Brandy Love, from the MD Class of 2021, started her research journey designing and piloting an electronic patient database during her Master’s in Nursing. She then engaged in a particularly memorable project while working as a Nurse Practitioner that explored moral distress, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder of health care providers in the Intensive Care Units at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. As a medical student and mother of three children (2 human and 1 puppy), she has somehow managed to find time to publish her latest case study of a unique set of adverse side effects in a multiple sclerosis patient treated with Alemtuzumab. Moving forward, Brandy plans to bring her medical, research, and nursing expertise to a neurology-based podcast called Head Cases. As advice for new research students, our local supermom suggests to “connect with someone who has done this before […] who is willing to mentor you”.

Steffane McLennan, MD Class of 2024, found her passion for research in Leipzig, Germany. As part of an international research internship, she studied protein misfolding of amyloid β proteins which are implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. From there, Steffane pursued a MSc in Biochemistry at the UofA that aimed to exploit protein structure interactions in order to guide therapeutic drug targeting of breast cancer. As our friendly neighborhood biochemist, she took a spin with Gilead Sciences here in Edmonton as part of their analytic development team working on drug safety and reaction monitoring. Steffane has now returned to academia where her journey continues as she embarks on a research project to enhance the diabetes therapy of islet cell transplantation. Steffane’s experiences have taught her to be “comfortable to branch out and explore other areas”, a valuable trait in both research and medicine.

The groundwork for Marissa Ledger’s research career was set during her undergraduate experiences in biological anthropology at McMaster University. She had travelled to Roman excavation sites in Italy to study trauma in skeletal remains. Afterwards, Marissa started at UofA but realized she sorely missed research, thus leading her to pursue a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Her doctoral studies were built upon her prior experiences in the Roman-era. With a stomach stronger than most, she spent extensive time evaluating fecal remains for remnants of parasitic eggs. Her work demonstrated the ubiquitous and prevalent nature of parasitic helminths throughout the Roman period despite significant sanitation improvements. Upon completing her PhD, Marissa rejoined the MD program (Class of 2022). An unforgettable experience was a site visit to Vindolanda where she could relate her results to the Roman ruins and “build a story and picture the lives of the people living there”.

Saveen Sidhoo’s first foray into research during her undergrad at University of Calgary focused on a bizarre case of leukemia that developed from a unique fusion protein linked with bacterial genes. For her thesis, she then explored the impact of a hindbrain gene towards limb development, hearing, and information processes using mice models. Saveen confesses that the lack of human connections or interactions in these experiences had initially turned her away from further research. However, she recognizes that there is “more to research than cell cultures, PCRs, and pipettes”, and she is now passionately investigating the prevalence of palliative care in oncology research. “Exploring research helped me understand and appreciate the link between science and medicine, and how they contribute to the overall big picture: for example, the impact of cancer development in association with cell structure, gene regulation, and how research in health care can lead innovations that improve patients’ lives.”

Abdullah Ishaque, MD Class of 2021, is a rising star in the field of clinical neuroscience research. His passion for neuroscience originated from an innate fascination for the enigma and mystery of the brain. He recently finished his PhD studies in June 2020 alongside his first year in clerkship. Abdullah’s PhD work focused on the identification and prognosis of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). More specifically, he employed textural analysis to detect fine changes on the pixel level of MRI images to characterize the brain regions associated with ALS, and to predict patient prognosis. Using this technique, Abdullah set the foundation for innovative methods of neurodegenerative disease detection that will facilitate early intervention and improved patient outcomes. His successes arose from his philosophy of “whatever you do, make sure you do a good job of it. Invest the time and put in the hours”.

A wanderer of sorts, John Johnson from the MD Class of 2024 spent his time exploring multiple research disciplines and finding his interests. He eventually clung onto a Masters’ in Biomedical Engineering which he will finish alongside medical school. John’s thesis aims to reduce secondary overexertion injuries from wheelchair use in individuals with spinal cord injuries. His project creates a virtual space for wheelchair users to practice and perfect their skills in a controlled and safe environment. John’s research has been leveraged to launch a spinoff company with a Fitbit-like product for wheelchairs. One of John’s most valuable research experiences is the “ability to work with people from all disciplines including graphic designers, engineers, and scientists and the great insights [gained] from them”. With his twin Peter (MD Class of 2024), John recently co-founded MedPub, a medical student group that publishes short research pieces, which they hope to expand further.

During her undergraduate at UofC, Camilla Piatkowski, MD Class of 2023, studied pediatric bicycle injuries involving motor vehicle collisions. Our local defender of children realized that fault was often placed on the pediatric victims in these collisions with minimal consideration of the built environment and vehicle operators. From there, Camilla completed a MSc in Population and Public Health at UBC, where she evaluated an eHealth app designed to encourage positive lifestyle behavioral changes in adolescents. More specifically, she investigated the different individual and home environment characteristics that may contribute to successful adoption and continual use of the app.

“’All models are wrong, but some are useful’ – George Box” - Camilla Piatkowski 

These were the first words that Camilla heard when she started her MSc which she believes accurately describes statistics. Although statistical modelling is not perfect, Camilla highly values its capability in informing numerous disciplines including medicine. 

As an aspiring cardiac surgeon and clinician scientist, Jimmy Kang from the MD Class of 2021, finds cardiac surgery research truly heart-pounding. Starting in his first year of medical school, Jimmy started his research journey by investigating bio-prosthetic heart valves replacements used in cardiac surgery. His research work demonstrated that an immunological response is responsible for the eventual failure of bio-prosthetic heart valves, thereby proving a long-standing hypothesis within the field. Building off those prior findings, Jimmy is now attempting an innovative mechanism to engineer heart valves using mesenchymal stem cells originating from the bone marrow of the graft recipient. If successful, this technique would effectively prevent future immunological valve destruction and better outcomes of the bio-prosthetic valve replacements. As fruitful as his research has been, Jimmy recognizes that “having a strong research team is the biggest factor in productivity” and highly values his collaborators and mentors in the laboratory.

Dustin Ritchie, MD Class of 2022, is an experienced researcher that has been through it all: undergraduate thesis student to research associate. During his PhD at UofA, he analyzed the mechanisms of mRNA splicing from the perspective of the PRP8 protein. With many hours spent in cold rooms in frigid Edmonton, Dustin elucidated the functional domains and structure of this massive protein. Through a couple of turns as a teaching professor, Dustin eventually found himself working with an innovative technique called optical tweezers for his post-doctoral fellowship and subsequent research associate work. Using this method, he studied the conformational plasticity of RNA during folding, unfolding, and refolding of individual molecules. His work focused on pseudoknots, an RNA secondary structure that is implicated in translational frameshift of many viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. As “conformational plasticity is an underutilized aspect of therapeutics”, Dustin envisions utilizing “molecules to abolish conformational plasticity” as anti-viral agents.

Kevin Bigam, MD Class of 2024, started his research journey with a summer studentship in a particularly niche field within oncology. His summer fling turned into a love affair for the past 5 years and counting. Kevin has analyzed CT images of T4 and L3 sections from cancer patients to determine their body composition, with a primary focus on their muscle and fat content. These unique individual characteristics are then utilized for predicting functional relationships and patient outcomes following cancer therapies. Ideally, this innovative technique could revolutionize contemporary prognostic models and usher in the era of precision prognosis. Kevin wants to emphasize that “there is more to the story” and it is important to “continually challenge and update our prognostic indices and risk strata”. Moving forward Kevin will continue his research adventure by navigating into the field of anesthesiology and will explore the nephrotoxicity arising from the general anesthetic sevoflurane.

Siddhartha (Sid) Goutam, MD Class of 2022, is truly one busy bee when it comes to research. Sid flew through a variety of experiences including work in basic neuroscience, partaking in the UCalgary International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition team, and an honour’s thesis in targeted cancer therapeutics. These opportunities were fundamental to the blossoming of his passion for molecular biology and translational research. By following the alluring nectar of research, Sid moved into building a database for cancer patients treated with immunotherapy which focuses on identifying predictors of response thereby facilitating the development of precision medicine. One particularly memorable experience for Sid was the opportunity to work at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a visiting researcher. In addition to consuming the famed Boston lobster rolls, Sid spent the summer after first-year medicine developing a high throughput assay that assesses the DNA repair process as individuals age.

Emily Maplethorpe, MD Class of 2023 traveled to Göttingen, Germany for an undergraduate studentship to study the TIM23 protein utilizing NMR spectroscopy. Building off this experience, she then completed her honor’s thesis that evaluated the effect of mutations on the toxicity of prion proteins using mice models. Moving beyond physical sciences and biochemistry, Emily followed her passion into research of chronic diseases and their prevention. She pursued a MSc in Epidemiology where she validated self-reported cancer diagnoses in a Canadian cohort study with a particular focus on rare cancers. Her research work highlighted a variety of barriers and limitations associated with studying rare cancer diseases particularly in cohort studies. A particular challenge for Emily during her research experiences was imposter syndrome. To help others with this, Emily advises one to “be confident in what you know and it’s okay to make mistakes. Confidence in your independence takes time and is part of the journey”.

As the wellness representative for the MD Class of 2021, Gurleen Brar took her consideration and her passion for student health and wellness to the next level. More specifically, she utilized her fellow medical students as research participants in a cross-sectional study. Gurleen found that medical students at the University of Alberta readily acknowledge the importance of regular preventative medical care. Interestingly, she noted a large discrepancy between this perception and the actual utilization of primary health care services. Indeed, a large proportion of students did not have a family doctor in Edmonton nor visited their family doctor as often as desired. Gurleen identified a variety of barriers for students including lack of time or convenience and scheduling conflicts. Gurleen finds “research very important and fulfilling. [It takes place] outside of studying for multiple choice exams and contributes towards the development of a physician”.

Budding researcher, Karsh Chauhan from the MD Class of 2024, began his research journey in his undergraduate studies where he traveled to Berlin’s German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. There, he helped to develop an ear clip aiming to objectively measure and track stress in chronic pain patients in real-time. After this short but productive stint, Karsh returned to Edmonton embarking on a clinical trial that seeks to reduce the incidence and morbidity associated with pressure injuries within hospital patients. While designing the trial, Karsh realized that current statistical models did not meet the needs of the study. Therefore, he designed, built, and tested a new statistical method (unofficially called ”Weighted Trajectory Analysis”).  Moving forward, Karsh will continue to refine the method alongside collaborators across North America. As a key to success, Karsh advises “seeking out mentors that align with your vision for the future and becoming a strong resource to them”.

Prayash Katlariwala, MD Class of 2022, will always remember his last pre-pandemic trip which was to Hawaii. There, under the bright sun alongside the Hawaiian beaches, he relished in the opportunity to “present and talk to well-distinguished individuals in the field [which truly] gets the creative juices flowing”. However, getting to Hawaii required many cumulative hours of hard work aimed at finding and solving a variety of contemporary challenges in radiology. For example, Prayash explored angiomyolipomas lacking the typical distinctive lipid features on medical imaging which usually guides the clinical decision of either surveillance or intervention. Prayash has also investigated the use of MR elastography to characterize liver or spleen stiffness as an equally powerful and accurate alternative technique to transient elastography (ie. Fibroscan). Prayash is highly attracted to the medical relevance of his research and the opportunity to gather evidence to construct clinical recommendations or guidelines to standardize radiology practices.

As a member of the longitudinal MD/PhD program, Bruno Saleme, MD Class of 2023, is busy balancing his bi-doctoral studies. Bruno started research during his undergraduate studies at the UofA. However, he found himself constantly wanting to learn more which encouraged him to start his PhD in the same laboratory which focuses on cancer and metabolism. Indeed, one of his PhD projects investigated cardiotoxicity leading to heart failure induced by powerful anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Simply put, Bruno identified a potentially therapeutic compound that enhances the selectivity of the chemotherapy for tumor cells while protecting the heart tissue. The underlying mechanism involves the differential regulation of cell death in high (ie. heart) and low (ie. tumor) oxidation states. On a different note, Bruno’s current project aims to elucidate how cells selectively produce stress proteins during situations of stress which he dreams can provide insight into preventing the age-related progression of cellular dysfunction.