From career development workshops to specialized scientific symposia, these events brought together trainees, researchers and partners across disciplines.
SOURCE: The Institute
December 22, 2025
At the end of 2025, a number of events took place at The Institute, highlighting the strength of its research and training community. From initiatives supporting career development to disease-focused symposia and research days, these gatherings fostered knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional growth.
Career Spark Workshop: Supporting career development
The Career Spark Workshop and Networking Lunch, hosted by the Desjardins Centre for Advanced Training (DCAT), took place at The Institute. The event brought together graduate trainees, postdoctoral fellows and health science professionals for roundtable discussions focused on career pathways, professional experiences and peer exchange.
A highlight of the event was the workshop led by Andrew Churchill, PhD, titled Own Your Story: Communicating Who You Are and Where You're Going. The session provided practical strategies for articulating career trajectories, strengths and goals with clarity and confidence.
The workshop offered a valuable opportunity for learning and networking, made possible by the contributions of the facilitators and participants.
CARELeuko 2025 Symposium: Advancing leukodystrophy research and care
The CARELeuko 2025 Symposium was held at The Institute, bringing together researchers, clinicians and partners focused on leukodystrophy research and care. CARELeuko (the Canadian Association for Research Excellence in Leukodystrophy) is Canada's first national research network dedicated to advancing the diagnosis, treatment and care of leukodystrophies by fostering collaboration among researchers, clinicians, patient advocates and industry partners.
The program featured project updates, national platform presentations and discussions addressing priorities in research, diagnostics and clinical practice. The plenary session focused on emerging gene therapies and evolving diagnostic approaches shaping the clinical landscape. The symposium highlighted the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration in advancing research and care.
7th Annual Quebec Extracellular Vesicle Workshop: Building a scientific community
The 7th Annual Quebec Extracellular Vesicle Workshop welcomed researchers, trainees and partners to The Institute for a full day dedicated to extracellular vesicle research, collaboration and community building.
The program included keynote presentations and a special inauguration honouring Dr. Rose Mamelak Johnstone, the pioneer who first identified and named exosomes. The event highlighted both scientific innovation and the legacy of foundational contributions to the field.
MeDiC Research Day: A decade of metabolic research excellence
The 10th Annual MeDiC – Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program Research Day at McGill University brought together trainees and researchers at The Institute for a full day of scientific exchange. Participants presented their work through oral presentations, poster sessions and early-stage project proposals, showcasing advances in metabolic disorders and complications research.
A key highlight was the keynote lecture by Mara McAdams DeMarco, PhD, Professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, who shared insights on physical and cognitive frailty among kidney transplant patients and long-term patient outcomes.
The event reflected a decade of progress and collaboration within the MeDiC research community and was supported by multiple partners and sponsors.
Looking ahead
Together, these end-of-year events reflect ongoing activity across The Institute's research and training community, supporting opportunities for exchange and professional development.