March Edition #1 | URSA Events, Research Opportunities, and More! 🔎🌐
Written by: Emily Martin, Hira Abid, Saba Halabisaz
Hey U of T Community!
Welcome to the first March edition of the URSA newsletter! 🎉 Stay in the know and read all about upcoming research opportunities, URSA events, and the latest campus news. 🌟 Check it out and stay connected with all that's happening in our vibrant research community! 💡
In This Issue:
URSA Updates
Research Opportunities on the Horizon
What’s new on Campus?
Publication Highlights
Event Recap: Synergy Cancer Research Conference 2025
Earlier this in February, we hosted the Synergy Cancer Research Conference, bringing together over 200 attendees to explore the latest advancements in cancer research. With support from the Department of Molecular Genetics and U of T Press, the event showcased the brilliance and dedication of both established and emerging researchers.
🔬 Conference Highlights
🎤 Keynote Speakers: We were honored to have two leading cancer researchers at the conference.
🔹Dr. Lincoln Stein – Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics; Director of Informatics & Biocomputing, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Dr. Stein presented his team’s work on applying machine learning to cancer biology, highlighting three AI tools designed to tackle critical cancer research challenges:
DeepTumour – AI system identifying the organ of origin in metastatic tumors
OncoGAN – Generates synthetic cancer genomes to enhance DeepTumour’s performance
React-to-me – Chatbot for exploring biological pathways and answering key research questions
🔹 Dr. Helen Dimaras – Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Dalla Lana School of Public Health; Director of Global Health Research, SickKids
Dr. Dimaras delivered an inspiring talk on Global Oncology & Precision Child Health, focusing on retinoblastoma research and global health equity. She shared her experiences in Kenya developing genetic services, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and collaborating with medical, scientific, and government leaders to make genetic testing and counseling more accessible.
🗣 Student Speakers
We were thrilled to feature 12 talented undergraduate researchers, who presented on a diverse range of topics, including:
✔ Cancer genetics
✔ Immunotherapy
✔ AI ethics in oncology
✔ Novel anticancer treatments
Their passion and expertise showcased the depth of innovation in undergraduate cancer research! Here are the top 3 winners from these talks!
Top 3 Student Speaker Winners
🥇 First Place: Devna Mehta
"Role of the Brain Tissue Biobank in Investigating Central Nervous System Pathologies and Human Behavior”
🥈 Second Place: Shay Meyer
"Stress and Depressive Symptoms in Women with Hereditary Cancer Syndromes Following Genetic Counseling and Prophylactic Surgery”
🥉 Third Place: Katerina Carrozzi
"Investigating the Effect of TET2 CHIP Mutations on the Development of Radiation-Induced Fibrosis”
📌 Poster Presentations
We had 20 poster presenters, sparking meaningful discussions and networking opportunities.
Top 6 Poster Presentation Winners
🔹 Troy Loewen – The Role of HER2 in Invasive Lobular Breast Carcinoma
🔹 Siman Wei – Investigating the Sufficiency of IL-17A in Inducing Upregulation of Collagen Expression in Human Primary Dermal Fibroblasts
🔹 Arhan Rupani – Understanding the Effects of Cis Multiple Mutations Using Biophysical and Evolutionary Approaches
🔹 Christina Plahouras – DNA Damage Response Inhibitors in Combination with Chemotherapy to Target Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Leiomyosarcoma
🔹 Adriana Goraieb – Cell Survival and Transcriptomic Impacts of the Anticancer Nutrient Quercetin
🔹 Maryam Naimi & Samridhi Bhardwaj – Utilizing Fluorescence Intravital Imaging to Investigate Bone Marrow Microenvironment Remodeling in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
A huge congratulations to all the winners!
A huge thank you to our speakers, presenters, attendees, and most of all, the URSA executives and volunteers for making this conference a success!
📢 Stay tuned for more opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research!
Event Recap: Long-Covid Science Case Competition
We recently hosted our very first Science Case Competition, focusing on Long-COVID (Post-COVID-19 Condition)—a complex health issue where symptoms persist weeks or even months after the infection. This competition challenged undergraduate students to think critically, analyze current research, and propose innovative solutions to this pressing medical concern.
Five teams worked diligently to develop compelling research proposals. They then presented their findings and solutions in a 10-minute pitch, evaluated by a panel of expert judges.
💡 Spotlight on an Outstanding Proposal:
One standout research proposal, "Machine Learning to Classify COVID Into Distinct Subtypes and Provide Tailored Treatment for Long COVID Conditions" by Patrick Zhou, Hannah Huynh, Rebecca Belashov, and Anzhe Wang, explored how AI could transform Long COVID care. Their research leverages machine learning to categorize Long COVID into distinct subtypes based on patient histories, genetic markers, and clinical symptoms—enabling personalized, precision-based therapies. With growing institutional support for AI-driven healthcare, their work highlights a promising future for data-driven, targeted treatment strategies.
A huge thank you to our participants, judges, and our two wonderful URSA executives, Sunny and Clara!
Research Opportunities Program Applications Now Open!!
Paid | Research Course | Deadline: March 16, 2025
The Research Opportunities Program (ROP) is a second- or third-year course in which you can join an instructor’s research project and earn course credit. ROPs are a wonderful way to engage in hands-on research at UofT. The 2025-2026 ROP courses are now accepting applications! Applications can be accessed on the CLNx portal for the students to consider and submit their application. For more information visit the ROP information page. Also, be sure to attend one of the upcoming information sessions happening on February 21, February 26, and March 10 for helpful applications tips.
Invite Health Newsletter Resource
We would love to share a valuable and completely free resource with our readers! Invite Health is a newsletter dedicated to life science and health science students, featuring insightful interviews with those pursuing diverse careers in healthcare—along with their unique journeys to success. It’s packed with resources, job opportunities, and expert advice on internships, grants, and more.
Founded by Sachi Chan, now a master's student at Oxford University, Invite Health was created as a platform to connect students with incredible opportunities and career insights. Don’t miss out on this must-read resource!
Celebrate World Cancer Day and URSA’s SYNERGY Cancer Conference this month by completing this crossword! The first person to complete the crossword correctly will be awarded a $15 cash prize. Please send us your answers via the form below!
Congratulations to Mia Sung for winning our November’s Movember Cross Word!
U of T MOTIONS | Ambassador Program 🫁🫀
The Multi-Organ Transplant Insight, Outreach and Networking Society (MOTIONS) is a University Health Network (UHN) affiliated club dedicated to raising awareness about organ failure and transplantation. Join MOTIONS ’Ambassador Program‘ and gain valuable training and represent our organ donation drives, making a real impact on lives!
This World Cancer Day (Feb 4), we highlight a groundbreaking study using explainable AI (xAI) and real-world patient data to improve cancer prognosis. Keyl et al. analyzed data from 15,726 patients across 38 cancer types, integrating clinical records, imaging, and tumour profiles to create AI-derived (AID) markers. Their xAI model identified 114 key markers influencing prognosis and uncovered 1,373 interactions between them, offering insights beyond traditional methods. The model outperformed common prognostic scores (UICC Staging, ECOG PS, Charlson Comorbidity Index) and a simplified Cox model with only ten selected variables.
Using layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP), the model assessed how each clinical variable contributes to risk. Higher CRP levels were linked to worse outcomes, especially with low platelet counts, while high fT3, PD-L1 TPS, and muscle volume were favourable markers. This study highlights how xAI can revolutionize personalized cancer care, helping doctors make better treatment decisions. On this World Cancer Day, we recognize AI’s potential to improve patient outcomes and transform cancer care.
Read the full article for more information. 🎗️