Advancing rehab in First Nations communities 

Two major wellness initiatives launched in the spring through a partnership between First Nations communities and UM’s College of Rehabilitation Sciences. 

Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi (Thunderbird Helping Them Walk), a 10-unit housing complex in Sagkeeng First Nation, supports adults who have lived with disability and homelessness. 

Grow Our Own Specialists through Education (GOOSE) addresses the shortage of rehabilitation health-care professionals in northern Manitoba and the underrepresentation of Indigenous people in rehab careers. Read more 

Dr. Kellie Thiessen, Dr. Hope Anderson and Dr. Josée Lavoie

Three new leaders take the helm 

Dr. Kellie Thiessen – an associate professor, midwife clinician-scientist and registered nurse – was appointed dean of the College of Nursing on Feb. 1. She previously led the development of UM’s midwifery program and directed it from 2015 to 2023. Read more 

On July 1, Dr. Hope Anderson became dean of the College of Pharmacy. A professor and principal investigator with the Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine at St. Boniface Hospital, Anderson brings expertise in cardiovascular health and academic leadership. Read more 

As of Aug. 1, Dr. Josée Lavoie leads the new College of Community and Global Health as its inaugural dean. A professor of community health sciences, she directed Ongomiizwin Research – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing from 2014 to 2023. Read more 

Drs. Henry Friesen and Estelle Simons

Remembering health pioneers 

The Rady community paid tribute to two influential figures from the Max Rady College of Medicine. 

Dr. Henry Friesen, a UM medical alum and visionary leader, died April 30 at age 90. His work led to the founding of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research 25 years ago. Read more 

Professor emerita Dr. Estelle Simons died Nov. 5 at age 80. A pioneer in pediatric allergy research, she was renowned for her groundbreaking research on allergic diseases. Read more 

Mpox virus

Mpox on the move 

Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses and associate professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine, is part of an international team tracking the rapid spread of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

The research team had a study featured on the cover of the prestigious journal The Lancet. It found that mpox has now spread to nearly every region of the DRC, with cases rising from 18 provinces in 2010 to 24 provinces in 2023. Read more 

(From left to right) Terry Duguid, Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis and Dr. Doug Eyolfson

$6.1M for better access to dental care 

The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry received more than $6.1 million in federal funding to improve access to care for marginalized Manitobans and give students experience in caring for underserved populations.  

The funding supports four UM projects through Health Canada’s Oral Health Access Fund, which supports initiatives that reduce barriers to care for groups including children, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers and seniors. Read more

Dr. Sabine Mai gives a tour of the Nano and Cell Imaging Facility during its grand opening.

New home for Nano and Cell Imaging Facility 

The Rady Faculty’s Nano and Cell Imaging Facility (NCIF) has a new home on the Bannatyne campus. 

After three years of planning and renovations, the facility moved from CancerCare Manitoba to the department of physiology and pathophysiology on the fourth floor of the Basic Medical Sciences Building. 

NCIF is open to students, faculty and researchers from across Canada and beyond. Read more 

Elder Charlotte Nolin

Honouring transgender lives 

More than 60 people attended the first Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony held on the Bannatyne campus. 

The day is observed on Nov. 20 to remember transgender people who have been lost to transphobic violence, suicide and other violent deaths. Speakers called for safety for all trans people. 

Elder Charlotte Nolin, a two-spirit Elder-in-residence at Ongomiizwin, urged those in attendance to speak out when they witness discrimination toward trans people. Read more 

Md. Abdul Aziz, Deanne Nixie Miao and Barrett Monchka.

Vanier Scholars from Rady Faculty 

Three of the four UM PhD students awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships in 2025 – each worth $150,000 over three years – hail from the Rady Faculty.  

Md. Abdul Aziz, College of Pharmacy, is studying patterns of antidepressant use in Manitoba, and why some patients discontinue treatment. Read more  

Deanne Nixie Miao, Max Rady College of Medicine, is researching the genetics of permanent hearing loss caused by cisplatin, a common cancer drug. Read more 

Barrett Monchka, College of Community and Global Health, is improving data-linkage techniques to enhance research reliability, efficiency and privacy. Read more 

Nitesh Sanghai

New hope for ALS patients 

Nitesh Sanghai, a PhD candidate in the College of Pharmacy, and his supervisor, Dr. Geoffrey Tranmer, co-invented a promising new drug candidate for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), earning Sanghai the Mitacs Innovation Award. 

The drug, borsantrazole, offers an improved version of edaravone, one of the few treatments currently available in North America to slow ALS progression. 

Still in pre-clinical testing, borsantrazole has shown strong safety and efficacy in lab mice engineered to mimic the disease. Read more 

Dr. Tamara Taillieu will study population data to understand the effects of legalization on vulnerable children and youth in Manitoba.

Funding boost for early-career researchers 

Five assistant professors from the Rady Faculty were among 24 recipients of nearly $1.8 million in New Investigator Operating Grants from Research Manitoba.  

The program supports researchers within four years of their first academic appointment, providing up to two years of funding to help establish research programs, build collaborations and generate results for future national-level grants. Read more 

Season’s Greetings, everyone, and congratulations on all the hard work you have put in this year across the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. In the past year we’ve seen a lot of our programs expanding. We’ve also seen transformative leadership changes, with new deans bringing their vision to the College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy and the College of Community and Global Health.

Among our highlights in 2025, in September more than 280 alumni from all the Rady colleges gathered for our Homecoming Breakfast, filling the Brodie Centre atrium with energy and excitement. We organized and hosted many other significant events, including a symposium on the recruitment and retention of Indigenous scholars in the Rady Faculty — something that’s critical to fulfilling our obligations under the Calls to Action made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Another productive event was a workshop on the Learning Health System, sponsored by the George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation. It focused on finding solutions to the issues facing the health system today, which is a goal we all share in the Rady Faculty. I am proud to be part of a multi-disciplinary UM community that invests so much in caring for Manitobans. I am also proud of all our efforts to advance equity, access and participation. 

As the year comes to a close, I sincerely thank you for all your dedication. I wish you a peaceful and restful holiday season, and I look forward to working with you in the new year.

He was just doing what he’d been trained to do at the UM dental school. But leaders in the Filipino-Canadian community quickly told him he was now a role model.

“The Filipino community was excited,” Colina recalls. “They came, and we were swamped with patients.”

Colina was 11 years old when he emigrated from the Philippines to Brandon, Man., with his family. Today, 36 years into his career, he is known for his leadership in both the Filipino and dental communities.

He has, for instance, held prominent roles in the Knights of Rizal, a Filipino organization that presents scholarships to graduating Manitoba high school students of Filipino heritage. Still, Colina downplays his impact as a role model.

“I’ve had patients who have gone on to become dentists and doctors,” he says. “I don’t know if I’m part of it – maybe? I was just being a dentist.”

One person Colina knows he directly influenced is his son, Nick Colina [DMD/25]. The 26-year-old graduated this spring from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry.

Dr. Nick Colina (left) and his father, Dr. Tom Colina, celebrate Nick’s graduation as a dentist at Spring Convocation.

“I’m really proud of him,” says the elder dentist. “The program is tough.”

Colina didn’t push his son toward dentistry, but what Nick observed while growing up led him to choose the profession, the pair say. When Nick was seven years old, Colina took him on a dental mission trip to the Philippines, where Nick helped to comfort the impoverished kids his father was treating.

“Those experiences opened my eyes to the broader role oral health plays in well-being, and they continue to inspire me to follow in my father’s footsteps,” Nick says.

Colina has now brought Nick on board as the 11th dentist in his dental group. With three partners, Colina co-owns three Winnipeg clinics that employ more than 50 people.

Still dedicated to humanitarian dental missions, he has helped lead seven such trips to countries including Zimbabwe, Peru, Guatemala and Ecuador.

“Giving back is a core value I believe in,” he says. “I aim to make a difference in people’s lives.”

A different kind of community role for Colina has been performing four times in the All-Dentist Musical, a biennial event that sees Manitoba dentists stage a musical to benefit a charity. This year, when Colina had a solo in Chicago, his son stepped up as his vocal coach.

Colina’s higher education started at Brandon University, where he completed his prerequisites before being accepted into UM’s dental school.

He wasn’t sure he truly wanted to be a dentist until his third year, when he performed an orthodontic screening of an 11-year-old with cancer. He and his professor decided the patient was a candidate for braces, even though they didn’t know if she would survive the disease.

“That’s when I realized that dentistry is something that can improve a patient’s quality of life. I can make her bite better and make her feel better. I thought, ‘This is a good field.’”

In 1989, Colina became the first Filipino graduate of the dental school. At the time, he was enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces Dental Officer Training Program, which had covered the cost of his dental education.

After graduation, he was posted to the National Defence Headquarters dental clinic in Ottawa, where he was surrounded by dental specialists who encouraged him. “It was beyond what a young dentist would normally be able to experience,” he says. “Those four years were a tremendous time for learning.”

Following his four-year military service, Colina and UM classmate David Chin [DMD/89] bought an established clinic on Ellice Avenue in Winnipeg. It became so busy that Colina built, with partners, a second clinic in 2004 on Keewatin Street and a third in 2018 on Portage Avenue.

“A large dental organization provides a better chance for collaboration,” he says. “It means learning from each other and mentoring the associate dentists.”

Passing on his oral-health wisdom is important to Colina. He has been a part-time clinical instructor and lecturer at his alma mater for the past 22 years.

“My favourite part of teaching students is when there’s confirmation and realization of what they’ve learned. You see it in their eyes. Ooh – a lightbulb moment. I love those.”

He is also dedicated to furthering his own education to better serve his patients.

Around 2012, Colina wanted to learn more about relieving patients’ pain, so he looked to Dr. Stephen Ahing for advice. He told his former professor that he was considering a master’s degree, and they spent the afternoon discussing topics related to pain, oral medicine and oral pathology.

“Even after dental school, your professors are there to serve as your mentors and guide you,” says Colina, who went on to complete his master of science in orofacial pain and oral medicine at the University of Southern California in 2017.

In 2022-23, he attained another provincial Filipino “first” when he served as elected president of the Manitoba Dental Association.

“If I’ve had the privilege of being seen as a mentor or role model,” Colina says, “my hope is that my actions reflect the lessons I’ve learned – a commitment to growth, integrity, and always striving to reach one’s fullest potential.”

Robert Schroth [DMD/96, M.Sc./03, PhD/10], professor of preventive dental science at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, has dedicated more than 15 years to understanding the oral health of children under the age of six.

“I recognize the importance of setting kids on the right path,” says Schroth, who is also a researcher with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

The dentist-scientist has become an international authority on early childhood caries (tooth decay), which in its severe form aggressively damages primary teeth and affects many aspects of kids’ health and well-being.

In a 2016 study, Schroth found that Indigenous children in Canada were more than seven times more likely to undergo dental surgery in hospital for this severe form of caries than other children.

The question of why kids from disadvantaged backgrounds have a high rate of tooth decay has propelled him into more than a dozen research studies.

“We have known for years that early childhood caries is influenced by the oral microbiome,” says the lifelong Winnipegger, who joined UM as a full-time faculty member in 2010.

“But decay is also influenced by genetic variants, and by environmental factors like diet, oral hygiene and access to dental care. The more we can unravel the combined risk factors, the better we can target preventive approaches, such as painting silver diamine fluoride on kids’ teeth. We have shown in clinical trials that it is effective in arresting decay.”

Last year, Schroth was awarded a six-year Applied Public Health Chair by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). In this role, he is focused on research to improve children’s access to oral health care.

He’s currently evaluating the rollout of a caries assessment guide that he developed to help non-oral health professionals – such as doctors and nurses – identify children at risk for tooth decay.

Schroth is also studying the impact of the Canadian Dental Care Plan. He says the plan addresses some of the financial issues related to accessing care, but doesn’t address the lack of dental offices in certain underserved areas of Canada, or barriers like food availability, housing and access to running water.

As a CIHR chair, Schroth can pivot his research if a public health problem arises. One issue he’s watching with concern is the growing anti-water fluoridation movement.

He is currently working with Prashen Chelikani [PhD/04], professor of oral biology, to examine the oral microbiome associated with severe tooth decay in First Nations and Métis preschoolers. That project is combining clinical, bacterial and genetic sequencing data to analyze the overall risk of caries.

“Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have thought this interdisciplinary work was possible,” he says.

Schroth leads the global Early Childhood Caries Advocacy Group and hopes to host a symposium for the organization in Winnipeg.

He says he developed an interest in early childhood caries research because it was a neglected area that he could make his own.

“My passion for research comes from my ability to make discoveries, answer questions, and also to provide evidence of systemic and oral health connections.”

Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South

Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, made the announcement at a media conference on UM’s Fort Garry campus on Nov. 28. Dr. Doug Eyolfson, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg West, emceed the event.  

“Infrastructure, housing, all of those things, those physical assets that we’re building in our communities from coast to coast to coast are important, but investing in the health of Canadians matters just as much, if not more. Preventative dental care strengthens our health-care system, improves quality of life and builds a heathier, more productive Canada,” Duguid said.  

The funding for four UM projects is part of Health Canada’s Oral Health Access Fund, which is designed to complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).  

The goal of the fund is to expand access to oral health care by supporting projects at Canadian dental schools and other institutions that reduce or remove non-financial barriers to accessing care for specific groups, including children, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers and seniors.   

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, said that there are too many Manitobans who are challenged in terms of accessing oral health care and many people sometimes suffer in silence. 

“This funding really helps change that. By strengthening our ability to serve populations, such as unhoused people, newcomers, seniors, we’re ensuring that oral health is really not a privilege, but a right,” Kelekis-Cholakis said.  

The UM dental college received $3.5 million to produce a series of evidence-based online learning modules to better prepare oral health-care students to deliver care to marginalized groups.  The modules will be made available on the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry’s website and can also be used for professional development of licensed professionals.  

The dental school received $1.8 million to develop and implement a 12-month postgraduate clinical apprenticeship pilot program in community oral health and dental public health for dentists and dental hygienists. The program’s aim is to develop community-minded oral health-care providers who will develop additional knowledge and skills to address the oral health care needs of at-risk populations.  

The dental college also received $344,740 for a project to help create an oral health community liaison role at the college’s dental and community clinics. The liaison will foster partnerships with organizations serving people who lack access to oral health care and facilitate their access to services in the university’s campus clinic.  

The final project received $336,000 to cover up to 100 per cent of eligible oral health care for patients who are enrolled in the CDCP or uninsured patients. From now until the end of March 2026, or until the grant is exhausted, patients of all ages who are uninsured or enrolled in the CDCP can receive up to 100 per cent coverage of eligible dental and dental hygiene care at UM dental college’s general clinic.  

“This investment really will ripple through communities improving overall health and well-being,” Kelekis-Cholakis said.  

The four UM projects are among 30 initiatives from across the country that the federal government is funding through the Oral Health Access Fund. Minister of Health Marjorie Michel announced the $35 million in funding in Montreal on Nov. 24.   

Hoque, who studies health sciences in UM’s interdisciplinary health program on the Fort Garry campus, said: “I want to see what’s available and who does what. As a first-year student, I really don’t know what’s available.” 

The information village on Joe Doupe concourse.

The annual Graduate Studies Open House started with an information village where students visited booths, followed by presentations from 13 graduate programs in Theatre B at the Basic Medical Sciences building.  

Departments highlighted what makes them unique and the supports available, including financial assistance, research funding and professional development opportunities. 

Presenters also talked about what graduates’ careers can look like in the future, from working in academia and industry to non-profits and government.  

“When I came here today, I thought, ‘Whoa! There’s so much more than I imagined,’” said Hoque. “There are so many opportunities.” 

Why choose graduate studies? 

Dr. Samantha Pauls, assistant professor at the College of Pharmacy and Rady Faculty programming lead for graduate student professional development, spoke about why students should consider graduate studies – both the professional and research programs. 

The professional programs, which include master of physician assistant studies, master of public health, master of science in rehabilitation sciences, master of nursing and others, emphasize coursework and clinical training. 

Dr. Samantha Pauls addresses event participants in Theatre B at the Basic Medical Sciences building.

“Health care is a team sport. MDs and nurses just can’t do all of the health care that’s needed for our communities and society,” said Pauls. 

“These professional programs – that are master’s programs – really will turn you into competent and compassionate members of the health-care team as a whole.” 

The research programs in departments such as medical microbiology and infectious diseases and human anatomy and cell science typically require a thesis and involve significant research work.  

Pauls said undergraduate studies focus on “what we already know.” Graduate research asks, “What don’t we know?” and challenges students to add new knowledge that could lead to better health treatments and policies.  

Building on a passion for research 

Hans Sanchez, a soon-to-graduate student in microbiology on the Fort Garry campus, is considering graduate studies. His interest lies in improving human health through research. 

He has research experience through a co-op term in associate professor Dr. Ayesha Saleem’s lab at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry. 

Sanchez attended the open house to learn about what different departments and colleges provide to their graduate students. 

“I’m here to figure out which grad program will best support my research interests,” he said.  

“What classes can we take? Do we have a stipend? I love presenting, so I’m finding out what opportunities they have for grad students to present their work – whether it’s local or international. I want to be in a program that will support my academic goal.” 

Graduate programs offer interdisciplinary paths 

Both Sanchez and Hoque were excited to learn that graduate studies offer interdisciplinary opportunities. 

“Programs aren’t limited to their college’s name – pharmacy programs, for example, explore much more than pharmaceuticals,” said Sanchez. 

Hans Sanchez (left) and Raeesa Hoque (right) at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus.

Hoque, whose interest is in neuroscience and global health, said she appreciates the knowledge she gained at the event. 

“This is why the open house is so good – to network, to talk, to do hands-on activities,” she said. “After the presentations, it made me think maybe I’d want to do a joint program instead of focusing on just one department.” 

Sanchez shared some advice for students considering research. 

“Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and get your foot in the door,” he said. “Go to those open houses, talk to those professors. They’re there to help and guide you in achieving your career goals. And maybe one day, you’ll also be a leader in health care. It just takes one small but important step.” 

*** 

Learn more about graduate programs in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at  umanitoba.ca/health-sciences/programs-of-study 

Stoliar Rotband, who worked as a general dentist and endodontist in Brazil, is now a fourth-year student in the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry’s International Dentist Degree Program and provides dental care at the college’s clinic. 

Rafael D’Giovanni-Rotband with a finger mould and tooth model, each from a different exercise in the dentistry session.

“It’s a lot because of my dad,” said D’Giovanni-Rotband. “If you’re a perfectionist, it’s really easy to like dentistry because you really want to be good at it.” 

D’Giovanni-Rotband, who goes to school at Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, was one of 50 students in Grade 9 who participated in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ Take Our Kids to Work Day on Nov. 5, 2025. It gave them a chance to explore future health professions and the biomedical sciences through hands-on activities — and meet the people who work in these areas. 

“I got a taste of what it could be … I really got to experience what I could be doing in the future,” said D’Giovanni-Rotband. 

Learning about different health sciences professions 

The first session was held at the Clinical Learning and Simulation Program’s (CLSP) simulation labs. Students learned about cardiac arrest and procedures to address it. They practised on manikins — from performing CPR and doing an ultrasound to administering medication and fluids through different methods. 

Danny Kustra, clinician educator at CLSP, supports students practicing on a manikin in a clinical skills activity.

At the College of Pharmacy, they learned about what pharmacists do, and made lip balm and sunscreen to take home.  

Students explored microbiology during a microscopy session with the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the Max Rady College of Medicine. They looked through microscopes and examined bacteria from samples taken from different surfaces, such as a doorknob. 

At the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, students learned about occupational therapy, respiratory therapy and physiotherapy. 

A participant favourite was the dentistry session, where they did tooth fillings, drilled on teeth models, and made a mould of their fingers. 

What students had to say 

“It was really fun! I think it can help people find a career if they’re unsure,” D’Giovanni-Rotband said. “You meet a lot of fun people, and the day goes by really fast. The people who give you their experience are really nice.” 

Adriel Gelle, a Murdoch Mackay student whose dad works at CLSP, said he found the experience extremely exciting: “I found all the activities interesting and extremely interactive.” 

Ololade Bankole from Linden Christian School said she enjoyed learning from each session. 

“It just makes me think, ‘Oh, what place do I want to go to when I get into university?’ I do want to come to University of Manitoba since my mom works here,” said Bankole. “It’s been a nice experience, seeing different sections — and I just really enjoyed it!” 

***

Watch highlights from the 2025 Take Our Kids to Work Day on Instagram.

The third-year dental hygiene student began to study more than the week before exams. She also broke up what she was studying into smaller sections and studied continuously.

Rai’s plan was a success.

Mary Bertone, director of the School of Dental Hygiene, and Jasmeen Rai.

At the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry and School of Dental Hygiene Awards Evening on Oct. 30, Rai received two of the School of Dental Hygiene’s most prestigious awards.

Rai was honoured with the Dr. A.W. Hogg Scholarship (awarded for highest standing in the second year of the program) and the Isbister Undergraduate Scholarship in Dental Hygiene (awarded to the student with the highest academic standing). She also received three more scholarships and made the Dean’s Honour List.

“I’m very excited,” said Rai, following the event in Frederic Gaspard Theatre on the UM Bannatyne campus. “I did work very hard last year. I changed a lot of my habits and it’s just nice to see it all pay off.”

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, and Hannah Shi.

Second-year dental student Hannah Shi received two of the dental college’s most prestigious awards.

Shi is the recipient of the Dr. A.W. Hogg Undergraduate Scholarship for Dentistry (awarded on the basis of eligibility for the Dean’s Honour List and for the highest average standing in years one to three) and the Isbister Undergraduate Scholarship for Dentistry (awarded to the student with the highest sessional grade point average irrespective of the year, excluding the graduate class).

“It’s great,” Shi said. “It took a lot of work.”  

In total, more than 60 student awards were handed out and 12 awards were presented to faculty and staff.

Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, speaks to the audience at the Awards Evening.

“Tonight, we are here to recognize our efforts, encourage and applaud them,” said Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry. “For us as educators, supporting our students and seeing them succeed is really one of the most rewarding aspects of our work.”

Mary Bertone, director of the School of Dental Hygiene, told the audience that the awards evening is a moment to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of students, faculty and staff.

“As you receive your awards tonight, remember, this is not just a recognition of what you’ve achieved, but a reflection of who you are – determined, empathetic and ready to make a difference,” Bertone said. 

View the full list of award recipients.

When the group realized it had a surplus of $3,400 from all the different fundraising activities, the graduating students decided to donate the money to the School of Dental Hygiene’s patient support funds.

“I think the reason we felt so compelled to donate was because of our excellent experience in the program. I think our instructors and supervisors really instilled in us the importance of giving back and being able to advocate for our patients,” said Lexy Müller Morán, president of the Dental Hygiene Class of 2025.

Dental Hygiene Class of 2025

The donation will go towards two patient support fund initiatives, which help those who don’t have access to public or private dental insurance and aren’t able to pay out of pocket.

Smiles for Miles helps newcomers and refugees. And DH4U enables dental hygiene students to advocate for their patients and make the case to help cover the cost of their care.

Müller Morán recalled a time when one of her classmates had a patient who feared seeing the dentist, and because of it, their oral hygiene suffered.  

“My classmate’s patient was so dedicated to wanting to improve their oral hygiene she felt the need to advocate for this patient. Ultimately, the patient was able to come to the clinic and afford the treatment because of the DH4U fund,” Müller Morán said.

Mary Bertone, director of the School of Dental Hygiene at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, is proud of the Class of 2025.

“It means a lot that this class made a donation. It shows a sense of social responsibility and a commitment to paying it forward, so future students can advocate for patients who need care,” Bertone said.

Müller Morán said that her class thought it would be great to give back, even though they only graduated in May.

“We felt it would be good to start early,” Müller Morán said. “We thought, if we can make an impact now, then why don’t we do that. I think it’s just going to encourage all of us to give back in the future.”

If you would like to donate to the School of Dental Hygiene patient funds, please get in touch with Brooke Karlaftis, UM donor relations officer, at Brooke.Karlaftis@umanitoba.ca.

To read the entire article, please visit CTV News.