2023 OVC Graduate Student Research Symposium Showcases the Work of Over 60 Students

The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) held its 2023 Graduate Student Research Symposium on July 6, 2023.

“This annual event is a fantastic way for our graduate students, staff, and faculty to come together and to learn more and celebrate the research across all four of OVC’s departments,” says Dr. Shayan Sharif, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies. “The event was a great reminder of the breadth of high-quality research taking place in OVC.”

This year’s symposium displayed the work of over 60 graduate students through poster and oral presentations, spanning scientific research in animal, human, and environmental health and their many One Health intersections.

The Symposium also included Careers After Graduation session and Speed Networking opportunities, where students could meet and ask questions of OVC alumni who are now employed in different industries. Panelists included Dr. Lauren Grant, Dr. Shayan Sharif, Dr. Courtney Schott, Dr. Khaled Gohary, Jacqueline Rivier, and Dr. Jocelyn Wessels. Students also had an opportunity to sign up to have professional headshots taken.

Congratulations to all student participants for their outstanding presentations and a big thank-you to this year's judges and volunteers.

2023 Graduate Student Research Symposium Winners

Oral Presentation Category Winners:

First Place: Kerry Schutten, Department of Pathobiology, Assessing the utility of nesting double-crested cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) as a sentinel species for monitoring plastic pollution in freshwater environments.

Second Place: Rochelle Thompson, Department of Population Medicine, Ways of Coping with Farming Stressors in Ontario and Canada: a Mixed-Methods Study.

Poster Presentation Category Winners:

First Place: Keana Shahin Moghaddam Rashty, Department of Population Medicine, Mosquito madness: tracking the great Canadian mosquito invasion amid climate change.

Second Place: Elena Kalpakis, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Evaluating the Estradiol Oocyte Ratio (EOR) as an indicator of euploidy status in women undergoing fertility treatment.

Volunteer Committee Members:

Julia Asten, Graduate & Research Program Assistant, OVC Shared Administrative Services

Amanda Avison, Biomedical Sciences

Kaite Brown, Graduate & Research Programs Assistant OVC Shared Administrative Services

Elena Campbell, Pathobiology

Andrew Geekie-Sousa, Manager Graduate and Research Programs, OVC

Melanie Goens, Pathobiology

Simon Jeeves, Pathobiology

Grace Nichol, Population Medicine

Nicole Norena, Clinical Studies

Katherine Perry, Population Medicine

Ann Ram, Biomedical Sciences & Clinical Studies

Jacob Yates, Pathobiology

This article, written by Keriann McGoogan, was adapted from the OVC Research Hub SharePoint for use on the OVC’s website.