Bright Minds Gather for the IIDR’s 5th Annual Trainee Day

Today marked the 5^th Annual Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) Trainee Day – an event dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the work of the IIDR’s students and postdoctoral fellows.

Throughout the day, this year’s theme – Innovation in Infectious Disease Research – was explored through a series of scheduled talks and an unprecedented 40 poster presentations.

Special guests included UBC’s Dr. Bob Hancock, who delivered a keynote address on the future of antibiotics, and the family of Michael Kamin Hart – a promising second-year IIDR Master’s student who passed away in 2011 following a courageous battle with lymphoma.

Michael’s family, who was in attendance to congratulate this year’s winners of the Michael Kamin Hart Memorial Scholarship, was presented with a framed copy of his last published paper by his then-supervisor, former IIDR member Justin Nodwell.

Since 2012, the Michael Kamin Hart Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to a Master’s student who demonstrates academic excellence, leadership, and the same enthusiasm for science that was evident in Michael.

This year, thanks to the generous support of Michael’s family and friends, the IIDR has expanded this prestigious scholarship to include a summer undergraduate award and a PhD award. This year’s winners are Kali Iyer (undergraduate), Netusha Thevaranjan (Master’s) and Andrew King (PhD).

“In a short time, this scholarship has established itself as one of the most prestigious a trainee can achieve,” says King. “I feel honoured that my science can be a small part of Michael’s legacy, and I extend my deepest thanks to the Hart family for their generosity and vision.”