“This event is all about the grad students. It provides opportunity for them to present their research, refine their communication skills and be recognized for their achievements through the large suite of awards,” said Dr. Samantha Pauls, assistant professor at the College of Pharmacy and co-chair of the MSHRF.

There were 24 poster awards and 22 travel awards tied to the poster competition this year. The top 10 PhD students were given the opportunity to represent the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the national poster competition at next year’s International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM) in Vancouver.

“After participating in many virtual research forums after starting my PhD in 2019, it is nice to be back to in-person events to really interact with others and have those in-depth, one-on-one discussions that were not possible in a virtual format,“ said Emma Martell, a fourth-year graduate student in the department of pathology, Max Rady College of Medicine.

Martell took home a record-breaking six awards, including the top poster award, ICAM travel award, the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba major award and all three available oncology awards. Martell’s poster presented part of her thesis work on the discovery of new strategies for targeting cells related to aggressive childhood cancers.

Emma Martell won six awards at the poster competition during the MSHRF

“It was an incredible feeling, and I am so pleased that the judges and committees enjoyed and appreciated the research work I’ve done. Of course, research is a team effort and I am so grateful to all the students, technicians and collaborators that helped me with this research. I am especially thankful to my supervisor and mentor, Dr. Tanveer Sharif, who fostered a supportive and encouraging lab environment that made all this work possible,” said Martell.

Although the name is different, the MSHRF follows a tradition over 30 years in existence. Starting out as a simple poster competition, what was once called “Awards Day” has evolved and grown over time, with the original founder Dr. Ed Kroeger, professor emeritus, Max Rady College of Medicine, continuing to guide the event.

“Amidst the changes, the four key pillars envisioned by Dr. Kroeger many years ago still guide us today: mentoring, networking, showcasing and recognizing,” said Pauls.

This year the MSHRF also included nine early career researcher presentations from prominent faculty members from all five Rady Faculty of Health Sciences colleges, along with networking events with Manitoba-based alumni, employers and mentors.

There were over 250 registered participants in the MSHRF with graduate students representing 70% of those in attendance. The Health Sciences Graduate Students’ Association (HSGSA) along with additional graduate student volunteers assisted in the planning and execution of MSHRF on multiple levels, including hosting a student networking event in the evening and sponsoring several of the awards. 

“I have participated every year since I started my program and I continuously learn new tips, tricks and techniques to improve my presentation style,” said Martell.

“If it is your first time presenting a research project, then the MSHRF is a great place to practice in a friendly local environment to prepare for larger conferences.”

Judges from nine UM faculties volunteered to assess each project based the official judging criteria to determine the winners for cash prizes in five different categories: applied sciences, creative works, health sciences, natural sciences, and social sciences and humanities. The competition is hosted by the office of the vice-president (research and international).

The 2023 Undergraduate Research Poster Competition winners were announced in the following categories:

Applied Sciences

1st– Bailey Paziuk (Biosystems)
Project: Investigation of the effect of pre-treatments on microstructural
Research Supervisor: Chyngyz Erkinbaev

2nd– Ayushi Pattharwala (Biosystems Engineering)
Project: Simulating Clumping to Better Understand Grain Dynamics Surrounding entrapment and engulfment in grain bin
Research Supervisor: Jitendra Paliwal

3rd– Anna Macdonald (Food and human nutritional sciences)
Project: Biofilm Formation Abilities of Salmonella Enteritidis Strains
Research Supervisor: Claudia Narvaez

Creative Works

1st– Alina Bilonozhko (Environmental Design, Architecture)
Project: Unstacking the Deck: A Game of Change
Research Supervisor: Lisa Landrum

2nd– Cole Marotta (Environmental Design, Architecture)
Project: Canadian Architecture Forums on Education: Connecting Canada
Research Supervisor: Lisa Landrum

Health Sciences

1st– Deesha Nayar (Genetics)
Project: Investigating the role of enhanced Th-17 differentiation in inflammation and HIV-1 susceptibility
Research Supervisor: Thomas Murooka

2nd– Khushali Trivedi (Biological Sciences)
Project: Citrullination of Complement Proteins in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Research Supervisor: Liam O’Neil

3rd– Lukas Lam (Genetics)
Project: Exploiting the SCF Complex to Identify Novel Therapeutic Targets in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
Research Supervisor: Kirk McManus

Natural Sciences

1st– Diviansh Pandey (Biological Science)
Project: Populus response to salinity and herbivory stress
Research Supervisor: Sylvie Renault

2nd– Le Kim Long Nguyen (Human Nutritional Sciences)
Project: The Impact of Dietary Essential n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid, Alpha-linolenic acid, on Brain Oxylipin Profile in Male and Female Mice
Research Supervisor: Harold Aukema

3rd– Nadia Braun (Environment and Geography)
Project: Comparing Remotely Sensed Temperature Data in Jones Sound
Research Supervisor: Karen Alley

Social Sciences and Humanities

1st– Lydia Gork (Indigenous Studies)
Project: Métis History and Relationality
Research Supervisor: David Parent

2nd– Kyla Wiens (Psychology)
Project: “I’m not alone”: A qualitative analysis of the BEAM program forum
Research Supervisor: Leslie Roos

3rd– Nathan Mathews (Psychology)
Project: Playing with Fire: Exploring the Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Future Risks
Research Supervisor: Daniel S. Bailis

Prizes of $500, $300 and $200 (totalling $5,000) will be awarded to the top three posters in each of the following categories:

• Applied Sciences
• Natural Sciences
• Health Sciences
• Social Sciences/Humanities
• Creative Works

The Poster Competition will take place Thursday, March 16, 2023 at UMSU University Centre, and is open to UM undergraduate students who:

• Are enrolled at the University of Manitoba as an undergraduate student
• Have a University of Manitoba advisor
• Are on track to get a University of Manitoba Undergraduate Degree Registration is open until February 28 at 4pm.

The Undergraduate Research Poster Competition is a recognized UM Co-Curricular Record activity, and all participants will be recognized.

Congratulations to the Faculty of Arts students who came away as award winners in the Social Sciences and Humanities category:

1^st – Madeline Belows
Poster – How families are coping with COVID-19: A qualitative analysis of differential family experiences based on maternal depression symptomology
Supervisor – Dr. Leslie E. Roos, Assistant Professor, Psychology

2^nd (tie) – Taryn Gaulke
Poster – The Association Between Marital Satisfaction and Coparenting Quality: A Meta-Analysis
Supervisor – Dr. Jennifer Theule, Associate Professor, Psychology

“I entered the competition with the hopes of simply highlighting our findings of the pandemic’s impact on family functioning and how depression has influenced this. Having the opportunity to present among my peers was a great chance to shed light on the struggles families have been facing over the past two years,” said first place winner Madeline Belows, a third year Psychology honours student who conducted her research as part of a UM Undergraduate Research Award. “As a student who has recently begun my research endeavours, winning this competition has inspired me to continue down this path and gives me hope for my future as a researcher.”

Belows poster 2021

Gaulke poster 2021

Faculty of Arts undergraduate students regularly participate in the annual competition and often come away as winners for their research.

Congratulations as well to the additional 12 Arts students who entered their research into the competition. The areas of research spanned Economics, Global Political Economy, History, Labour Studies, Psychology and Sociology and Criminology.

The competition, organized by the University of Manitoba’s Office of the Vice President Research and International, supports diverse forms of scholarship across disciplines and provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to share their work while advancing research prospects. During the virtual competition, rather than speaking to judges about their research in-person, students submitted a PDF poster and an accompanying 3-minute video explaining their research.

Posters are judged on scholarly, scientific and creative content, graphic representation, clear objectives and conclusions, effective communication and overall impression and significance of the research. All participants receive UM Co-Curricular Record recognition.

To view the student posters and presentation recordings from all categories, visit the competition webpage.

Judges assessed each project based on official judging criteria determining winners for cash prizes in five different categories: applied sciences, creative works, health sciences, natural sciences, and social sciences and humanities. The competition is sponsored by the office of the vice-president (research and international).

“Though a virtual competition, the experience gained in preparing a poster is an exercise in knowledge translation,” said Dr. Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research and international) and Distinguished Professor. “One that makes your research accessible to a broader audience than those working in your discipline: to other students, faculty and the public. I thank and congratulate all of those students who embraced the new format and entered this year’s competition.”

Prizes of $500, $300 and $200 were awarded to the top three posters in each of the following categories:

APPLIED SCIENCES

1st – Jordan Krenkevich, Faculty of Science

Project - Using machine learning to suppress the skin response in breast microwave sensing
Supervisor: Stephen Pistorius

2nd – Mateus Braga, Price Faculty of Engineering

Project - Auto-link UAV to CAD: Software to bridge the gap between UAV design optimization and CAD
Supervisor: Philip Ferguson

3rd – Anh Thi Dang, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Project - Effects of pre-treatment on phenolic compounds in yellow and black Mustard
Supervisor: Usha Thiyam-Hollander

CREATIVE WORKS

1st – Max Sandred, Faculty of Architecture

Project – Theatres of architectural imagination
Supervisor: Lisa Landrum

2nd – Mathew Glowacki, Faculty of Architecture

Project – The effects of different urban scenarios on urban wildlife
Supervisor: Kamni Gill

3rd – Lindsay Mamchur, Faculty of Architecture

Project – Atget and I: A comparative photographic reading
Supervisor: Susan Close

HEALTH SCIENCES

1st – Katrina Leong, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

Project – Building on patient experience to develop an approach to transitional care in heart failure management
Supervisor: Gayle Halas

2nd – Amy Fernando, Faculty of Science

Project – Preventing mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in the lipid exposed cardiomyocyte
Supervisor: Joseph Gordon

3rd – Tooba Razi, Faculty of Science

Project – Exploring FBXO7 as a candidate chromosome instability gene in colorectal cancer
Supervisor: Kirk J. McManus

NATURAL SCIENCES

1st – Andrea Sutherland, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources

Project – A case study on greenwashing by Manitoba Hydro
Supervisor: Stephane McLachlan

2nd – Guneet Uppal, Faculty of Science

Project – Structure elucidation of a platinum complex by x-ray crystallography
Supervisor: David Herbert

3rd – Danielle Fowke, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources

Project – The effects of  oil drilling noise on reproductive success of chestnut-collared longspur (Calcarius ornatus) in Western Canada
Supervisor: Nicola Koper

SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

1st – Lily Pankratz, Faculty of Arts

Project – Trends in mental health service utilization according to perinatal status: Results from a nationally representative sample
Supervisor: Kristin Reynolds

2nd – Hannah Derksen, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Project – Exploring challenges faced by the charitable food sector in Manitoba during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic
Supervisor: Natalie Riediger

3rd – Bronwen Grocott, Faculty of Arts

Project – Associations between pain characteristics & suicidality Across chronic pain conditions
Supervisor: Renée El-Gabalawy

The majority of the student competitors were past recipients of Undergraduate Research Awards that provided them with an opportunity to Experience Research under the mentorship of a professor, during a summer placement.

In addition to the cash prizes up for grabs, the participating students find the experience valuable in developing their communication skills, networking opportunities, learning how to do create a poster, as well as a deep sense of pride in their research accomplishments.

This year’s winners are:

Applied Sciences

1^st – Jordan Krenkevich (Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science)
Project – Development and 3D Printing of MRI-Derived Breast Phantoms for Microwave Imaging
Research Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Pistorius

2^nd – Arpan Singh (Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering)
Project – A Two-Phase Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis on Blade Coating Process
Research Supervisor: Dr. Scott Ormiston

3^rd – Delica Leboe-McGowan (Computer Science, Faculty of Science)
Project – A Privacy-Preserving Deep Learning Framework for Genomic Data
Research Supervisor: Dr. Noman Mohammed

Creative Works

1st – Lindsay Mamchur (Environmental Design, Faculty of Architecture)
Project – Reading Photographs: Robert Adams’ Sunday School
Research Supervisor: Dr. Susan Close

2^nd – Samantha Miller (Landscape and Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture)
Project – Canadian Urban Strategies
Research Supervisor: Dr. Richard Perron

3^rd – Daniel Roscoe (School of Art)
Project – A Brief History of Winnipeg Photographic Salons/Exhibitions
Research Supervisor: Dr. Oliver Botar

Health Sciences

1^st – Ally Farrell (Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science)
Project – Evaluating Chromosome Instability in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patient Samples
Research Supervisor: Dr. Kirk McManus

2^nd – Philip Kawalec (Human Anatomy & Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine)
Project – Evaluation of Temozolomide and Irinotecan combination therapy in human rhabdomyosarcoma cells
Research Supervisor: Dr. Saeid Ghavami

^3rd – Morgan Hiebert (Microbiology, Faculty of Science)
Project – Evaluating the Synergistic Impact of Genotoxic Stress and Diminished SKP1 or RBX1 Expression on High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Pathogenesis
Research Supervisor: Dr. Kirk McManus

Natural Sciences

1^st – Nils Refvik (Physics & Astronomy, Faculty of Science)
Project – Analysis of THz Time-Domain Etalon Systems for Material Property Extraction
Research Supervisor: Jacob Burgess

2^nd – Eric Vasas (Chemistry, Faculty of Science)

Project – Exposure Assessment and Biomonitoring of Iskatewizaagegan No. 39 Independent Nation
Research Supervisor: Dr. Feiyue Wang

3^rd – Jordan Kroeker (Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science)

Project – How does human sewage effluent affect the thermal tolerance of Arctic amphipods?
Research Supervisor: Dr. Ken Jeffries

Social Sciences and Humanities

1^st – Sasha Kullman (Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management)
Project – Adjusting exercise identity when times change: Self-compassion and reactions to the exercise identity challenge of new motherhood
Research Supervisor: Dr. Shaelyn Strachan

2^nd – Shannon Senanayake (Psychology, Faculty of Arts)

Project – Perception and Action : Effects of Priming and Illusions on Visually Guided Grasping
Research Supervisor: Dr. Jonathan Marotta

3^rd – Anna Stacey [Computer Science (Faculty of Science), Linguistics (Faculty of Arts)]

Project – The Bro Project
Research Supervisor: Dr. Veronica Loureiro-Rodriguez

Yang Peng earned second place and Océane Perham earned third place in the Creative Works category. Both Yang and Océane are fourth year students in the Environmental Design program – Architecture Option. Both submitted posters resulting from summer work as 2018 Undergraduate Research Award winners, supervised by Dr. Lisa Landrum.

Yang’s winning poster, entitled The History and Myth of Lu Ban, presented a graphic novel-like conversation between the mythic Greek architect Daedalus and the comparable figure in Chinese history Lu Ban. The imaginary dialogue about poetic and ballistic construction is based on readings of primary sources, including the philosophical texts of Mozi (a rival of Confucius) and the mythology of Lu Ban, recorded in chronicles of the Tang Dynasty.

Océane’s winning poster, entitled The Architecting Protagonist: Re-telling Ancient Narratives, features interpretive illustrations of ancient comic plays that have cunning architect characters. Océane’s original graphics retell stories of Plautus and Hesiod in ways that show the persistence of cunning, creativity and ethical dilemmas in architectural practice.

To read more about all the winners of the 2018 Undergraduate Research Poster Competition, click here: http://news.umanitoba.ca/2018-undergraduate-research-poster-competition-winners-selected/?utm_source=waag&utm_medium=email

The 2019 Undergraduate Research Award application deadline is January 25^th, 2019. Interested students are encouraged to review the information posted on the Experience Research website:

http://umanitoba.ca/research/experience_research/about.html.