The iBEST Women in STEM Summer Research Assistantship Program, supported by the Leacross Foundation, wrapped up another successful year of mentorship and discovery. Four female third-year TMU students from the Faculties of Science and Engineering and Architectural Science spent the summer in iBEST labs, gaining hands-on experience in everything from learning to intubate at the Unity Health Simulation Centre to medical device research at Sunnybrook and KITE.

For Biomedical Sciences student Fiza Amir Butt, the chance to work in a wet lab and contribute to publishable research gave her a new level of confidence in herself as both a scientist and a woman in STEM. Ayaan Mohamed, a Biomedical Engineering student, shared that the experience confirmed her decision to stay in STEM, noting how “seeing the engineers working directly with doctors” at Sunnybrook reinforced her passion for medical equipment. Similarly, Kesha Shah, a Computer Science student, emphasized how the program strengthened her commitment to pursuing a STEM career, pointing to the “impact of interdisciplinary research that bridges AI and healthcare” as a motivating force. Reflecting on the summer, Emily Nguyen (Biomedical Sciences) said she would “highly recommend this opportunity to any women in STEM,” describing the experience as invaluable to her growth.

Concluding its fourth cohort this summer, the iBEST and Leacross partnership continues to empower young women with the skills and vision to lead in STEM and drive the future of healthcare innovation.

We extend our sincere thanks to our partners for their generous support and collaboration in creating an enriching and inspiring summer experience for our students.

Prestigious Polanyi Prize in Physics

Dr. Farshad Moradi Kashkooli was awarded the prestigious John Charles Polanyi Prize in Physics, Ontario’s top research award for early-career scientists. His pioneering work is developing ultrasound-based cancer therapies that deliver drug-loaded nanoparticles directly to tumours, minimizing harm to healthy tissue & improving patient outcomes. Read More

Advancing Fertility Care with VentureLift Grant Award

We are proud to share that Dr. Narjes Allahrabbi, Postdoctoral Fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University and founder of Fertilead Inc., has been awarded the BioHubNet VentureLift Grant – Round 2. Her project, “Development and Validation Study for an Autonomous Sperm Preparation Device,” received funding of up to $24,200 CAD to support commercialization-enabling activities. Read More

Uncovering Mechanisms in Skin Biology

Vida Maksimoska and colleagues published a Frontiers paper showing that keratinocyte-derived VEGF-A drives keratinocyte migration through the KDR/GEF-H1/RhoA pathway, especially during skin inflammation. The work identifies potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory skin disease and earned Vida awards at the Canadian Skin Research Group Conference and the European Tissue Repair Meeting. Read More

CIHR Project Grant for Lung Imaging Innovation

Dr. Eno Hysi and Dr. Warren Lee have been awarded a CIHR Project Grant (July 2025) for their work on PAULI, a new bedside imaging approach that combines ultrasound and photoacoustics to monitor fluid buildup in the lungs of ICU patients. This non-invasive method aims to provide doctors with a safer alternative to radiation-based scans, improving care for patients with conditions such as acute lung injury and COVID-19. Read More

Advancing Multiple Sclerosis Research

Lisa Euyong Lee co-authored a study with iBEST-affiliated researcher Dr. Tom Schweizer and Dr. Jiwon Oh, published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. The work evaluated magnetization transfer ratio in the cervical spinal cord and its link to clinical outcomes in people with radiologically isolated syndrome and multiple sclerosis. Read More

Meshkat S., F. Duffy S., K. Tassone V., Lin Q., YM Pang H., Jung H., Lou W., Bhat V. Increased odds of metabolic syndrome among adults with depressive symptoms or antidepressant use (2025) Translational Psychiatry, 15 (1), art. no. 68, Cited 2 times.DOI: 10.1038/s413 98-025-03289-4 Read More

Fountain A., Mansat M., Lackraj T., Gimenez M.C., Moussaoui S., Ezzo M., Soffiaturo S., Urdaneta E., Verdawala M.B., Fung K., Lancaster C., Somerville E., Hinz B., Terebiznik M.R., Botelho R.J. Depletion of endomembrane reservoirs drives phagocytic appetite exhaustion in macrophages (2025) Journal of Cell Science, 138 (16), art. no. jcs263539, Cited 1 times. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.263539 Read More 

Brito R., Morais C.C.A., Arellano D.H., Gajardo A.I.J., Bruhn A., Brochard L.J., Amato M.B.P., Cornejo R.A. Double cycling with breath-stacking during partial support ventilation in ARDS: Just a feature of natural variability? (2025) Critical Care, 29 (1), art. no. 19, Cited 0 times. DOI: 10.1186/s13054-025-05260-7 Read More 

Wu E., Macklin S., Zhang Y., Thai K., Nghiem L., Di Ciano-Oliveira C., Coelho N., Wang H., Advani S.L., Desjardins J.-F., Yuen D.A., Misra P., Connelly K.A., Nyengaard J.R., Gilbert R.E. Induction of proximal tubular proliferation and lengthening in response to sodium glucose linked cotransporter-2 inhibition in experimental rats (2025) Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 16 (7), pp. 1232 - 1242, Cited 0 times. DOI: 10.1111/jdi.70043 Read More 

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• Stay Tuned - iBEST Scientific Engagement Event                                        

  We are planning an event to bring together TMU Science and Engineering researchers and UHT physicians with the goal of sparking new collaborations. More details to follow soon.

If you have an event or accomplishment you would like included in the quarterly iBEST Newsletter, please forward your request to ibest@torontomu.ca