Devika Shreekumar, Class of '25

Putting Patients First: Devika Shreekumar’s Path in Autoimmune Hepatitis Research

For Devika Shreekumar, research is not just about data...it is about people. A 2025 MSc graduate from the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, Devika’s work centres on understanding a rare and often misunderstood disease, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of those who live with it every day.

Originally from Edmonton, Devika completed her master’s degree under the supervision of Dr. Ellina Lytvyak and Dr. Aldo Montano-Loza. Her thesis, Sex, Ethnicity and Clinical Outcomes in Autoimmune Hepatitis: Results from a Large, Multicenter, Longitudinal Cohort Study in Canada, examined how demographic factors may influence the progression and outcomes of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Studying a Rare Disease with Real-World Impact

Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare autoimmune liver disease affecting fewer than 1% of Canadians. While AIH can occur in people of all sexes and ethnicities, little is known about whether these factors influence disease course or clinical outcomes. Using data from AIH patients across Canada, Devika’s research addressed this critical knowledge gap, drawing on one of the largest multicentre, longitudinal cohorts in the country.

While the statistics and analyses were essential, what stayed with Devika most was the human side of the work. One moment stood out in particular: after a research presentation, a patient from one of her supervisor’s clinics approached her to share their experience and reflections. That interaction reinforced the importance of clinical research as a tool to help patients better understand their illness and navigate an uncertain future.

Where Research Meets Patient Care

Through her graduate training, Devika had the rare opportunity to work directly with patients involved in her research. She quickly learned that clinical research is most meaningful when it prioritizes the questions patients care about most: What caused this disease? What can I do to feel better? What does the future hold?

These conversations shaped her approach to research and solidified a guiding principle that continues to define her work: patients must always come first.

Sharing Findings and Earning Recognition

Devika presented her research widely, delivering oral presentations at the Alberta Transplant Institute and Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) Research Days in Edmonton. She also shared her findings through poster presentations at numerous events, including the Me2 Majumdar Research and Quality Improvement Collaborative Day, Division of Gastroenterology Research Day, Rare Disease Day, and the Global Health Fair.

Her work received national and international recognition, including being selected as a top abstract at the 2024 EASL Congress and earning the top poster award in the “Liver – Undergraduates, MSc and PhD Candidates” category at the University of Alberta’s Division of Gastroenterology Research Day.

A Journey Shaped by Resilience and Curiosity

Devika draws her inspiration from the patients she worked with during her master’s degree, individuals who demonstrated remarkable resilience despite the lifelong uncertainty of an AIH diagnosis. Their strength reinforced her commitment to evidence-based, patient-oriented research.

Her own journey has been shaped by movement and change. Born in India, she lived in the United Arab Emirates before moving to Canada at the age of 10, eventually settling in Edmonton. Today, her path has taken her across the country once again as she studies medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario—a reminder, she notes, that life often leads us to unexpected places.

Looking Ahead

Now a medical student, Devika is confident that her clinical research training has laid a strong foundation for her future as a physician. She hopes to remain actively involved in research, bridging data and patient care, and practicing medicine that is firmly grounded in evidence and empathy.

As she moves forward, Devika carries with her a lesson learned early and reinforced often: when research keeps patients at its heart, its impact can extend far beyond the page into lives, families, and futures.