“There aren’t a lot of Filipino researchers that I see on campus. Receiving this scholarship means that I have a place here, too,” said Miao, 26, who grew up in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada 15 years ago.

Through her research, Deanne Nixie Miao aims to raise a greater awareness about adverse drug reactions.

Miao, a fourth-year PhD student in biochemistry and medical genetics at the Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said the Vanier Scholarship allows her to dedicate herself fully to her research without the constant worry of financial pressures.

Miao will receive $150,000 over three years as part of the scholarship. She is one of four UM PhD students, and one of 166 PhD students from across Canada, to be named Vanier Scholars this year.

Beyond the financial support, Miao said the award has also strengthened her confidence that her work is valued and that she belongs in academic research spaces. It has also provided her with more opportunities to take on leadership roles within the graduate student community.

Miao’s supervisor is Dr. Britt Drögemöller, assistant professor of biochemistry and medical genetics and Canada Research Chair in pharmacogenomics and precision medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine.

UM Today sat down with Miao to learn about her research.

Can you please explain your research?

My research focuses on cisplatin, a cancer drug used to treat a variety of cancers. However, there’s a major limitation to it because it causes permanent hearing loss. Up to 80 percent of patients who receive this treatment develop hearing loss, or cisplatin-induced ototoxicity (CIO).

Pediatric patients are particularly susceptible, with children less than five years having a three-fold higher risk of developing this adverse drug reaction compared to those who are 15 years or older.

Hearing loss during critical periods of speech and language development can cause delays in the development of communication skills, which can subsequently lead to poor academic achievement and psychosocial function.

To uncover the genetic factors that contribute to CIO, I use cutting edge technologies such as single-nuclei RNA sequencing and single-nuclei ATAC sequencing. These datasets will allow me to identify the specific cochlear cell types, genes, and biological pathways affected by cisplatin.

By integrating this information with human genome-wide association studies and polygenic scores, my research will also be able to develop predictive and preventative strategies to mitigate cisplatin-induced hearing loss.

What drew you to this area of research?

I want to raise a greater awareness about adverse drug reactions. My own family has experienced them. My mom had a serious adverse reaction to Celebrex (a NSAID), and my grandfather developed a persistent cough from Ramipril, a medication to treat high blood pressure.

When my mom’s reaction happened, it was brushed off, but those experiences showed me firsthand how easily adverse drug reactions can be overlooked, despite the real impact they have on people’s lives.

These continue to drive my commitment to studying adverse drug reactions so that future treatments can be safer and more personalized.

What impact could your research have in the future on the health of Canadians?

I’m developing a polygenic score to show how likely an individual is to develop hearing loss after receiving cisplatin. This would allow patients to know their risk before treatment begins, enabling more informed decisions about their care.

Another aspect of my research focuses on prevention. By identifying the specific genes, pathways and cell types involved in cisplatin-induced hearing loss, we can uncover putative causal genes that we can use as therapeutic targets. From there, these targets can guide the discovery of otoprotective agents that can mitigate the development of CIO.

What motivates you to do the work you do?

I recently joined a program that pairs graduate students with patient partners.

Meeting patient partners has been eye-opening. It helped me step outside of the tunnel vision that can come with research and see the broader implications of my work.

Their perspectives remind me that my research is not just about data and experiments, it’s about contributing to something bigger than can ultimately improve patient care or outcomes. That sense of real-world impact is what motivates me every day.

What are your plans after you finish your PhD?

I hope to establish my own independent research lab where I can continue advancing precision medicine and pharmacogenomics.

My training at UM is preparing me well for that goal, and I’m fortunate to have mentors who not only provide excellent guidance but also connect with the resources and opportunities I need to grow as a researcher and future leader.

Over the coming months, the Researching in Good Ways team will host a series of consultations with faculty, graduate students and Indigenous community partners. These sessions will create a space to share insights and experiences, helping shape principles that honour Indigenous knowledge and uphold mutual respect. 

“At the heart of this project is a commitment to listening first.” says Project Director Kathleen Wilson. 

“ Rather than leading with our own assumptions, we are focused on creating space for Indigenous communities to share their stories and wisdom about research. By placing these voices at the forefront, we honour their guidance and ensure the framework grows from lived experience.” 

Building on community wisdom

RIGW project builds on the foundation of Working in Good Ways — an Indigenous framework for community engagement developed by the Community Engaged Learning department several years ago through conversations with Indigenous partners, faculty and students. 

During Working in Good Ways consultations, many participants shared stories about their experiences with community-based research — stories of successes, challenges and lessons learned. 

Nicki Ferland, Director of Land-Based Education and Indigenous Curriculum and co-lead of Working in Good Ways, recalls: 

“ These stories become the guide for what to do, and what not to do, and will help us change the way we research here at the UM.” 

Extending the work into research 

While Working in Good Ways focused broadly on community engagement, this new phase turns its lens specifically toward research — exploring what has gone well, what barriers still exist and what lessons can shape future collaborations.

Supported by the Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous), the Office of the Vice-President (Research and International) and the Strategic Initiatives Support Fund, the new project aims to create a resource to help researchers engage in more respectful and reciprocal ways. 

“Research doesn’t begin when a project is launched,” says Ferland. “It begins much earlier—with learning, reflection and relationship building—the work before the work.” 

From left to right: Kathleen Wilson, Nicki Ferland, Dr. Don Davies and Vanessa Lamirande.

Led by Indigenous experience and leadership 

The project is guided by a team of Indigenous scholars and community leaders: 

• Kathleen Wilson – Project Director, a Two-Spirit Métis educator and researcher with extensive experience in curriculum design and interdisciplinary research 
• Nicki Ferland – Director of Land-Based Education and Indigenous Curriculum and co-lead of Working in Good Ways 
• Dr. Don Davies – Director of Indigenous Research at UM, committed to advancing Indigenous research sovereignty 
• Vanessa Lamirande – Assistant to the Directors, supporting coordination and relationship building across the project 

Wilson hopes the outcomes will inspire long-term institutional change. 

“The hope is that the framework and its associated resources will become embedded within university research structures, fostering meaningful and lasting change in how researchers engage and collaborate with Indigenous partners.” 

An invitation to participate 

Do you have experience conducting or supporting research with Indigenous communities? The team welcomes you to share your insights. 

Consultations will take place from October 2025 through March 2026, in both in-person and online formats. Dedicated sessions for Indigenous participants will also be available to ensure discussions happen in safe and culturally grounded spaces. 

For more information or to participate,  

• Contact: Kathleen Wilson – Project Director (kathleen.wilson@umanitoba.ca) 
• Learn more: Researching in Good Ways landing page 

Researching in Good Ways is more than a project—it is an ongoing commitment to shaping a research path that moves forward in true partnership with Indigenous communities.

To listen, please follow link to CBC Listen.

Aurora

• Users must select “Continue.” 
• Students encounter the agreement immediately when transitioning from the Aurora launch page to a task in Aurora and are directed to their intended page upon acceptance. 

Aurora User Agreement  

As a University of Manitoba student, you are responsible for:

• Any information entered or changed using your student account. Unless otherwise noted, any information you enter or change in Aurora will become effective immediately.  Do not share your login credentials with others.
• Checking your UM email regularly. All email correspondence from UM is to your UM student email account only, including waitlist notifications.
• Keeping your phone number and mailing address up to date. Some correspondence from UM is made by phone or letter mail – review this information in Aurora to ensure that your contact information is current and valid at all times.
• Notifying your faculty, college or school office if you have registered for courses at another post-secondary institution since you last registered at UM.
• Ensuring your Social Insurance Number (SIN) is available for all Canadian tax forms. In Aurora, find the ‘Verify My SIN’ card and click on Help me Verify my SIN to add your SIN if not already listed.
• Ensuring you are aware of the fees applicable for your program of study. By registering for classes, you are agreeing to pay all tuition and associated fees.
• Use of unauthorized software to automate registration processes is strictly prohibited.

UM is committed to Indigenous Achievement and to ensuring the success of First Nations, Métis and Inuit students and graduates. If you have not previously declared your ancestry or want to change your response, you may do so in the ‘Canadian Indigenous Self Declaration’ card.

Agreeing to these terms is required to access your Aurora account. 

Event Details:
Date: Friday, March 28, 2025
Time: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Locations: Taché Hall (150 Dafoe Road) & Art Barn (21 Service Street)
Admission: Free & open to all

What to Expect:
Wander through the studios at your own pace and witness the creative process firsthand. From painting and sculpture to multimedia and conceptual art, this event offers an inside look at the research, experimentation, and artistic evolution of our MFA students.

Attendees will have the chance to meet and speak with the artists about their work, inspiration, and techniques. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, prospective student, or simply curious about contemporary art, the MFA Open Studio is an excellent opportunity to connect with the vibrant graduate arts community.

Meet the MFA Students & Their Studios:

• Laila Fazal – 187 Taché Hall
• Christina Oyawale – 372 Taché Hall
• Xianghui Guan – 373 Taché Hall
• Séamus Gallagher – 381 Taché Hall
• Maryam Bagheri – 397 Taché Hall
• Lisha Wang – 470 Taché Hall
• Frankie May – 474 Taché Hall
• Netsanet Shawl – 131/132 Art Barn

Refreshments will be served.

Event maps will be available at the School of Art General Office (313 ARTlab) and at locations throughout the event.

We look forward to welcoming you to the studios and sharing an afternoon of discovery. See you there!

For updates, visit the School of Art website or follow us on social media.

Pedagogies of Care: Bringing it All Together – Sharing Our Stories

Date and time: Tuesday, April 1, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

Join us for a series of four monthly 50-minute sessions designed for graduate students, instructors, and professors committed to exploring pedagogies of care. These sessions offer strategies that foster care, inclusion, and broaden perspectives in higher education, including insights into how brain science can enhance teaching effectiveness. Each session will provide practical tools for creating inclusive, engaging, and empowering learning environments, drawing on research into neural connections, brain plasticity, and how these processes affect learning, memory retention, and student engagement. Whether you’re teaching in-person or in an online format, this series will equip you with neuroscience-based strategies and pedagogical approaches that cultivate caring and inclusive educational spaces.

During the Bringing it All Together – Sharing Our Stories Spaces session:

• Participants will collaboratively share their experiences and insights, synthesizing the pedagogical strategies learned throughout the series to create an integrated teaching approach.
• Participants will discuss their practices through storytelling, identifying ways to further develop their teaching practices.

Register for the Pedagogies of Care workshop

Decolonizing Classrooms: Start here

Date and time: Wednesday, April 2, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

As part of the Decolonizing Classrooms Series, “Decolonizing Classrooms: Start Here” is designed for those beginning their journey in decolonizing and reconciliatory learning. This workshop offers foundational knowledge about Indigenous Peoples, their Knowledges, and the important relationships we all maintain with the Land in what is now commonly known as Canada. Participants will learn about colonization and processes of decolonization, and identify initial steps to engage in important decolonizing and reconciliatory processes. This workshop will equip you with the necessary information to meaningfully engage with Indigenous pedagogies and foster ongoing learning and action. Additionally, it provides the background necessary for full participation in other workshops in the Decolonizing Classrooms Series.

Register for the Decolonizing Classrooms workshop

From Theory to Practice: Using the UM Competencies Framework to Level Up Experiential Learning

Date and time: Friday, April 4, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Have you thought about the kind of people you want your students to become upon graduating? You might envision them as empathetic listeners, critical thinkers, effective collaborators, or team players. How can education use Experiential Learning (EL) to move beyond traditional content delivery, actively nurturing these skills? Join us as we dive into the dynamic combination of EL and the UM Competencies Framework, equipping educators to foster real-world skills, growth, and empowerment in students.

Register for From Theory to Practice: Using the UM Competencies Framework to Level Up Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning Community of Practice Brown Bag Lunch Conversations: Experiential or Active Learning What’s the Difference?

Date and time: Tuesday, April 15, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Bring your lunch and connect with other members of our community of practice! There is no formal agenda for these casual meetings just good people and conversation! Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and experiences as we explore different topics in experiential learning.

Topic: Experiential or Active Learning what’s the difference? Are they different approaches, or different names for the same approach? Come tell us what you think!

Register for Experiential or Active Learning What’s the Difference?

Universal Design for Learning in Practice: Represent a Diversity of Perspectives and Identities in Authentic Ways

Date and time: Thursday, April 24, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Join us for the last Thursday of each month in an ongoing series, where participants will review discreet elements of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Participants will work together to develop pedagogical practices that align with the UDL principle being discussed that month.

Topic: The session will focus on CAST’s UDL principle of representing a diversity of perspectives and identities in authentic ways and how it can be directly applied to pedagogical practice. There will be a brief presentation of the core elements of this principle followed by a question-and-answer session where participants can collaborate with the facilitator to develop their practice. 

Register for Universal Design for Learning in Practice: Represent a Diversity of Perspectives and Identities in Authentic Ways

The Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources student studying for his master’s in microbiology felt isolated when he arrived in Canada. He did not know what to expect but was excited to get started. 

“When I first arrived in Canada, I felt alone. I didn’t have any friends or know where to go on campus; I was just trying to figure out my way.” 

Since arriving in Canada in September 2023, Rei Shibue has stayed in St John’s residence, where he’s been able to be close to his classes and build friendships that have helped him find his home away from home.

“For the first while in the residence, I kept to myself. I didn’t talk much, ate alone in the dining room, and attended classes. Over the last year, though, that’s changed significantly.”

As Rei continues his studies in microbiology, where he is investigating microbes in the Arctic Ocean, he also finds his community in St John’s residence at monthly events and has become a residence don on the student support team.

“Attending events and getting involved in the residence has helped me meet some of my closest friends.”

“It’s the community I needed outside of class to feel like I’m home.” 

Looking to make a difference in the residence, Rei knew he wanted to get involved on the dons team to help students navigate the problems he once faced when coming to Canada.

“Being a don allows me to continue building relationships in the residence while giving back to the community and the students here.” 

As the dons prepare to welcome more new students into the residence in Winter 2025, Rei has found being a resident to be rewarding and fulfilling in more ways than he could imagine.

“I’m grateful to be a part of this team and community, which has given me so much.”

To learn more about St John’s residence, visit our website. 

To submit your application for Winter 2025 accommodations, contact our Dean of Residence.

Last year, the college was proud to present $200,000 worth of scholarships to students from faculties including, Science, Arts, Engineering, Asper School of Business, Nursing, Health Sciences, Graduate Studies, Law, Indigenous engagement, and University 1 students.

Our recipients go through their own academic journeys to receive these awards every year. Today we are proud to highlight two student stories about what these scholarships mean to them. 

Doris Goubran, who joined the college from high school, is studying in the Faculty of Health Sciences. She is working towards her bachelor’s, hoping to get into the College of Nursing. In a competitive field like Health Sciences, Doris not only received gratification from her scholarship this year but also proved to her that she has what it takes to follow her nursing dreams.   

“It encouraged me to keep doing and to pursue my medicine dreams that I hope to accomplish one day. Being in a competitive faculty is super nerve-racking and intimidating, but my hard work has paid off, and this scholarship proves that to me.”

Like Doris, Catherine van Reenan, a Ph.D. student in the religion department, received not only gratification from her scholarship recognition but also the opportunity to travel abroad. After hearing the news of her scholarship, Catherine can now attend one of her bucket list conferences in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she will have the opportunity to meet professionals whom she has looked up to since beginning her post-secondary education. 

“People who have written for me for this scholarship gave me validation that I’m meant to be pursuing my Ph.D. and will now help me in attending a conference that I’ve always dreamed of attending. It’s a niche to my field, and I’m excited to learn from inspiring people.”

The college would like to thank its generous donors for their continued support towards these scholarships and bursaries.   

Apply for our final round of scholarships closing July 31. 

UM students must be a college member to apply.   

We recently spoke with Tawana, who has lived at St John’s since 2019, serving as a Senior Don (RA) since Fall 2022. She moved from Zimbabwe to study psychology and learned about the residence through people from her program. In our conversation, Tawana recounted how from the moment she walked into the residence for the first time, she knew it felt like home. Tawana is one of several students who lived at St John’s during the ups and downs of the pandemic: navigating virtual classes, quarantines, and lockdown restrictions, and helping keep fellow residents safe as part of her role as Senior Don, all the while building close friendships that will last a lifetime.  

Brothers Bryan and Neil have likewise lived at St John’s through the pandemic, with Bryan having called St John’s College home for the past three years and Neil joining him in Winnipeg in January 2022. Coming from a small Ghanaian community, these two weren’t sure what to expect when they moved to Canada; however, it didn’t take long for both to jump headfirst into College culture by attending sporting events, getting involved in Residence and Student Councils, applying for scholarships and bursaries, volunteering to enhance their professional development, and enjoying delicious food.  

Speaking of delicious food and events, here are a variety of benefits residence students get as part of life at St John’s:  

• Single occupancy rooms where students can have their privacy and room wifi. 
• Our comprehensive all-you-care-to-eat meal plan offering 19 meals per week including halal meal plan. 
• Access to residence common rooms including our TV lounge and games room. 
• Access to scholarships and bursaries available only to College members. 
• Academic support, including advisory help and access to a dedicated residence study lounge.    
• 24-hour access to the College campus, including after-hours access to classrooms and meeting rooms for studying or working on group projects.   
• 24/7/365 interpersonal support and referral from a committed team of Dons.   

If you are looking for a place to call home as you study at the University of Manitoba this fall, apply now to St John’s residence. 

During our recent conversation, Raihanah (currently a fourth-year psychology student) spoke of finding a home in the residence community both as she’s worked towards her academic degree and during her three years as a Don. As she’s found her voice and become part of the community, she’s experienced the residence as a place where she could try new things and build life-long friendships. 

“The college residence has allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and build leadership and community skills. I was nervous yet excited about what it offered when I walked into the college. From the benefits students receive at the residence, like the delicious Daily Bread Café food, accessibility to events and academic help, it’s an accessible accommodation for all students.” 

Living at St John’s college residence offers students more than just a place to live. Students are welcomed into the community through events, connections with staff, and the following benefits that come with your stay:   

• Weekly meal plan from the Daily Bread Café, including snacks on Sunday night and during exam periods 
• Affordable laundry services   
• Student council opportunities to build professional development   
• Access to monthly events planned by the student residence council   
• Access to St John’s college services, including St John’s library, Daily Bread Café, lockers, college classrooms, and Chapel and Chaplaincy services.   
• Dedicated lounge 
• Housekeeping services include cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, and garbage removal.   

Whether you’re an international or domestic student, everyone is welcome to St John’s college residence. In hosting students from all over the world, we are a diverse community that looks to bring people together to build community.   

For residence rates and information, click here to visit our website.   

To submit your application and join our residence, click here to apply!   

For more information about our residence, contact Matthew Bowman, Dean of Residence.