Manitoba Student Health Research Forum showcases work “on the cutting edge of change.”
Over 200 students from across Manitoba gathered at the Bannatyne campus on June 16 and 17 for the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ annual Manitoba Student Health Research Forum (MSHRF).
The event included a student poster competition featuring 214 research posters, two memorial lectures, networking events, a professional development workshop and a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in research.
MSHRF began 37 years ago as Research Days and was founded by UM Professor Emeritus Dr. Edwin Kroeger to bring together Manitoba’s medical research community. Since then, it has evolved to reflect the broader health research landscape, welcoming participants from a range of disciplines.
Roughly, 90 per cent of the posters in competition were from graduate students at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, with representation from all six colleges. Other students represented UM’s Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Winnipeg and Brandon University.
“We have about 20 per cent more poster abstracts than last year, which was unexpected,” said Dr. Samantha Pauls, assistant professor at the College of Pharmacy and MSHRF chair.
Forty-two students received poster awards, with 18 of them also earning travel grants to support their continued research and professional development.
Hon. Mike Moroz, Minister of Innovation and New Technology, praised the “incredible work” to a large crowd gathered in the Brodie atrium for the closing awards ceremony.
“You’re on the cutting edge of change in our province and in our society, and I want to take every single minute possible to celebrate you and the work that you’re doing,” he said.
Samuel Ogunsola, a PhD candidate in physiology at the Max Rady College of Medicine, received two awards – a Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF) poster award and a Dr. Ed Kroeger Travel Award, which supports travel for outstanding PhD students from the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences to attend the International Congress on Academic Medicine in Montreal in 2027.
Ogunsola conducts research under the supervision of Dr. Jiuyong Xie, a professor of physiology and pathophysiology at UM. His research focuses on RNA splicing, a critical cellular process.
“I love the fact that my research directly impacts people by helping us understand why diseases occur,” Ogunsola said.
Mahin Hasan, a second-year PhD student in the College of Pharmacy, also received a MMSF poster award and a Dr. Ed Kroeger Travel Award. He presented research on the implementation of pharmacogenetic testing for adult patients receiving mental health care in Manitoba.
“With over 200 presenters, being recognized among one of them is both inspiring and meaningful to me. It also motivated me, boosted my confidence, and encouraged me to continue my current research that I'm doing, which has a direct impact with society,” said Hasan.
Lea Soliman, a master of science (M.Sc.) student from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, won the Dr. Forough Khadem memorial award at the M.Sc. level. The award is given by the Health Sciences Graduate Students' Association.
“This was a great way to end my graduate student journey. It feels very rewarding and I feel very lucky to be honoured by the community that supported my journey for all these years,” she said.
Eight major awards sponsored by non-profit partner organizations were given to senior PhD students this year. Among these was the Manitoba Lung Association Major Award for Research in Lung Health, which was awarded for the first time in three decades.
Dr. Andrew Halayko, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in lung pathobiology and treatment, was the last person to receive the honour in 1996 and was instrumental in bringing the award back.
This year’s award was presented to Saeid Maghsoudi, a PhD candidate in cardiopulmonary disease.
“Receiving this award from the Manitoba Lung Association is especially meaningful to me because the association previously supported my PhD research through its studentship program,” Maghsoudi said. “As I move forward, I remain committed to pursuing research that advances our understanding of lung disease and contributes to discoveries that can ultimately improve patients’ lives.”
A core element of the forum is the inclusion of two memorial lectures that feature award winners from the previous year.
The Prowse Memorial Lecture featured Dr. Zohaib Siddiqi, winner of the 2025 Prowse Prize for Clinical Research, which is given annually by the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME).
Dr. Mojtaba Hosseini delivered the E.L. Drewry Memorial Lecture. Hosseini won the 2025 E.L. Drewry Award, which is given to the top research award winner from the Max Rady College of Medicine. Hosseini is a post-doctoral research fellow in the college’s internal medicine department.
Marina Costa Fujishima was named the winner of this year’s E.L Drewry Award. The winner of the Prowse Prize will be named at a later date by PGME.
For nearly 150 years, UM has transformed lives through groundbreaking research and homegrown innovation. We push the boundaries of knowledge and do the hard work here in Manitoba to move our community and the world forward. With a spirit of determination and discovery, we are shaping a better future for our province and beyond.
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