RI-MUHC Annual Report

RI-MUHC ANNUAL REPORT 2021

FOCUS ON OUR TRAINEES

WHAT IS OUR NEW GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS ACHIEVING TODAY?

Over 1,200 research trainees play a vital role in advancing biomedical research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). These highlights celebrate only a few of the bright minds at work over the past year!

RI-MUHC trainees (L to R), top row: Jennifer Gantchev, Hosni Cherif, Mary Hoekstra, Raphieal Newbold and Motahareh Vameghestahbanati; bottom row: Joseph Mussa, Catherine Argyriou, Wajih Jawhar (now a research assistant), Anne-Julie Tessier and Danilo De Gregorio

PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

Best oral presentation, 2020 Skin Research Group of Canada Conference

Jennifer Gantchev
“I’m working to unravel a novel mechanism that can be exploited in chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells,” says doctoral student Jennifer Gantchev. Her winning talk: “The relationship between meiomitosis, HORMAD1 and genomic instability in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.”

Arthritis Society’s Top 10 Breakthroughs in 2020

Hosni Cherif
Studying spine degeneration, postdoctoral fellow Hosni Cherif found that RG-7112, a synthetic drug, and o-Vanillin, a natural compound, triggered changes that helped grow new, healthy cells while also killing senescent or “zombie” cells. These findings could lead to new drugs for back pain.

Winners of the 2021 McGill Clinical Innovation Competition

Remote Optical and Nura Medical
The Remote Optical team, first-place winner of the Marika Zelenka Roy Innovation Prize, included three M.Sc. trainees from the Injury Repair Recovery Program, as did NURA Medical, which took second place and also won the Bereskin and Parr Innovation Prize. Now members of the Clinical Innovation Platform at the RI-MUHC, Remote Optical aspires to revolutionize eye care and Nura Medical, to prevent medication errors that impact children.

Left to right: Remote Optical co-founders Oliver Wu Martinez, Dr. Leonard Levin (investigator in the BRaIN Program), Angela Wong and Jeremy Zwaig; NURA Medical leadership team members Sofia Addab, Georgia Powell and Jean-Gabriel Lacombe

FIRST AUTHORS OF NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS

LSD and social behaviour in mice

Danilo De Gregorio
Unanimously awarded the Leyton Addiction Research Prize by McGill University for his publication: “Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) promotes social behavior through mTORC1 in the excitatory neurotransmission” (PNAS)

Risk factor for cardiovascular diseases

Mary Hoekstra
Analysed millions of genetic variants in almost 300,000 individuals: “Genome-Wide Association Study Highlights APOH as a Novel Locus for Lipoprotein(a) Levels” (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol.)

Pregnancy, diabetes and sleep apnea

Raphieal Newbold
Investigated whether treatment of sleep apnea can improve glucose control during pregnancy: “Maternal Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Pregnancy and Increased Nocturnal Glucose Levels in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus” (Chest)

Sarcopenia, dynapenia and aging

Anne-Julie Tessier
Won the February 2020 Relève étoile Jacques-Genest award for her publication: “Physical function‐derived cut‐points for the diagnosis of sarcopenia and dynapenia from the Canadian longitudinal study on aging” (Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle)

Respiratory diseases

Motahareh Vameghestahbanati
Explored dysanapsis, a mismatch between airway tree and lung size, in a high-impact factor publication: “Central Airway Tree Dysanapsis Extends to the Peripheral Airways” (Am J Respir Crit Care Med.)

PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLARSHIPS

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Kaitlyn Easson, Mackenzie Michell-Robinson, Haitham Shoman and Lashanda Skerritt
Earned Canada’s most prestigious graduate award at the doctoral level in 2020

Vanier scholars Kaitlyn Easson, Mackenzie Michell-Robinson, Haitham Shoman and Lashanda Skerritt (L to R)

MITACS Elevate postdoctoral fellowship

Catherine Argyriou
Received in 2020 to participate in a research management training program while working with Dr. Nancy Braverman and venture capital fund AmorChem

Société québécoise d’hypertension artérielle Scholarship

Joseph Mussa
Received in 2020 for work on the impact of recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus and gestational hypertension on cardiovascular disease risk among spousal partners

FOSTERING COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

On the CIHR’s Youth Advisory Council

Wajih Jawhar
(Former RI-MUHC trainee, now research assistant)
Appointed to new national council by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in 2020

In projects funded by DCAT

Khalil Anchouche
Diana Di Iorio
Adamo Donovan
Gina Kemp
Amanda McFarlan

Amir Razaghizad
Laura Rendon
Sophie Sun
Cynthia Rosa Ventrella
Jeremy Zwaig

Piloted new ways of connecting in pandemic times through four projects awarded funding from the Desjardins Centre for Advanced Training (DCAT), RI-MUHC. The inaugural 2021 competition supported trainee-led activities that foster community and professional skills.

DCAT offers structured career support to RI-MUHC trainees alongside their graduate or postdoctoral training. The RI-MUHC thanks Desjardins for generous support in enhancing career development opportunities for its trainees.