Four UM graduate students named Vanier Scholars

Students from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Faculty of Science have been awarded the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Vanier Scholars are Canada’s top graduate students, chosen for their academic excellence, research potential and leadership. Students are nominated by their university, evaluated by multi-disciplinary peer-review committees and selected by a board composed of world-renowned Canadian and international experts.  

“These four graduate students have distinguished themselves as research leaders among their peers across Canada with this highly competitive and prestigious award,” says Dr. Mario Pinto, Vice-President (Research and International). “Their success speaks to the high calibre of UM faculty who guide them to the next stage of their careers. I look forward to seeing the impacts of their important work exploring new pathways in medical sciences in the years to come.”

UM’s Vanier Scholars for 2023* are:

Emily Hyde (Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management; College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) is exploring patient-identified solutions to post-intensive care syndrome following heart surgery. She is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Laila Aboulatta (College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) is using real-world data to investigate the impact of COVID-19 public health measures on mother and infant health. She is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Samuel Ogunsola (Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences) is investigating how errors in genetic processing are linked to human disease. He is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Fabian Rohden (Faculty of Science) is studying a new approach to preventing evolutionary escape in viruses. He is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

*Learn more about each scholar and their research by clicking their name above.

The Vanier Scholarships recognize students who demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health.

The scholarships are administered by Canada’s three federal granting agencies: CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC. The scholars will receive $150,000 over three years towards their research.

“This achievement means that our Vanier scholars now have the funding support to transform our knowledge through their research,” says Dr. Kelley Main, dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies. “They will each bring something unique and impactful to our understanding of the world and will continue to be leaders in their communities and fields. Congratulations to each of them on this prestigious award.”

The Vanier program honours distinguished Canadian soldier and diplomat Major-General the Right Honourable Georges Philias Vanier (1888-1967), who served as Governor General of Canada from 1959 to 1967.

A total of 52 Vanier Scholars have attended UM over the past 15 years.