Clara’s research focuses on exploring patient and caregiver experiences in hospital-based inpatient palliative care units. Her lab is evaluating and validating a survey that assesses satisfaction with care to ensure the tool is reliable for use in research and clinical settings, and ultimately, to enable better quality of care for patients and their families.

She is looking forward to collaborating with UofT OAO and @institute-of-medical-science-uoft to host another memorable and engaging event for high school students…also really excited to experience the incredible atmosphere on the day of MedDash again!

Fun Fact

She loves hiking and one of her favourite trails is Brunswick Mountain in British Columbia ⛰️

Steven’s research is focused on Crohn’s disease, a disease characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract (GI). Specifically, he is interested in how the cell/tissue structure of the GI tract may be capable of predicting post-operative recurrence. He is using microscopic features to predict long-term patient outcome after surgery for those with Crohn’s disease.

Steven is excited to see students engage with one another and the exciting science they will learn.

Fun Fact

He almost got lost hiking Mt. Fuji in Japan.

Hamda’s research focuses on statistically modeling risk factors for mental health conditions in women using large population health datasets. She develops and evaluates predictive and explanatory models to identify high-risk subgroups and quantify associations between clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. Building on this foundation, she incorporates AI-driven tools and applied data science methods to support early screening and clinical decision support.

She’s excited to meet the students, share in the race-day energy, and be part of the fun but competitive spirit while designing engaging science activities, and hopefully squeeze in some karaoke again, too.

Fun Fact

Hamda is ambidextrous; she was born left-handed but learned to use her right hand equally well, so she doesn’t have a dominant hand.

Mya’s research examines how serotonin and dopamine interact in real time to regulate motivated behaviour. Using in vivo fiber photometry and operant tasks, she measures serotonin and dopamine activity across the mesolimbic system to understand how these neuromodulators guide transitions between reward seeking and reward consumption.

She’s most excited to create fun and engaging activities for high school students that will inspire the next generation of scientists.

Fun Fact

Mya’s favourite morning ritual is taking a pilates class to begin her day!

Clarize investigates relationships between brain structure, remission, and cognitive function in older adults with treatment-resistant depression, a population thought to be at increased risk for developing dementia.

She is most excited to see students running around, working together, and learning about science and research at MedDash.

Fun Fact

Clarize loves to crochet in her free time.

Gisany’s research explores which sleep physiological features (e.g., spindles, slow-waves) are protective against dementia-related brain changes, and which support cognitive resilience in individuals with existing pathology. Using a combination of wearable devices and neuroimaging, she aims to identify the underlying aspects of sleep that contribute to dementia resilience and resistance in older adults.

She’s excited to see students engage in biomedical research and inspire them to become future researchers!

Fun Fact

Gisany studies sleep, but her own sleep schedule is a mess.

Mehraein’s research investigates whether a specific drug can enhance repair, regeneration, and functional recovery after cervical spinal cord injury, using a rat model to study potential therapeutic effects.

She is excited to share my passion for science with high school students. Especially those who may not have had as many opportunities.

Fun Fact

Mehraein loves hiking and playing video games if she’s not spending all day at the lab.

Mohini’s research focuses on how women recovering from breast cancer surgery use the ABODE support app. She analyze engagement patterns alongside psychosocial factors like anxiety to understand what motivates or hinders app use. This work supports the development of more personalized and supportive digital tools for patients during recovery.

She is excited to help inspire high-school students from under-represented backgrounds by creating engaging, hands-on experiences that make biomedical science and medicine feel accessible and meaningful. It’s incredibly rewarding to support students as they discover the real-world impact of medical science and explore future educational paths.

Fun Fact

She loves to dress up and definitely consider herself a fashion enthusiast.