The UM biochemistry grad enjoyed the job, but it wasn’t fulfilling his interest in biomedical science. When he saw a posting for a master’s student to work in a UM lab that studies chronic lung diseases, he knew the time was right to return to school.

The research project he’d be undertaking focused on how maternal smoking during pregnancy increases a baby’s chance of developing asthma. Aguilar himself had asthma as a child.

“This project is just really close to my heart,” he says.

Many published studies have shown that exposure to cigarette smoke in the womb increases a person’s risk of asthma and other inflammatory lung diseases.

“What no one knows is how that actually happens,” says Aguilar, 28, who was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Manitoba in his teens.

“How does the mom’s smoking get relayed to the developing child? That’s the knowledge gap.”

Some scientists have assumed that the communication pathway must be the umbilical cord, Aguilar says. “My research is novel because no one has looked at the amniotic fluid – the liquid that surrounds the baby inside the womb.

“We know that the developing fetus, for proper lung development, breathes amniotic fluid in and out. But there’s not a lot of knowledge of the normal chemical messengers that are present in amniotic fluid.”

Aguilar’s supervisor was Dr. Christopher Pascoe, associate professor of physiology and pathophysiology in the Max Rady College of Medicine and researcher with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.   

Aguilar received funding of $20,000 from Research Manitoba. He has completed his master’s degree and is now a first-year UM medical student. We spoke with him about his master’s project.

What was involved in the study, and what were your findings?

To recruit the pregnant participants for the study, we piggybacked on a placenta study at the University of Alberta. Our collaborators there obtained samples of amniotic fluid from 32 participants at the time of giving birth. The participants were asked whether they had smoked during pregnancy.  

Here in the lab, we tested the amniotic fluid for 99 different chemical messengers called cytokines, comparing the fluid from smokers and non-smokers. We found that the amniotic fluid from study participants who smoked contained a lot more cytokines that are associated with inflammation.

Since we can’t run tests on developing fetal lungs, we then exposed adult lung cells in the lab to the amniotic fluid to see if it affected their function. We measured the cells’ function by using an electric current.

We found that the amniotic fluid from participants who smoked actually increased the cells’ functioning in some ways. We think it’s because there are so many kinds of cytokines playing different roles in the fluid, and this needs more study.

The bottom line is, we have shown that amniotic fluid alters the function of lung cells. To my knowledge, we are the first in the world to demonstrate this. In both 2024 and 2025, I had the honour of presenting my research at the American Thoracic Society conference.

What made you decide to enrol in medical school?

A lot of my master’s courses were taught by clinician-scientists like Dr. Richard Keijzer (professor of surgery) and Dr. Shyamala Dakshinamurti (professor of pediatrics/child health and physiology). That came as the inspiration: I can do research and be a doctor as well.

I’m really interested in pediatric surgery. And long-term, I want to have my own lab. I want to have an intervention role in medicine, and also have a big research arm alongside that, and have both be complementary to each other.

What did you learn from your master’s studies that is helping you in medical school?

The problem-solving skill – being able to think through problems and solve them with the information you have, but also being able to look for information to solve your problems – that has helped me a lot.

Another thing you learn in grad school is resilience, because most of the time, your experiments will not work. Having that resilience to keep going is a big thing that I’m bringing to medical school.

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents

Then, about five years ago, a cousin pursued genealogical research and verified the Métis identity of Bouchard’s mother’s family.

“It was a community that I should have been a part of, growing up,” says Bouchard, a 26-year-old graduate student. “At first, I felt a sense of loss and anger at my ancestors for hiding it.

“But as I learned more about the reasons why families hid their Métis ancestry, I shifted to understanding the system of colonialism and oppression. I’m ‘re-membering’ myself as part of the Métis community.”

Bouchard, now a card-carrying citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), holds a bachelor’s degree in biology. He is pursuing his master of science at the College of Pharmacy. His supervisor, assistant professor Dr. Anna Chudyk, has expertise in engaging patients in health services research.

For his master’s research project, Bouchard is planning what he believes is the first study of the health-care experiences of Manitoban Métis people living with congenital heart disease. He’s partnering with the MMF to recruit participants, and he’ll use the Indigenous qualitative research method of traditional sharing circles to collect the data.

“We need distinct, culturally based Métis health research,” he says. “Collaboration is key. Métis patients will be involved from the design of the study to the data analysis.

“We’re planning to do one urban and one rural sharing circle. Métis Elders will be involved. We want to make sure we’re doing our research in a way that promotes Métis voices.”

People born with congenital heart disease – the term for various types of structural heart defects – are surviving much longer than they used to because of advances in pediatric care, Bouchard says.

Many now live long, full lives, but they still require specialized cardiac monitoring. For example, a patient might need a heart valve replacement every 20 years.

Because Indigenous people, including Métis citizens, face many barriers to equitable health care, they are probably less likely to receive appropriate continuity of care for congenital heart disease, Bouchard says.

Roughly 30 per cent of all patients with the disease receive no adult cardiac care after transitioning out of pediatric care, he says. Indigenous patients, who are already disadvantaged in the health system and may live far away from heart specialists, are even more at risk.

“A lot of times, Indigenous patients are blamed for not seeking followup care,” Bouchard adds.

The research study will give participants a safe place to share the positives and negatives of their health-care experiences. The sharing circles will be guided by questions such as, “What is one message you wish you could tell health-care workers?”

It’s essential to listen respectfully to people with lived experience, Bouchard says. “Having the patients in the sharing circle drive the conversation is the best way for us to become informed about what needs to change.

“You can’t just rely on Westernized methods of large data collection and numbers and stats. You have to get the stories of the patients.”

Bouchard hopes his findings will demonstrate the research value of sharing circles and help to inform health-care decisions about the supports and services that Métis patients need.

“If you’re going to make a policy change that’s going to affect how Indigenous people interact with the health-care system, those stakeholders have to be at the table the whole way through,” he says.

Bouchard hopes the next step in his journey will be admission to medical school. “What I would like to do, potentially, is to be a leader in Indigenous health as a Métis physician, and try to give back to this community.”

Instead, she enrolled in the College of Nursing’s master’s program, with hopes to improve the province’s rural health-care system. 

Wilcox currently lives in Treherne, Man., about 120 kilometers southwest of Winnipeg, and just north of Cypress River, where she grew up. 

UM Today spoke with Wilcox about her decision to return to UM and her thesis. 

What got you interested in nursing? 

Helping people has always been part of my life. I’m from a farm background, so it’s kind of in my blood and innate. I went into nursing on a bit of a whim. I was in the second year of my science undergrad degree, but I wasn’t enjoying it. So, then I went into nursing and I loved it, and I stayed. It might sound cheesy, but I sometimes think nursing chose me more than I chose it at the beginning, and now it’s the other way around. 

You received $20,000 in funding from Research Manitoba for your project titled Rural Nurse Leader Perceptions of Practice Environment Empowerment Structures. How does it feel to be recognized in this way? 

Being awarded this funding has been an honour. To be recognized by Research Manitoba for my nursing research and bringing awareness to Manitoba’s rural health care is truly fulfilling. It reassures me that I am where I am supposed to be. 

Can you describe your research and why you see it as important? 

I’m aiming to investigate rural nursing leaders, to understand their organizational structures. The number of nurses in rural Manitoba is always decreasing due to workplace stress, dissatisfaction and those kinds of issues. Empowered nursing leadership is important to improve our current work environments. Our leaders play a significant role in creating those positive work environments, which in turn has an impact on rural nursing retention and recruitment and ultimately quality of patient care. 

I’m hoping this research will provide some insight into possible systemic changes that need to occur and provide our nursing leaders with support. We need to have people in leadership positions who are thriving and inspiring other nurses, especially our new graduates and older nurses who are retiring. At the end of the day, nurses love their jobs. In my career, I have yet to meet a nurse who is doing their job for the money. They are nursing because they love people and want to see them thrive and survive.  

What got you interested in this area of research? 

I’ve been a nurse for about 10 years now. COVID complicated a lot of things. After my maternity leave, I knew in my soul that I didn’t want to go back and provide suboptimal care to patients. I was burnt out during the pandemic and had some personal health issues. I couldn’t keep working in the environment the way it was, and I wanted to hopefully elicit positive systemic change. I felt that the best way I could do that was to go back to graduate school, apply myself in an educational context and dedicate myself to facilitate positive changes in our health-care system in Manitoba, more specifically for our rural residents. They are more challenged accessing the same health care as their urban counterparts. 

What is next for you? 

I’m not sure yet. Coming into this, I was set on getting my master’s and then hopefully get into some form of policy development or workforce employment. But there has been some discussion with Dr. Judith Scanlan, my advisor, about going the PhD route with my thesis. That is intriguing to me, and I haven’t closed the book on that opportunity.  

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

Brandt, who identifies as queer, grew up on a farm outside of Blumenort, Man. with a passion for arts and photography. He spent a few years working as a health care aide and was inspired by the nurses he worked with and his older sister to enter the nursing profession.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree from Red River College, he worked for three years in emergency nursing in Winnipeg before deciding to pursue graduate studies. He joined the master’s program in 2021, with a focus on its clinical stream, and continues to work part time as an emergency nurse. 

UM Today spoke with Brandt to learn about what motivates him and their experience as a master’s student at UM. 

Can you describe your research and why you see it as important? 

I am exploring two research questions with my thesis. Broadly, what are the experiences of nurses who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in providing nursing care in Winnipeg? And how do nurses who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ that I interview think their identity affects their practice?  

In grad school, I worked on a project looking at the history of queer and trans nurses. And it felt like I was uncovering this unwritten history, or this rich history, about queer and trans nurses within the profession that I hadn’t known about before. So, I think listening to the experiences of nurses who are 2SLGBTQIA+, will have really meaningful implications for why we need increased diversity within curriculum and the workplace.  

What got you interested in this topic? 

I saw a stark contrast between my undergraduate nursing education and working in clinical practice. In my undergraduate education, I did not see people who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in the curriculum, student body or faculty. Yet in clinical practice, I met nurses who were strong allies for their patients and colleagues who identified as 2SLGBTQIA+, and also met nurses who identified as 2SLGBTQIA+. This caused me to delve into the history of experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ nurses, which I found research lacks in, and I wanted to fill that gap with my own research. 

My experiences working as a nurse, experiencing and witnessing homophobia, transphobia, heteronormativity and cisnormativity, inspired me to research if other nurses have similar experiences and ultimately create positive change within the profession and patients. 

You received $20,000 funding from Research Manitoba for your project titled The Lived Experiences of Nurses Who Identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ in Providing Nursing Care Within an Urban Prairie Setting: An Interpretive Descriptive Study. How did it feel to be recognized in this way?  

Receiving funding from Research Manitoba was validation that my research is needed within health care. It is an honour and bolsters my confidence that I am the right person to do this work. I often think about the phrase “nothing about us, without us,” which applies to my identity being an asset in doing research with nurses who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. 

What are your future plans? 

I went into the program thinking I wanted to be a clinical nurse specialist. I recognize that there are not very many clinical nurse specialist jobs in Manitoba, but hopefully that can change. I would love to see a specific clinical nurse specialist position for 2SLGBTQIA+ patients to help navigate the system and provide specialized care, so that’s an option. I didn’t think of myself as a leader, or the possibility of working in leadership, but now that is a possibility. And also furthering my studies – I never imagined myself getting a nursing degree, never mind a master of nursing degree, so doctoral studies is an option as well. 

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

Nguyen-Lu, 34, was born and raised in Winnipeg.  Her parents moved to Manitoba as refugees from the Vietnam War in the 1980s. She has always been interested in health care as a way to give back to the community.

She started the master’s program in 2020 and bridged into the PhD in nursing program the following year.

UM Today spoke with Nguyen-Lu about her research and passion for helping Manitoba’s future nurses.

What got you interested in nursing?

My parents divorced when I was young, so I grew up in a single-parent household with my dad moulding me into the person I am today. When he was escaping from Vietnam on a small boat, he made a promise to himself that if he survived this journey and made it to a new country where he could settle, he would make a new life for himself but also never forget where he came from. In addition to supporting his family back home, he also gives back to our local community through food donations and other acts of kindness. For me, being a nurse allows me to give back to my community in the best way possible. 

Trinh Nguyen-Lu

Can you describe your research and why you see it as important?

I will be looking at new nursing grads in Manitoba, and that period when they’re entering the workforce. We all know that health care can be a stressful environment to work in. People talk about resilience, but I think you also need a good set of coping strategies to be able to thrive in that environment.

I became interested in research when I started working as a clinical instructor at UM, educating a new group of students about what it means to be a nurse. I saw so many students come through that were really strong, but then all of a sudden they struggled in a testing situation. I saw a lot of students fail because they were overwhelmed. And it’s not that they don’t have the knowledge, because I know they do. I’ve seen them practice, they have the skills and have been engaged the entire time.

How did your clinical work inspire your research?

I saw a lot of my co-workers, especially during the pandemic, leave the bedside early in their careers. Not everyone will leave the profession completely, but some will just because they’ve had enough. I’m hoping that through my study, I’ll be able to support the new grads a bit better so they can thrive in the environment, so they can manage and stay working as a nurse. There’s always going to be sick people who need care, so we need people working at the bedside. 

I was working at the ICU around the time I came back to do my master’s. Seeing the new grads that came in to help lighten our loads really inspired me. I was able to teach these new grads the basics of caring for Manitoba’s critically ill. I realized new grads have the foundational knowledge to be a nurse, and with the proper supervision and support, it would be possible to teach them how to care for a critically ill patient.

What else motivates you to do this work?

I think it’s knowing that, down the line, I will be able to make a difference. I enjoy nursing. I enjoy teaching. I want the next generation of nurses to be as good as the previous ones, but right now, they need a little more support when they get out into the real world. The COVID-19 pandemic really changed their educational experience and the clinical setting.

I’m also hoping that whatever I discover specific to nurses can be adapted to other health professions as well, because we are never working by ourselves.

What are your future plans?

I would love to apply to be a professor at the College of Nurisng. I’d love to improve the undergrad program as much as we can so our new grads are thriving out there. We have no intention of leaving Manitoba and I want to see people get the best possible care here.

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

Bourque, 26, is working toward an interdisciplinary PhD in nursing and psychology. Her work is focused on the effects of cancer-related labels and language on adolescents and young adults who have had a cancer diagnosis.

Originally from New Brunswick, Bourque has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Crandall University and a master’s degree in psychiatry from McGill University.

Earlier this year, she received $210,000 over four years as part of the Canadian Cancer Society’s new master’s and PhD training awards competition. The organization awarded $3.34 million to 16 master’s students and 17 PhD students across eight provinces.

UM Today spoke with Bourque about her journey and passion for her research.

Can you describe your research and why you see it as important?

My research focuses on cancer-related language. One significant aspect involves re-evaluating terms like “survivor” or “fighter” to ensure they are more inclusive, recognizing that not everyone identifies with these titles during their cancer journey. I aim to foster language that respects the diverse range of individual experiences.

I’d like to carve out a dedicated space in cancer research that specifically delves into the unique experiences and psychosocial needs of adolescents and young adults. Recognizing the distinct challenges faced by this demographic is crucial for tailoring effective and empathetic support systems. Ultimately, the aim is to contribute to a more compassionate, responsive and supportive health-care environment for them.

What inspired you to pursue your field of study?

My own health journey is the fuel behind my decision to dive into research. Going through my own challenges made me realize the struggles others face, and I want to do something about it. I’m driven to find insights and solutions that can genuinely help people dealing with health issues like mine. Through research, I hope to turn my personal insights into something practical and positive.

What motivates you to do the work you do?

I’m genuinely driven by the idea of creating a positive impact in the world and seeing real, meaningful changes unfold. I am constantly brainstorming ways to make a difference in someone’s life. I view research as this incredible tool, not just for academics but for shaking things up in health care and enhancing the experiences of patients. My goal isn’t just to talk about change, but to ignite genuine, positive transformations that resonate with people on a personal and heartfelt level.

Why did you choose UM for your PhD?

There were a few reasons. First, I was lucky to connect with several faculty members, including my supervisor and committee members, who were excited about my work and ready to support me in my education and research. The College of Nursing houses many prominent academics at a number of phases in their careers, all of whom are ready to support grad students where possible. I was also excited about the opportunity to study and conduct research in an environment that values interdisciplinary education, as my project mixes the disciplines of nursing and psychology.

UM’s intimate and close-knit educational setting was also a factor. The prospect of more personalized interactions with professors and the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with fellow students aligns with my preference for a more collaborative and engaging academic environment.

What are your future plans?

I envision a future where I continue to immerse myself in the world of research. The idea of potentially stepping into a teaching role at a university also holds appeal. I also see a potential avenue in applying my expertise within health-care networks. The prospect of being a catalyst for positive shifts in health care, where my research can directly influence and enhance the well-being of individuals navigating the system, is a driving force in my aspirations.

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

The award was created in 2019 to recognize exceptional academic achievement, notable personal service and strong leadership skills of graduate students in the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Max Rady College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

“Congratulations to these superb graduate students,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (health sciences) and dean of Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. “They’ve accomplished so much already – and they’re only getting started. I look forward to following the careers of these hard-working and dedicated students who are making a difference here at UM and in our community.”

Each college could nominate one master’s student and one doctoral student. Colleges without a doctoral program could nominate two master’s students.

“On behalf of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, congratulations to this year’s recipients. Well-deserved,” said Dr. Hope Anderson, vice-dean of graduate studies at Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. “We look forward to seeing their continued success in the future.”

PRIZE WINNERS

Adam Brandt, a master’s student in the College of Nursing, aims to uplift the voices and the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ nurses to improve their work environments and subsequently the patients for whom they care. Brandt said their professors – especially the mentorship of Dr. Lynn Scruby – has been instrumental in their success as a graduate student.

“Winning this award is a recognition of my hard work volunteering in student leadership and in my community,” Brandt said. “It is validation and motivation to continue my involvement in my professional and personal life.”

Jess Crawford, a master’s student in the College of Nursing, is exploring gender inclusion and affirmation in nursing education and is looking for ways to advance nursing education towards equity for people of all genders. Crawford acknowledges their many unearned privileges, such as their whiteness, as contributing to their successes, and feels this award wouldn’t be possible without the trans and gender diverse people before them.

“It is my hope that this award is yet another stepping-stone towards success for all trans and gender diverse people, in particular fat, disabled and racialized trans people,” Crawford said.

Nolan De Leon, an MD/PhD student in the Max Rady College of Medicine, is studying how circular ribonucleic acids contribute to the development of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and how these microscopic rings can be used to diagnose CDH early in pregnancy, predict health outcomes and as a potential prenatal treatment. De Leon said he owes his success to the support of his lab members and the mentorship of his supervisor, Dr. Richard Keijzer.

“This award will serve as a reminder that the work that I do has the potential to save lives,” De Leon said.

Mikayla Hunter, a master’s student in community health sciences at the Max Rady College of Medicine, is researching the primary health-care experiences and needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ young adults with a specific focus on folks who identify as anything other than lesbian, gay or bisexual men, and binary transgender people. Hunter said they are beyond honoured to receive the prestigious prize. 

 “To be acknowledged as a queer researcher, especially in such a difficult time for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, is extremely important,” Hunter said. “I hope that other queer and trans students out there can see this and feel that they can achieve the same – because they can.”

Amy Kreshewski, who received her master of occupational therapy from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, completed her critical inquiry research project with a focus on increasing accessibility for rural and remote wheelchair service delivery and led to the development of an online maintenance resource for manual wheelchair users. Kreshewski said the award inspires her to continue to be a lifelong learner and engage with her community through volunteerism.

“Winning this prize will help me reach my goals as I transition into clinical practice and will serve as a reminder of the importance of building relationships, showing leadership and demonstrating social accountability,” Kreshewski said.

Elysa Sandron, who received her master of occupational therapy from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, completed her critical inquiry project with a focus on exploring the development of four student occupational therapists as culturally safe practitioners with Indigenous populations. Sandron said she is incredibly thankful to win the Dean’s prize. 

“I believe that the community I’m surrounded by contributed to winning this award,” Sandron said. “I have been supported by friends, family and faculty throughout my degree. Having a network of support relieved many of the everyday stresses of life and allowed me to contribute to my community.”

Maghsoudi, a third-year PhD student in physiology and pathophysiology at the Max Rady College of Medicine, is studying a disease called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a serious breathing problem in newborn babies. 

“The heart muscle and lung blood vessel muscles have opposite jobs at birth – the heart must contract harder and lung blood vessels need to relax to let blood flow,” Maghsoudi said. “These opposite events happen through a single system of signals inside the cell, called the adenylyl cyclase enzyme pathway. Adenylyl cyclase has ten types expressed in different parts of the body and lung blood vessels express mainly AC type 6 (AC6).”

His lab found that when a baby’s oxygen level is low, AC6 stops working and prevents lung blood vessel relaxation. Even if oxygen levels are increased, they couldn’t turn AC6 back on, he said.

Using cell and animal models of PPHN, Maghsoudi is trying to restart AC6 activity by designing a new drug that specifically targets the structure of AC6. His goal is to rescue the function of this enzyme in babies to treat PPHN.

UM Today sat down with Maghsoudi to learn about what motivates him and his experience as a PhD student at UM.

You received $17,850 in funding from Research Manitoba for a project titled Inhibition of Adenylyl Cyclase Isoform 6 by Cysteine Nitrosylation in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension and Rescue with Novel Forkolin Derivatives. What are your thoughts on receiving this funding?

I received my first Research Manitoba funding during my first year of my graduate studies which was so helpful, and I am grateful for this generous funding. It’s very important that you receive funding from a prestigious organization that believes your research is important. This new funding is a real motivation for me as well, and it’s helped me work hard towards my ultimate goal, which is to bring a new drug to babies. I now have a strong motivation in addition to a fresh feeling of purpose and commitment as a result of receiving this studentship.

What motivates you to do the work you do?

Losing a baby because you could not treat them is so devastating, that’s why I’m keen on pursuing my project. My supervisor, Dr. Shyamala Dakshinamurti, has always offered me guidance and mentorship with valuable insights, support and encouragement. She knows how to mentor graduate students. I also have very supportive lab members.

Why did you choose UM for your PhD?

The University of Manitoba has a strong academic reputation, known for its excellence in teaching and research in the fields of physiology and pathophysiology. In addition, I am working on a really fascinating project that combines biomedical sciences and medicinal chemistry.

What has been most rewarding during your time at UM?

I’m very humbled to be awarded several international, national and provincial scholarships at this university. Recently, my abstract was selected the best at the most prestigious conference of pediatric research worldwide, held in Washington, D.C., and I got the Society of Pediatric Research award. This is a huge recognition for me.

What do you love about science?

Science plays a crucial role in expanding our understanding of the natural world, from the fundamental laws of physics to the complexities of biological systems, leading to new discoveries. It allows people to make a positive impact on society. Our experience during COVID-19 shows how vaccines saved the lives of people around the world through science. You can bring something novel – something important to people – and that’s why I’m very interested in science. I want to always be involved in science, discoveries, finding something new like drugs – anything that can help save the lives of many people. That’s invaluable.

What are your future plans?

When you’re at the PhD level, the concern you have is deciding to go into either industry or academia. I’m very enthusiastic about research. I’m passionate about discovery. I want to bring something new to people or patients. If I go into industry, I won’t have this much opportunity I believe. I won’t have an opportunity to mentor students, which I am really fond of. I want to be a principal investigator after I complete my PhD.

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

She made a move to the Bannatyne campus to undertake the honours research project for her bachelor of science, supervised by Dr. Barbara Triggs-Raine, professor and department head of biochemistry and medical genetics.

After receiving the degree in 2021, Miao stayed on the Bannatyne campus, working as a lab technician.

She got so caught up in helping to plan a genetic study of hearing loss as a side effect of a cancer drug that she was inspired to pursue a master’s degree and become a researcher.

“I was involved in this project from the very beginning,” says the 24-year-old scientist, who is originally from the Philippines.

“It’s the perfect blend of wet lab and dry lab. The wet lab involves studying the effects of this drug on the inner ears of mice, so I have learned skills like cochlear dissection. The dry lab gives me a different kind of intellectual stimulation because it’s computer work, analyzing the datasets.”

Miao’s master’s supervisor is Dr. Britt Drögemöller, assistant professor of biochemistry and medical genetics and Canada Research Chair in pharmacogenomics and precision medicine in the Max Rady College of Medicine. Drögemöller is also a researcher with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) and the CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute.

Miao received combined one-year funding of $17,850 from Research Manitoba, CHRIM and CancerCare Manitoba for the study. We recently spoke with her about her research.

How would you explain what you’re investigating?

Cisplatin is a very effective chemotherapy drug that’s used to treat a number of kinds of cancer. Unfortunately, it can cause permanent hearing loss as a side effect, or adverse drug reaction. The term for the damage it can do to the cochlea – part of the inner ear – is “ototoxicity.” Child and geriatric cancer patients are at the highest risk for this.

Some studies have found genetic variants in humans that are significantly associated with cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. This means that depending on the expression of genes in a cancer patient’s inner ear cells, they may be more susceptible to this adverse effect. We want to better understand which genes, pathways and specific cells are involved.

We’re injecting mice with cisplatin and then examining the changes in gene expression in their ears. We’re using single-nuclei RNA sequencing and single-nuclei ATAC sequencing. We are the first to use these techniques together to investigate how cisplatin affects gene expression changes at the single-cell level in the inner ear.

What are some of the goals of this project?

If we can identify potential causal genes, that could potentially lead to finding drugs that can help prevent this hearing loss. Maybe a drug can be used in conjunction with cisplatin that won’t interfere with its chemotherapeutic abilities but will prevent the hearing damage.

With the information from our study, we are also developing and validating a polygenic risk score. This is a way of measuring how likely an individual is to develop ototoxicity when they take cisplatin, based on the presence of genetic biomarkers. For a patient with a higher risk score, other chemotherapy drugs could be considered as alternatives to cisplatin.

Are you interested in doing more in the area of precision medicine – this idea of tailoring drugs to the individual, based on their genetics?  

Yes. Dr. Drögemöller, my supervisor, has really been instrumental in my learning about precision medicine. Health care shouldn’t be “one size fits all.” As we know more about how genetics work, treatments are going to become more personalized and targeted to the individual.

I’m planning on transitioning to a PhD. Eventually I hope to have my own lab that will focus on finding out why certain people are more susceptible to adverse drug reactions. I also want to focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, because in research we need to consider that there are genetic differences between populations, and some populations have been understudied. 

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today this summer featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents

“I think this stethoscope is such a big symbol of medicine and the connection you have with patients, hearing their heartbeat and just hearing what’s going on with them,” Sen said. “It was very special finally getting it.”

Angel Sen

Sen and the 14 other new MPAS students were presented with stethoscopes as part of the Inaugural Exercises on Sept. 1 in Brodie Centre atrium on the Bannatyne campus.

Heading into the MPAS program, members of the Class of 2025 already have plenty of health-care experience. There are nurses, researchers and a diagnostic medical sonographer. They also have a wealth of volunteer experience – which includes work in ERs, ICUs and at CancerCare Manitoba.

Nikaela Hewat

First-year MPAS student Nikaela Hewat has worked as a nurse for the past eight years and she said it has provided her with an excellent foundation in medicine. She said it felt a bit surreal when she recited the Physician’s Pledge because it’s a big moment entering the MPAS program.

“I’m just excited to start this journey,” Hewat said.

Sen said that one of the main reasons she wanted to become a physician assistant (PA) was to have a positive impact on her community.

“Going to hospitals myself – if I have a family member sick or I’m volunteering there – I saw the impact good health care can have on the life of a patient and their family,” Sen said. “As a physician assistant, I think I will be able to have that kind of impact. So, I really wanted to go into this profession.”

The students were welcomed into the program at the Inaugural Exercises by PA Rebecca Mueller, interim program director and academic coordinator for MPAS.

“I want to emphasize that the journey you are about to embark upon is not an easy one, but it is a noble one,” Mueller told the MPAS students at the event. “You have chosen a profession that will allow you to touch lives and heal wounds and make a meaningful impact.”

Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (heath sciences), and dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and the Max Rady College of Medicine, addressed the audience and told the students that they are joining an exceptional program that trains outstanding physician assistants.

“I know this because many other provinces are trying to open programs like ours and they’re calling Rebecca [Mueller] constantly to find out how we’re doing it because they want to emulate that which we have, so you are in a fantastic program and I’m so happy we have you here,” Nickerson said. 

As well as the Stethoscope Ceremony and the Physician’s Pledge, Elder Margaret Lavallee gave a blessing, and speakers included Dr. Anna Ziomek, registrar for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, Dr. Ian Whetter, medical director for Ongomiizwin – Health Services, and PA Kali Braun, Manitoba Director, Canadian Association of Physician Assistants.