We are pleased to recognize St. Boniface Hospital Research students Afroza Parvin (left) and Daniel Araujo (right) as BERVIN Scholarship recipients. Both have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements, research innovation, and commitment to advancing knowledge in their respective fields.
Daniel Araujo: Advancing Women’s Cardiovascular Health
Daniel Araujo, a 2021 Vanier Scholar and PhD candidate in Applied Health Sciences, is based in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba. He conducts his research under Dr. Todd Duhamel, Principal Investigator in Physical Activity and Chronic Disease Prevention at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences.
Araujo’s research project, titled “Metabolomics of Frailty and Cardiovascular Disease in Older Females,” focuses on using metabolomics—a cutting-edge method for analyzing small molecules in blood samples—to identify early biomarkers of cardiovascular disease and frailty in women aged 55 and older. His work holds promising implications for early detection and intervention in cardiovascular disease and frailty, potentially helping healthcare providers to recognize warning signs in time to prevent serious health outcomes.
In addition to the BERVIN Scholarship, Araujo was also recently honored with the 2024 Health Sciences Graduate Student Association (HSGSA) Merit Award, (pictured above) which celebrates outstanding health sciences graduate students for their leadership and academic excellence. He received this award at the Dr. Patrick Choy Distinguished Lecture event, held on October 29 at the John Buhler Research Centre.
Afroza Parvin: Excellence in Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Afroza Parvin is a PhD candidate in the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, working under the mentorship of Dr. Henry A. Dunn. Her academic journey reflects a dedication to research and education. Following her initial MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Jahangirnagar University, where she was honored as a top 5% student and awarded multiple scholarships, Parvin continued her studies with a second MSc in Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba under University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) and Manitoba Graduate Scholarship (MGS).
Her current work is looking at new ways brain cells (neurons) communicate with each other, which may be especially relevant in understanding and treating neurodevelopmental disorders.
“Traditionally, studies are focused on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are proteins on cell surfaces that help neurons send and receive signals. These receptors have been popular targets in drug design because they play a key role in how brain cells work internally,” Parvin explained. “However, Dr. Henry Dunn recently found that these receptors also interact with molecules outside the cell, especially with synaptic adhesion molecules (SAMs) that connect neurons across synapses (the tiny gaps between them). This means there’s an additional layer of control over how brain cells talk to each other,” she added.
Parvin’s hopes to explore this new type of communication as a means to help develop more precise treatments that could improve signaling between neurons in people with neurodevelopmental disorders.
The Berdie & Irvin Cohen (BERVIN) Scholarship is made possible through the BERVIN Endowment Fund stewarded by St. Boniface Hospital Foundation, and is issued annually to successful applicants. Our thanks for donors who support the long-term educational goals of tomorrow’s science leaders, knowing they are vitally important to the future of healthcare in Canada.