This year’s celebration honoured 10 exemplary individuals, including a Chancellor Emeritus and a Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

Congratulations to all the 2025 honourees.

Chancellor Emeritus

Chancellor Dave Angus and President Michael Benarroch present Anne Mahon with certificate for Chancellor Emeritus.

Ms. Anne Mahon served with distinction as the University’s 14th Chancellor from 2019 to 2025, where she brought compassion, wisdom, and a deep commitment to community to her role. A bridge-builder and philanthropist, Ms. Mahon is known for connecting people and inspiring positive change. Her work at the intersection of storytelling, community-building, and education has amplified the voices of those marginalized and often unheard.

Ms. Mahon has dedicated herself to volunteerism and advocacy, including working closely with United Way Winnipeg, founding and facilitating the Bookmates Book Club at the Women’s Correctional Centre, and volunteering with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, Humankind International, and Palliative Manitoba. Her leadership and compassion have left an enduring mark on the University of Manitoba, thereby earning the title of Chancellor Emeritus.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Chancellor Dave Angus and President Michael Benarroch present Leslie Roos with certificate for Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

The University of Manitoba was honoured to confer upon Dr. Leslie Roos the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. An influential scholar and innovative leader in population health and health policy research, Dr. Roos joined the University of Manitoba in 1973. Over the course of his distinguished career in the Faculties of Administrative Studies (now the Asper School of Business) and Medicine, he helped establish the university as an international centre of excellence in health services research and data-informed policy.

As a founder of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, Dr. Roos led the creation of its internationally respected population health database, enabling groundbreaking studies on the health and well-being of Manitobans. He has played a central role in training and inspiring a generation of researchers whose work continues to shape Canadian health systems and stands among the most influential contributors to health policy research globally.

Professor Emeriti:

• Dr. Harold Aukema
• Dr. Ying Chen
• Dr. Kevin Coombs
• Prof. Herbert Enns
• Dr. Elissavet Kardami
• Dr. Eberhard Renner
• Dr. Wayne Simpson
• Dr. Qiang Zhang

To learn more about the 2025 honourees, please visit the Emeritus/Emerita Titles webpage to read their individual citations.

Emeriti titles are one of several awards given annually by the university in celebrating and recognizing the success of colleagues and other distinguished individuals. Learn about the university awards nomination process.

It’s a rare disease.

“In Canada for this year, an expected one in 4,100 patients will be diagnosed with (multiple myeloma). Unfortunately, there’s no cure yet. So that means, again, sadly, that everybody diagnosed with the disease today would die,” said Dr. Sabine Mai, a professor with the department of physiology and pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba.

To read the entire story, please follow the link with Global News Winnipeg. 

The annual event is inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989, and unites the world’s greatest minds that are breaking down barriers in science, society and innovation.

“I am grateful and absolutely humbled to have been able to represent the University of Manitoba at such an important event,” said De Leon, an MD/PhD candidate in the Max Rady College of Medicine. “It was amazing to share the stage with 100 passionate thinkers and dreamers from countries all around the globe who are trying to face the world’s greatest challenges head on.”

De Leon gave his presentation, Breaking the Wall of Prenatal Diagnostics, at Manitoba Falling Walls Lab, held at Smartpark in September.

“The presentations in Berlin were phenomenal and broadened my perspective of what I thought possible,” De Leon said. “During one of the days of the conference I took my skateboard and, little did I know, holding a skateboard while wearing a suit was an incredible invitation for networking. I created many lasting relationships with new collaborators who share the goal of bringing humanity back into medicine.”

De Leon also won first place at the 2021 UM Three Minute Thesis finals, where he took home the Dr. Archie McNicol Prize.

The Manitoba Falling Walls Lab competition is hosted by the Partnerships, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation office, supported by many partners from inside and outside UM, to elevate ideas of UM community members with the potential to reshape the future of science and humanity.

“It was mind-blowing being in Berlin among so many global innovation leaders, sponsored by the European Research Council and many of the German U15 research-intensive universities,” said Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, associate vice-president (partnerships, knowledge mobilization and innovation) at UM, who was in Berlin for De Leon’s presentation.

“UM participation at Falling Walls provides access to a global innovation network and is perfectly aligned with our vision for the newly launched Idea Start program. Canada had a great showing, and the pitch by Dina Rogers from Dalhousie University entitled Biological Plastic Degradation was the 2024 global Falling Walls Lab winner.”

The Falling Walls Science Summit showcases breakthroughs to tackle today’s major global challenges, such as climate change, health crises and technological upheavals. Get involved on the Manitoba Falling Walls Lab webpage. What walls will you break?

Nolan De Leon, 2024 Falling Walls Manitoba winner.

Falling Walls Lab is an international competition, created by the Falling Walls Foundation, inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.  It promotes research and innovation in all disciplines, by posing the question, “Which walls will fall next?” 

Nolan De Leon (Dr.MD, PhD) won the grand prize sponsored by InfoMagnetics Technologies. The prize includes $1000 cash along with airfare and accommodations in Berlin, Germany to compete in the global Falling Walls competition finale Nov. 7 to 9 with their presentation, Breaking the Wall of Prenatal Diagnostics.

Megan Crooks (MA Clinical Psychology) won the second-place prize of $750 sponsored by Research Manitoba, with the presentation entitled, Breaking the Wall of Phantom Pain Prevention.

Anastasia Matsko (Dr.Med/PhD) was the third-place finalist winning $500 sponsored by QDoc Virtual Healthcare with the presentation Breaking the Wall of Dental Implants.

Sajad Saraygord Afshari (PhD, P.Eng, Postdoc), won the Audience Choice award of $500 sponsored by Red River College Polytechnic for the presentation, Breaking the Wall of AI-Powered Drone Work: Revolutionizing Wildfire Prevention.

“The Falling Walls Lab is an important opportunity to showcase the world-class research happening every day in Manitoba and I would like to thank the large community who came together to bring this celebration to life,” said Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, Associate Vice-President Partnerships Knowledge Mobilization & Innovation. “Students are the greatest drivers of change in addressing the pressing challenges faced by society and by empowering entrepreneurs and innovators across disciplines we can make these great ideas a reality.”

Congratulations to all the presenters for sharing their exciting research and being a part of this second Falling Walls Manitoba event:

• Mahdi Zakeri (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Bone Loss & Healing
• Abhinav Tiwari (Agriculture & Food Science): Breaking the Wall of Grain Drying
• Juanita Garcia (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Exercise in Spinal Injury
• Venkata Daggupati (Computing & Information Science): Breaking the Wall of Emergency Room Challenges
• Anastasia Matsko (Engineering & Technology): Breaking the Wall of Dental Implants
• Hussein Agoushi (Architecture & Urban Studies): Breaking the Wall of Community Silence
• Samantha Phrakonkham (Healthcare & Technology): Breaking the Wall of Eye Healthcare
• Sajad Saraygord Afshari (Engineering & Technology): Breaking the Wall of AI-Powered Drone Work: Revolutionizing Wildfire Prevention
• Amir Barzegar Behrooz (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Alzheimer’s Therapy
• Megan Crooks (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Phantom Pain Prevention
• Nolan De Leon (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Prenatal Diagnostics
• Carmine Slipski (Healthcare & Medical Sciences): Breaking the Wall of Oral Health Detection

Kirshenbaum is the recipient of the 2023 Dr. John M. Bowman Memorial Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation Award in recognition of the important impacts of his work to improve treatments for those living with heart disease and heart failure. Kirshenbaum is the Canada Research Chair in molecular cardiology. He was invested into the Order of Manitoba in 2023 and was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree from the University of Kragujevac, Serbia, in March of 2024.

UM Today caught up with him recently to learn more about his research.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your research.

My research interests lie in understanding the mechanisms of heart failure. When people have a heart attack, the heart muscle becomes damaged, ultimately resulting in heart failure, and for that, there is no cure.

When I was growing up, my grandparents had heart disease. One grandparent had diabetes and the other one had a heart attack. As a kid I was always very inquisitive about how things worked – I would take them apart and put them back together – and I wondered why the heart couldn’t just be fixed after a heart attack.

We can replace the tires or the motor on a car, so why can’t we fix this pump that is so vital to life?

That fascination with understanding how things worked in general pulled me in this direction and instilled a love for science ever since. The idea of being able to pursue a curiosity in life and to chase down solutions to complex problems really drives me.

Why is this research important?

Heart disease is very prevalent. It’s the number one killer across North America next to cancer. One in three women have heart disease, so whether it’s our sisters, our aunts, our mothers or our friends, it reaches all of us.

We are developing a program at St. Boniface Hospital and UM focused on the specific needs of women with new drugs and therapies. The only real cure for heart failure, which is a devastating disease, is a heart transplant. Heart failure can be quite debilitating, not only for the affected individual but also for their caregivers and family, because it’s quite a life-altering disease.

Over the past 10 years, there has been movement in our field toward the understanding that heart disease in women is much different than it is in men. Most of the clinical trials, if not all, had previously been conducted in men. We are now learning that women develop different forms of heart disease.

Education is needed to identify the sometimes vague or undefinable ways heart disease develops in women. In my own research over the past 30 years on heart failure, I recognized this gap and as director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at St. Boniface Hospital, I’ve been able to address this need by building a research program that could be translated into better patient care.

What does the Rh Award mean to you?

I’m tremendously honoured to be recognized alongside so many giants in research excellence with this Bowman Award. It’s incredibly special because it’s the highest award UM bestows on its own faculty. It’s especially meaningful because the recognition is from my colleagues, for which I am deeply honoured.

I recognize the legacy of Dr. John M. Bowman and the significance of the Rh award. My sister was Rh negative with an Rh positive baby and Bowman’s WinRho serum resolved some issues during pregnancy.

It’s just a phenomenal honour to be recognized and I am gratified.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?

My long-term goal is to progress our women’s heart health research to a point where we’re able to develop new drugs and therapies for better patient care. I’m hoping that by building this program, we will not only improve the quality of life for both women and men living with heart disease in Manitoba, but around the world.

We’ve established partnerships with the Mayo Clinic, the Barbra Streisand Heart Center in Los Angeles at Cedar Sinai Hospital and other centres across Europe, which gives the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and UM tremendous reach for extending our global presence and building our research capacity. Our new researchers are already training and mentoring medical and graduate students, so there’s a multiplier effect driving an incredible momentum for our work.

What about you would people find surprising?

I have a passion for different cuisine. I love to cook and have always been amazed how food brings people together. I have different culinary interests beyond just flipping burgers on the barbecue. I very much enjoy preparing exotic dinners. Perhaps it’s the scientist in me that loves the mixing of ingredients to create something special for my friends and family to experience, with some of my creations better than others.    

I think research is really an art, and science is the language because in research, like art, we start off with a blank canvas and our curiosity guides the creativity and experimental design. I think testing an idea and realizing that you discovered something new is really art.

Any advice for early-career researchers and students?

I would say that at the very beginning you have to have passion. If you have passion, whether it’s science, whether it’s hockey, whether it’s art, then you have the drive to realize your dream.

When you have a dream then you’ll chase it regardless of what people say, but you will also need mentors. I recommend seeking a mentor, whether that’s in your field, whether that’s a personal mentor, whether it’s a spiritual mentor, it doesn’t matter. Mentorship has played a major role in my professional life.

I came out of some exceptional labs where I received great training by some who were themselves trained by Nobel laureates. My own greatest satisfaction is seeing someone who I’ve trained go on to something great, and then train another generation of scientists. To me, that’s the greatest satisfaction, knowing I made a difference.

UM Knowledge Exchange is an important opportunity for UM researchers to share emerging knowledge with members of the public and the wider UM community. UM Knowledge Exchange is hosted by the Associate Vice-President Research, with support from the UM Learning for Life Network.

Each year more and more children in Manitoba present with the life-disrupting disease type 2 diabetes. Why is this happening, which children are at highest risk how it impacts health and quality of life, and what can be done to best care for children living with disease? 

Moderator

Allison Dart MD, MSc FRCPC or Vern Dolinsky PhD, associate professor, pediatrics and child health, Max Rady College of Medicine

Panelists

Brandy Wicklow MD, MSc FRCPC Associate Professor, pediatrics and child health, Max Rady College of Medicine

Christine Doucette PhD, Associate Professor, Physiology and Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine

Meaghan Jones PhD, Assistant Professor Type 2 diabetes in children, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine

Samantha Bonneteau, Parent Advisor, Next Generation DREAM study

Diabetes in Children, May 8, 7pm-8:30pm (CDT) at Degrees Diner. UM Knowledge Exchange is a hybrid event with in-person and online options to attend.

Please register by May 3 to join the discussion.

Add Diabetes in Children to your calendar. Coffee and other refreshments will be provided, and the kitchen at Degrees Diner will be open for specialty coffee and full food service. Parking is available with registration.

Or join us for online viewing 7 pm CDT to watch the live stream. Participate during the live session by asking your questions via email to: Research [dot] Communications [at] UManitoba [dot] ca

The seven-part UM Knowledge Exchange panel-discussion series is ongoing until May 2024. More details can be found on the UM Knowledge Exchange webpage.

CRCs are world leaders in their field funded by the Government of Canada in the areas of natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities. “These symposia were a wonderful opportunity for researchers to get to know each other’s specialties, and to spark new collaborations with students and the wider community,” says Mario Pinto, Vice-President (Research and International). “I thank all the CRCs for their groundbreaking contributions to address the issues faced by society today.”

This thought-provoking look at current UM research is available to view online, each featuring a brief presentation from the gathered CRCs followed by a question-and-answer period with the audience.

CRC Symposium 1, February 2, 2023 – Fort Garry Campus

Featuring presentations from: Heather Armstrong, Chair in Integrative Bioscience; Guozhen Zhu, Chair in Mechanical and Functional Design of Nanostructured Materials; Trust Beta, Chair in Grain-Based Functional Foods; Eric Collins, Chair in Arctic Marine Microbial Ecosystem Services; Britt Drögemöller, Chair in Pharmacogenomics & Precision Medicine; Ned Budisa, Chair in Chemical Synthetic Biology and Xenobiology; Lori Wilkinson, Chair in Migration Futures; Jason Kindrachuk, Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public Health; Sabine Mai, Chair in Genomic Instability and Nuclear Architecture in Cancer; Jörg Stetefeld, Chair in Structural Biology and Biophysics; Carl Ho, Chair in Efficient Utilization of Electric Power; and Nandika Bandara, Chair in Food Proteins.

CRC Symposium 2, February 27, 2023 – Bannatyne Campus

Featuring presentations from: Tracie Afifi, Chair in Childhood Adversity and Resilience; Robert Lorway, Chair in Global Intervention Politics and Social Transformation; Janilyn Arsenio, Chair in Systems Biology of Chronic Inflammation; Puyan Mojabi, Chair in Electromagnetic Inversion for Characterization and Design; Annette Desmarais, Chair in Human Rights, Social Justice and Food Sovereignty; Zulma Rueda, Chair in Program Sciences & Global Public Health; and Kathryn Sibley, Chair in Integrated Knowledge Translation in Rehabilitation Sciences.

CRC Symposium 3, March 28, 2023 – Fort Garry Campus

Featuring presentations from: Ties Boerma, Chair in Population and Global Health; Kiera Ladner, Chair in Miyo we’citowin, Indigenous Governance & Digital Sovereignties; Rotimi Aluko, Chair in Bioactive Peptides; Zahra Moussavi, Chair in Biomedical Engineering; Terry Klassen, Chair in Clinical Trials; and Galen Wright, Chair in Neurogenomics.

CRC Symposium 4, April 24, 2023 – Bannatyne Campus

Featuring presentations from: Lisa Lix, Chair in Methods for Electronic Health Data Quality; John Ataguba, Chair in Health Economics; Nicole Wilson, Chair in Arctic Environmental Change and Governance; Lorrie Kirshenbaum, Chair in Molecular Cardiology; Meghan Azad, Chair in Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease; and Kristine Cowley, Chair in Function and Health after Spinal Cord Injury.

CRC Symposium 5, May 16, 2023 – Fort Garry Campus

Featuring presentations from: Kristina Brown, Chair in Arctic Marine Biogeochemistry; Nicole Rosen, Chair in Language Interactions; Robert Mizzi, Chair in Queer, Community & Diversity Education; Samar Safi-Harb, Chair in Extreme Astrophysics; and Susan Logue, Chair in Cell Stress and Inflammation.

CRC Symposium 6, June 19, 2023 – Bannatyne Campus

Featuring presentations from: Andrew Halayko, Chair in Chronic Lung Disease Pathobiology and Treatment; Colin Gilmore, Chair in Applied Electromagnetic Inversion; James Blanchard, Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public Health; Marcelo Urquia, Chair in Applied Population Health; and Souradet Shaw, Chair in Program Science & Global Public Health.

UM has an allocation of 50 CRCs funded by the Government of Canada in the areas of natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities. CRCs are frequently recognized in Manitoba and around the world, for their leadership in wide-ranging fields, such as maternal and infant health, in Canada and the United States, and overseas in Uttar Pradesh, India.

“Researchers are motivated by the impacts of their work to improve lives of people in our communities, and around the world,” says Mario Pinto, Vice-President (Research and International). “These symposia are an opportunity to spark new and exciting collaborations across disciplines between researchers, students, and the wider community. I hope that everyone will join us for this thought-provoking look into the groundbreaking research taking place every day at UM.”

RSVP by June 15 to join the sixth CRC Symposium

Monday June 19, 2023, at 2pm

Theatre C / Buhler Atrium, Basic Medical Sciences Building, Bannatyne Campus

This is a hybrid event, with both in-person and online options to attend. All are welcome.

Presenters at the upcoming June 19 Symposium will include:

• Andrew Halayko, Tier 1 Chair in Chronic Lung Disease Pathobiology and Treatment, Max Rady College of Medicine (Physiology)
• Colin Gilmore, Tier 2 Chair in Applied Electromagnetic Inversion, Price Faculty of Engineering (Electrical & Computer Engineering)
• James Blanchard, Tier 1 Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public Health, Max Rady College of Medicine (Community Health Sciences)
• Marcelo Urquia, Tier 2 Chair in Applied Population Health, Max Rady College of Medicine (Community Health Sciences)
• Souradet Shaw, Tier 2 Chair in Program Science & Global Public Health, Max Rady College of Medicine (Community Health Sciences)

You can show your support for Alagarsamy by casting your vote for him for the People’s Choice award. The ballot will be available on May 25 here.

Before Alagarsamy travels to Saskatoon for regionals, UM Today spoke to him about his research in UM’s department of physiology and pathophysiology and his plans for the future.

HOW DID IT FEEL TO WIN UM’S 3MT COMPETITION?

I was experiencing a blend of excitement and relief which was the culmination of my hard work and dedication toward crafting a prize-worthy presentation. The daily effort and the stress that had built up over time dissipated when I was announced as the first-place winner, which was both joyous and satisfying. Moreover, this achievement significantly bolstered my self-confidence, serving as a powerful reminder of my abilities and potential to excel in future endeavors.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH

Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide and in Canada which costs the government over 2 billion dollars every year collectively. Heart disease leads to heart attack which impairs the normal functioning of your heart slowly compromising your ability to do any work. Hence using stem cells and nanomaterials I am trying to regenerate the damaged heart post heart attack so that offers the patients a solution to lead a normal life.

I find it interesting how machines and materials can heal humans. I’ve always felt that the study of biology makes it easier to understand the mechanics of machines in the body hence I was able to pursue my higher education in these fields so that I can learn and make an impact so that one day I can give something back to society.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO PURSUE AS A CAREER?

Following the completion of my PhD, my aspirations include pursuing a postdoctoral research position in a renowned laboratory. My ultimate goal is to establish myself as an independent researcher/professor at a prestigious North American institution, focusing on the cutting-edge field of regenerative medicine.

The competition challenges graduate students to present their research, in French, before a non-specialized audience and panel of judges in only 180 seconds (or less), using a single, static slide.

On April 19, four graduate students – Camila Chacon, Diane Tshikudi, Patti Germann, and Courtney Marshall – each showcased their research to judges and the online audience. The competition was hosted by Dr. Jean-Eric Ghia, professor at the University of Manitoba and Honorary Consul of France in Winnipeg

“This competition highlights the presence of francophone students in our university, a pool of students who contribute to the advancement of knowledge and participate in developing a scientific culture in Canada,” says Ghia. “Through that competition and the spread of their research, they are a major vector for enrichment.  I would like to thank all the participants for their engagement through their community and their contribution en Français.”

First place, sponsored by the association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) Manitoba, was awarded to Camila Chacon, a master’s student in the department of physiology and pathophysiology.

Chacon, a recipient of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Research Completion Scholarship in 2021, hopes that her research will help lead to advancements in optimizing therapeutics for individuals living with spinal cord injuries.

Second place, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, was awarded to Diane Tshikudi, a doctoral student from the department of immunology.

A recipient of the 2021 Mindel and Tom Olenick Research Award in Immunology, Tshikudi intends to establish herself as an independent researcher, working on better understanding inflammatory diseases and developing therapeutic approaches to help improve patients’ care.

All members of the UM community are encouraged to tune in and support her as she advances to the Acfas national final*, held in-person on May 11, 2022, at 6:30 PM EST at le Théâtre de la Cité universitaire in Laval University.

Third place, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, was awarded to Patti Germann, a doctoral student in French, Spanish and Italian.

“It is a great testament to these students that they can discuss their research for a lay audience in French. They have found a way to successfully communicate their ideas and inspire others with their passion and drive”, says Kelley Main, acting dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. “I would like to congratulate all the competitors and wish Diane the best as she competes at the finals.”

The link to watch the UM final can be found here.

*The rules stipulate that only PhD students can advance to the Canadian Finals, and as Camila is a Master’s student, Diane will be advancing to the ACFAS final. The national final will be held on May 11, 2022.