Results of the 2024 Doctoral Awards Competition
The Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC) is an integrated network for researchers, trainees and partners working to confront infectious disease challenges. We unite members across the University of Toronto and its hospital partners to accelerate cross-disciplinary work in the understanding and development of new countermeasures against pathogens. A key pillar of EPIC’s work is training the next generation of infectious disease research leaders that will help stop future pandemics and reduce the societal burdens of infectious disease.
EPIC Doctoral Awards are designed to support a cohort of multi/interdisciplinary trainees engaged in collaborative research in infectious disease. These competitive awards support excellent students supervised by faculty from the University of Toronto and EPIC’s partner research institutes.
We are pleased to share the results of our inaugural Doctoral Awards competition that we launched in October 2023 for students who achieved PhD candidacy in 2023.
Funding statistics
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Demographic data (gender and race)
Meet our 2024 Doctoral Awards recipients
Viplav Agarwal
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Thesis title: The molecular determinants of host-specific adaptation in microbial pathogens
Supervisor: Marcus Dillon (University of Toronto Mississauga)
Saba Ale Ebrahim
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Thesis title: Using label-free surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy coupled with machine learning for quantified sensing of multiple biomarkers and pathogens
Supervisor: Nazir Kherani (University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering)
Vajini Atukorale
Division of Epidemiology
Thesis title: Measuring the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) burden among the older adult population in Ontario: a population-based retrospective cohort study
Supervisors: Shelly Bolotin (University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health) and Sarah Buchan (Public Health Ontario)
Oliver Gatalo
Division of Epidemiology
Thesis title: Limiting biases in measures of vaccine effectiveness from real-world data during the evolving mpox outbreak in Canada and internationally
Supervisors: Sharmistha Mishra (Unity Health Toronto) and Rafal Kustra (University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health)
Karla Ghartey
Division of Clinical Public Health
Thesis title: Smokn’ It – Responding to changing modes of unregulated drug consumption in Northern Ontario
Supervisor: Carol Strike (University of Toronto, Dalla Lana School of Public Health)
Youngseo (Clara) Jeong
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Thesis title: Investigating the mechanisms behind vaccine driven virulence evolution of malaria parasites
Supervisor: Nicole Mideo (University of Toronto, Faculty of Arts and Science)
Jiazhen Jin
Department of Molecular Genetics
Thesis title: Post-transcriptional control of HIV-1 gene expression
Supervisor: Alan Cochrane (University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine)
Yan Ming Anson Lau
Institute of Biomedical Engineering
Thesis title: The clearance of latent cytomegalovirus in donor lungs using gene-editing therapy before transplantation
Supervisor: Omar F. Khan (University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering)
Yaejin Lee
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology
Thesis title: SARS-CoV-2: Risk assessment and development of novel transmission models
Supervisors: Samira Mubareka (Sunnybrook Research Institute) and Allison McGeer (Sinai Health)
Saeedeh Moayedi-Nia
Division of Epidemiology
Thesis title: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare engagement among people living with HIV in Ontario
Supervisor: Ann Burchell (Unity Health Toronto)
Jessica Nguyen
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Thesis title: A point-of-care test for tick-borne diseases using a gene circuit based technology
Supervisor: Keith Pardee (University of Toronto, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy)
Marry Nissan
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology
Thesis title: Investigating the role of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain proteins in intestinal epithelial cells upon bacterial invasion
Supervisor: Stephen Girardin (University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine)
Priyal Shah
Institute of Medical Sciences
Thesis title: Inhibition of coronavirus infection by ABO ssoagglutinins
Supervisor: Donald Branch (University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine)
Victoria Taylor
Department of Molecular Genetics
Thesis title: Investigating the role of SALL4 in Epstein-Barr virus lytic infection
Supervisor: Lori Frappier (University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine)
Ruikai Wu
Department of Biochemistry
Thesis title: Targeting the RUVBL1/2 chaperone complex for pan-coronavirus antiviral therapy
Supervisor: Walid Houry (University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine)
Su (Diana) Yang
Department of Immunology
Thesis title: Pre-existing immunity impact on SARS-CoV-2 incidence and COVID-19 clinical outcomes
Supervisor: Rupert Kaul (University Health Network)
Previous competition results
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