Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Award Recipients
2026
The 2026 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Medical Student Research Awards are:
Fergani, Jazmin – Identifying Master Regulators of Radiation Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer as Novel Therapeutic Targets
(Supervisor: Dr. Sujeenthar Tharmalingam)
Fraaz, Hamza – Defining the Functional Role of HIF-1α in Therapy Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
(Supervisor: Dr. T.C. Tai)
Hakim, Muhammad – Outcomes of patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer treated with chemoimmunotherapy- part of CASCADE arm of CARMABROS
(Supervisor: Dr. Abhenil Mittal)
Lewis, Alexis – Influence of Coronary Artery Dominance on Outcomes in Patients With Anterior ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Analysis
(Supervisor: Dr. Rami Abazid)
Marathe, Vaibhavi – Epigenetic Regulation of FRA1-Mediated Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal transition (EMT) in Cervical Cancer
(Supervisor: Dr. Sujeenthar Tharmalingam)
Marrone, Massimo – Transcatheter Repair of Mitral Valve Leaflets Perforation: Literature Review
(Supervisor: Dr. Rami Abazid)
2025
The 2025 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Curwin, Angelina – Evaluating a transitional housing program for people who use substances (PWUS) who experience homelessness and live with a mental health issue
(Supervisor: Dr. Kristen Morin)
Lewis, Alexis – Investigating frailty as a correlate of adverse events and survival in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy
(Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Verschoor)
McKellar, Madison – Assessing Implementation and Effectiveness of Community of Practice Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (CoP-KaT) to Address Burnout and Mental Health Challenges among Frontline Workers in Rural Northern Ontario
(Supervisor: Dr. Ryan Patchett-Marble)
Ribey, Samantha – Examining the Rate of Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) within a Northwestern Ontario Population
(Supervisor: Dr. Olexiy Aseyev)
Rosso, Christopher – Use of dlhydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD) genomic testing before treatment with 5-fluoropyrimidines in cancer patients
(Supervisor: Dr. Ioannis Voutsadakis)
2024
The 2024 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Charbonneau, Meredith – Assessing Implementation and Effectiveness of Community of Practice Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (CoP- KaT) to Address Healthcare Worker Burnout in Rural Northern Ontario
(Supervisor: Dr. Ryan Patchett-Marble)
Couture, Luc – Blood immune profile as a tool for neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy treatment success in breast cancer patients
(Supervisor: Dr. Hoang-Thanh Le)
Fenlon, Cassandra – Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer in Clinical Practice – Availability, use and influence of molecular biomarkers on therapeutic decisions and on cancer outcomes in colorectal carcinoma patients
(Supervisor: Dr. Ioannis Voutsadakis)
Shortreed, Hannah – Wholesale cardiac Imaging Surveillance with Echocardiography and Radionuclide Assays during breast cancer chemotherapy (WISER study)
(Supervisor: Dr. Olexiy Aseyev)
Yeo, Melissa – Colorectal cancer in patients over 80 years old: Characteristics and treatment
(Supervisor: Dr. Ioannis Voutsadakis)
2023
The 2023 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Houle, Del John – Substance use stigma among first responders and emergency department staff in a northern Ontario community: Raising awareness and understanding barriers
(Supervisor: Dr. Valerie Primeau)
Klem, Alexandra – Investigating the immunotherapy potential of PARP inhibitors
(Supervisor: Dr. Hoang-Thanh Le)
Labelle, Alyssa – Words still matter: Embracing “PLEX” shouldn’t be this comPLEX in spinal cord injury
(Supervisor: Dr. James Crispo)
Newberry Orrantia, Mateo – Assessing Implementation and Effectiveness of Community of Practice Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (CoP-KaT) to Address Healthcare Worker Burnout in Rural Northern Ontario
(Supervisor: Dr. Ryan Patchett-Marble)
2022
The 2022 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Clark, Megan – Wholesale cardiac Imaging Surveillance with Echocardiography and Radionuclide Assays during breast cancer chemotherapy (WISER study)
(Supervisor: Dr. Olexiy Aseyev)
Klem, Alexandra – Investigating anti-cancer compounds for novel immunotherapy applications
(Supervisor: Dr. Hoang-Thanh Le)
Labelle, Alyssa – Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury: Using Administrative Claims Data to Examine Long-Term Health Outcomes and Healthcare Utilization
(Supervisor: Dr. Melanie Squarzolo)
Leroux, Julie – Exploring cultural program supports for Indigenous patients with opioid use disorder: Indigenous provider perspectives in a pandemic
(Supervisors: Dr. Marion Maar, Dr. Darrel Manitowabi and Dr. Lorrilee McGregor)
Rheault-Henry, Mathieu – Obesity Paradox in Cardiac Surgery
(Supervisor: Dr. Rony Atoui)
2021
The 2021 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Bagha, Imran – Evaluating a Novel Method for Enhancing Cardiopulmary Resuscitation
(Supervisor: Dr. Samuel Peters)
Bartolucci, Dana – Case control study in Northeastern Ontario breast cancer patients undergoing third generation chemotherapy (FEC-D or DD-ACT): Examining factors correlated with the development of PICC-related DVTs
(Supervisor: Dr. Lacey Pitre)
Chown, Allison – 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Hydrochloride (5-ALA)-Guided Surgical Resection in Newly Diagnosed High Grade Gliomas
(Supervisor: Dr. Amparo Wolf)
Kelly, Dayton – Project 1 of 2: Examining Causal Relationships between Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Onset of Cardiovascular Diseases of the Heart: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
(Supervisor: Dr. James Crispo)
Rheault-Henry, Mathieu – Aortic valve replacement using sutureless valves
(Supervisor: Dr. Rony Atoui)
2020
The 2020 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Anthes, Christina – Management and outcomes of endocarditis among people who inject drugs
(Supervisor: Dr. Yoko Schreiber)
Dmitriew, Caitlin – Barriers and facilitators affecting implementation of a decision aid for the diagnosis of acute aortic syndrome: a qualitative study
(Supervisor: Dr. Robert Ohle)
Mellerup, Miranda – A systematic review of the mental health screening tools used in correctional institutions: A Northern Ontario perspective
(Supervisor: Dr. Maryana Kravtsenyuk)
Moncrief, Brooke – WE:CAN: Investigating the risk of increasing or acquiring breast cancer associated lymphedema from participating in a 10-week exercise program
(Supervisor: Dr. Ian Newhouse)
Shin, Daseul – Contemporary Outcomes of Aortic Dissection in Northern Ontario
(Supervisor: Dr. Rony Atoui)
2019
The 2019 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Cuninghame, Sean – Development of a Brief, Culturally-Relevant Screening Tool to Assess Risk of Dropout Among Individuals Enrolled in Opioid Agonist Therapy in Northern Ontario
(Supervisor: Dr. John Coccimiglio)
Davies, Vanessa – Study of centrosome 17 amplification in breast cancer
(Supervisor: Dr. Ioannis Voutsadakis)
Hammell, Jennifer – Perceived Stress Levels of NOSM Medical Students
(Supervisor: Dr. Sayali Tadwalkar)
Madigan, Mariah – Improving informed consent of cardiac surgery patients using a multimedia-based approach
(Supervisor: Dr. Rony Atoui)
Mailloux, Rebecca – Neurodevelopmental Disorders among Forensic Psychiatric Adult Patients in Northern Ontario
(Supervisor: Dr. Maryana Kravtsenyuk)
Payne, George – Standardized Nutritional Support and Wound Care Outcomes at Sault Area Hospital
(Supervisor: Dr. Lucas Castellani)
2018
The 2018 recipients of the Mach-Gaensslen Summer Student Research Awards are:
Beruar, Ananya– Evaluating the impact of Nerve Growth Factor dysregulation in patients with pain and opioid-dependence (Supervisor: Dr. David Marsh)
Fontaine, Jesse- miRNA Regulation in Hypertension and Low Dose Radiation Models (Supervisor: Dr. TC Tai)
Nenadov, Ocean– Phase I: A chart audit to investigate high-frequency emergency department users, their health demographics for chronic pain and practice patterns of opioid provision” ( Supervisor: Dr. Bryan MacLeod)
Prevost, Chad– Effect of retinoids on disease progression in a mouse model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (Supervisor: Dr. Alexander Moise)
Shahi, Niharika– Is there any benefit of interventional radiologists performing guided biopsies? (Supervisor: Dr. Radu Rozenberg)