IMS Scientific Day 2023

The Institute of Medical Science (IMS) Scientific Day was held on April 24th and 25th, 2023. This two-day event was the time for the IMS community to gather together and showcase students’ research, honour their accomplishments, and foster networking opportunities. Both students and faculty members appreciated this opportunity to connect, share ideas, and learn about the cutting-edge research taking place in the IMS department.

The first day of the event was themed “Charting Your Own Course”, featuring interactive career panels and workshops. The career panels offered insights regarding working in academia as well as the industry. Attendees enjoyed learning from esteemed panellists who shared their personal and professional perspectives, and offered valuable guidance on navigating these different career paths. Moreover, two interactive workshops were held. The first workshop focused on optimizing students’ use of their Individual Development Plan, a document that covers essential topics for students to discuss with their mentors. The second workshop emphasized the importance of leveraging strengths to achieve professional goals. Overall, the first day offered participants a wealth of practical knowledge to help them succeed in their future careers.

The second day of the event started with the highly anticipated Alan Wu Poster Competition. This event brought together students from diverse academic disciplines to present their research projects to a panel of judges. After each presentation, the judges posed thought-provoking questions that allowed students to think critically about their work. This year’s well-deserved winners for this competition were Danica Johnson and Brendan Santyr. Reflecting on her experience, Danica expressed that her favourite part about the IMS Scientific Day was the opportunity to learn about the various research topics that she would not usually be exposed to. She also felt delighted to hear about the many important differences that students and faculty members are making not only at the institution, but also in our community and science in general. The Laidlaw Manuscript competition was another highlight of the day, featuring four talented students who all gave compelling ten-minute oral presentations and answered questions directed by the judges. After much deliberation, Andreea Furdui emerged as the well-deserved winner.

The distinguished keynote lecture of the event was delivered by the renowned Dr. Daniel Drucker, entitled “The therapeutic promise of the enteroendocrine cell for cardiometabolic disorders”. Dr. Drucker is a Senior Scientist at the LunenfeldTanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, and a Professor at the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. In his captivating keynote lecture, Dr. Drucker discussed his ground-breaking research on glucagon-like peptides and proglucagon-derived peptides, which has led to significant advances in the treatment of conditions such as diabetes, short bowel syndrome, and obesity. Furthermore, Dr. Drucker shared insights into the translation of his research from lab to the clinic. He emphasized that this translation occurs at a “sweet spot”, that is, molecular research discovering new mechanisms with therapeutic potential, and human studies providing proof of concept with real effect sizes. When asked about the most inspiring aspect of the IMS Scientific Day, Dr. Drucker stated, “The highlight always is seeing young people start their scientific journey.” His remarks emphasized the importance of supporting and empowering young scientists to ensure continued advancement of science.

The awards ceremony marked the end of this thrilling day, which celebrated the achievements of both the students and faculty members. It was truly inspiring to witness the hard work and dedication of award winners recognized by the IMS community. Congratulations to all the participants, honourable mentions, and award winners for their contributions to science.

Overall, the IMS scientific day 2023 was a resounding success. It not only fostered interactions among the IMS community, but also allowed students to share their research as well as get inspired by the incredible work of their fellow researchers.