2016 PaLM Research Day
Niamh Richmond, Dr. Matthew Kubica, Dr. William Stecho, Xusheng Zhang, Derek Kleinsteuber, Rebecca Sullivan and Alice Tan.
We held yet another very successful Research Day on April 7, 2016 to celebrate our research and our researchers. The day began with the Paterson Lecture by Dr. Andrew Fire. To an audience of over 400, Dr. Fire presented his groundbreaking work for which he shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Craig Mello. To hear about Dr. Fire’s continuing pioneering work in understanding RNA interference machinery was truly inspirational. The Paterson Lecture was followed by an array of basic and clinical science oral presentations by graduate students and pathology residents. The topics presented covered a range of our research expertise including cancer pathogenesis, neuropathology, and stem cell biology among others. The lively scientific discussions continued over lunch and the poster sessions. Our researchers, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and postgraduate trainees, presented their key discoveries in health research. We set a new record with 62 presentations this year which is remarkable for any department. The day concluded with the presentation of the Research Day awards. Perhaps the most difficult task for our 22 judges this year was selecting the awardees among so many talented young researchers. We are proud of all of our researchers and congratulate the awardees on their exceptional performance.
2016 PaLM Research Day Award Winners:
Platform Presentation Awards
The Chair's Award for Best Clinical Science Presentation
Awardee: Dr. William Stecho, PGY4
Presentation: The role of the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway in cancer
The M. Daria Haust Award Best Basic Science Presentation
This award is given in recognition of Dr. M. Daria Haust’s many achievements in the Department of Pathology at Western and LHSC
Awardee: Niamh Richmond, MSc Candidate
Presentation: Transforming growth factor-β induces pluripotency genes in hemangioma stem cells through repressing T-box 2
Poster Presentation Awards
The Best Clinical Science Poster Presentation
Awardee: Dr. Matthew Kubica, PGY3
Presentation: Comparative utility of distal and mid esophageal biopsies in the diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis: a retrospective analysis
Best Basic Science Poster Presentation
Awardee: Anu Thomas, PhD Candidate
Presentation: Long noncoding RNA ANRIL regulates VEGF mediated angiogenesis in diabetic complications
Best Basic/Clinical Science Collaborative Poster Presentation
Awardee: Rebecca Sullivan, MSc Candidate
Presentation: Expression of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a and ghrelin in human heart failure
Best Undergraduate Basic Science Poster Presentation
Awardee: Alice Tan
Presentation: Expression levels of growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a and ghrelin in early diabetes
Other Awards
Master of Clinical Science-Pathologists' Assistant Graduate Research Award
Awardee: Derek Kleinsteuber
Presentation: Pathologic resolution based on treatment of Grade II/III arteritis in post renal transplant biopsies
Awardee: Xusheng Zhang
Presentation: Prevention of allograft rejection in heart transplantation through concurrent gene silencing of TLR and kinase signaling pathways
The Cameron Wallace Graduate Student Award in Pathology
This award recognizes a graduate student's achievement in both pathology research and course work. This award is given in recognition of Dr. Cameron Wallace who was the head of the Department of Pathology from 1965 - 1974.
Awardee: Niamh Richmond, MSc Candidate
