps, the students did a wonderful job of summarizing their summer projects, each in 2.5 minutes!
The first round of talks was followed by the announcement of the 2020 Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award. Dr. Neil Mackenzie was a passionate mentor who touched the lives of many students with his generosity and guidance. To honour his memory, this award is given annually to a person who embodies the qualities of Dr. Mackenzie. This year’s recipient was Dr. Stefanie Mak, the CBR’s Education Program Manager. Throughout her years at CBR, with empathy, compassion, and individualized support, Dr. Mak has gone above and beyond and touched the lives of trainees at all levels of their careers. The CBR is very fortunate to have Dr. Mak as part of the community. Congratulations to Dr. Mak and all the other nominees.
After the Neil Mackenzie Award, the second round of student presentations began. Again, students summarized their research in 2.5 minutes. From genomics to single-cell RNA sequencing, CBR summer students were on point with their timing and presentations!
This year’s keynote speaker was Julia Common, founder and chief beekeeper of Bees Actually. With many years of beekeeping under her belt, combined with engaging stories, she spoke about her experience working with bees and how this applies to real-life situations. She shared stories about the connection between humans and bees, and how this ties into health and wellness. A huge thanks for her inspirational insight.
Presentations by Ella Chan and Mahtab S Gill during Research Day 2020, which won the Best Oral Presentation Award and People’s Choice Award, respectively
Then came the awards! This year’s People’s Choice Award – the presentation voted as the most outstanding talk by CBR Research Day attendees – went to Mahtab S. Gill, who spoke about his experience in the Côté Lab working on science communication “Going Viral” videos to raise awareness about COVID-19 and HIV. The Best Oral Presentation Award went to Ella Chan, who worked with Dr. Jenna Usprech on developing tools for improving parent health literacy around nephrotic syndrome. Congratulations to both!
The 2020 CBR Research Day would not have happened without our sponsors, trainees, the CBR and SBME admin teams, and many others. We thank all participants in making this day and this summer a huge success!
Missed CBR Research Day this year? Don’t worry…. You can find the recording here. Or feel free to ask one of the summer students!
Read a mentorship Q&A by Dr. Stefanie Mak, recipient of this year’s Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award, here.
Watch the “Going Viral” videos produced by Mahtab S. Gill and the Côté Lab here.