Janessa Sawatzky and Eli Mondor at the Apotex Centre, University of Manitoba Bannatyne campus.
Behind the scenes of summer research at the UM College of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ College of Pharmacy can apply for a three-month summer program that offers hands-on experience in pharmaceutical research under faculty supervision.
“For students interested in research, this is the only avenue into the field. You can learn from a book or in class, but you won’t truly understand research until you have your own project and experiments,” said Dr. Ted Lakowski, program director and associate dean (research) and professor at the college.
With funding from the University of Manitoba Undergraduate Research Awards and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, students are compensated for their work.
Exploring treatments for heart disease
Eli Mondor, a second-year PharmD student from Ottawa, completed a biomedical sciences degree at Carleton University before joining UM.
His interest in cellular biology, biochemistry and organic chemistry led him to pharmacy. This summer, Mondor worked in associate professor Dr. Dake Qi’s lab.
Eli Mondor working in a lab at the Apotex Centre.
Mondor studied whether a protein called TAAR1 (trace amine-associated receptor 1) can protect heart muscle cells during a heart attack.
When blood flow to the heart is blocked (ischemia), and when physicians restore the blood flow (reperfusion), it can cause further damage to those cells. Mondor is testing whether activating TAAR1 with a drug can help heart cells survive this stressful process using cells isolated from rat hearts.
“What’s especially interesting is that drugs activating TAAR1 are already being studied for treating schizophrenia,” said Mondor. “People with schizophrenia tend to have higher rates of heart disease, so TAAR1 might offer double benefits — helping both the brain and the heart.”
He hopes his research will show TAAR1 as a promising target for new treatments.
“Dr. Qi is a great mentor —he’s very supportive,” Mondor said. “Everyone in the lab, including grad students, is always willing to help and listen. They’ve all mentored me in different ways.”
Mondor believes it’s important to recognize how much students contribute to these studies.
“It’s exciting to be on the cutting edge, exploring novel drugs and working alongside professors and researchers,” he said. “Research can be intimidating, but really, the whole process is one of growth … even if your results in the end aren’t positive, you’ll still learn a lot. It’s worth it.”
Exploring treatments for Type 2 diabetes
Third-year PharmD student Janessa Sawatzky, who grew up in Carman, Man., completed a bachelor of science at Université de Saint-Boniface before entering the pharmacy program. They spent the summer working in associate professor Dr. Lucy Marzban’s lab.
The lab focuses on treating diabetes, exploring how existing treatments can be repurposed to address new challenges in Type 2 diabetes. Using donated post-mortem pancreatic tissue, they study what goes wrong inside islets — small clusters of hormone-secreting cells. In those islets, a toxic protein buildup called amyloid kills beta cells, which produce insulin, an essential hormone that lowers blood sugar.
Janessa Sawatzky working in Dr. Lucy Marzban’s lab at the Apotex Centre.
“I help run experiments where we test different drugs and see how cells respond,” said Sawatzky. “I stain cells so we can see what’s going on when we take pictures. Then I count how many survived. Our goal is to keep those cells happy and healthy.”
Sawatzky had worked as a part-time undergraduate work-study assistant in Marzban’s lab since November 2023 but worked full time in the summer.
“One of my favourite parts is the teamwork. I’m never alone in what I’m doing and I enjoy working in the lab. Each day is different.”
In 2024, Sawatzky presented their research at the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS) symposium in Edmonton, winning the undergraduate research award representing Manitoba.
“Going to CSPS was a great experience — I met researchers from all over Canada,” said Sawatzky. “Dr. Marzban has been a huge mentor. She’s encouraged me to do my best and celebrated my successes.”
Sawatzky recommends future student researchers keep an open mind.
“Look at all the options. And set goals for what you want to achieve,” they said.
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To learn more about the College of Pharmacy PharmD undergraduate summer research program, visit umanitoba.ca/pharmacy/research.