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

Total investment

Students supported

Faculties

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Hospital partners

Demographic data (gender and race)

Meet our 2024 Doctoral Awards recipients

Viplav Agarwal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023 Doctoral Awards competition

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