At St. Boniface Hospital Research, the first half of 2026 has been an exceptional period for student success. Our trainees continue to push boundaries, earning prestigious national scholarships, sweeping local presentation competitions, and securing vital research funding.
Here is a look at the University of Manitoba students who have made us proud over the last six months:
Leading the Field in Innovations & Presentations
Leena Regi Saleth (Dhingra Lab – ICS)
Leena experienced a monumental six months, securing numerous high-profile accolades:
- Major Scholarships: Received the Dr. Forough Khadem Scholarship, the Pawan K. Singal Graduate Student Scholarship in Cardiovascular Science, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies Research Completion Scholarship.
- Key Distinctions: Named the Most Promising Bioscience Student of the Year by BAM, and earned both the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation Award for Research in Cardiovascular Biology and a major award from MSHRF.
- Presentation Success: Swept the 3-Minute Thesis competition with the Blenham + Associates Prize, People’s Choice Award, and Challengers’ Choice Award. She also secured a Silver Award at the ICAM 2026 Poster Competition, a Graduate Student Merit Award (GSMA) from HSGSA, and was a finalist in Falling Walls Lab Manitoba.
Sumha Ali (Jassal Lab – ICS)
Sumha achieved top honours at the University of Manitoba 3-Minute Thesis competition, taking home 1st place and the Dr. Archie McNicol prize. Sumha also received the Gerard & Maureen Rodrigue Graduate Student Cardiovascular Travel Award.
Sikta Chattopadhyaya (Czubryt Lab – ICS)
Sikta was awarded the Dr. Grant Pierce Diabetes Research Prize and was selected for a prestigious Lightning Oral Presentation at the Extracellular Matrix Pharmacology Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark.
National & Regional Research Scholarships
Our students continue to attract highly competitive funding to support their vital work:
- Emilee Bueckert & Joshua Jamila (Dhingra Lab – ICS): Both were awarded the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Master’s program from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
- Ruzzell Flores (Rabinovich-Nikitin Lab – CCARM/ICS): Received the Women’s Health Research Foundation of Canada Graduate Scholarship.
- Rohini Suresh (Czubryt Lab – ICS): Received the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Studentship, while also earning (and declining) a University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship.
Top Poster & Exhibition Awards
The quality of research presentation from our trainees stood out at major symposiums:
- Molly Crandall & Aviva Gerring (Rabinovich-Nikitin Lab – CCARM/ICS): Both took home Best Poster awards from the competitive Manitoba Student Health Research Forum (MSHRF) poster competition.
- Sahar Alfatouhi Aljundi (Jassal Lab – ICS): Earned a University of Manitoba Undergraduate Research Award.
- Rex Wolfrom (Wigle Lab – CCARM/ICS): As a high school student, Rex achieved remarkable success, winning the Best Undergraduate Poster Award at the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics Student Research Day. Rex also secured a Bronze medal for poster presentation and the Women’s Health Research Foundation of Canada Special Award at the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium.
Endowed Studentships & Grants
Generous donor support and specialized organizations have helped propel several student research projects forward:
- Bradley Feltham (Suh Lab – CCARM/DNND): Named one of the Clinical Study Database Research Award Winners (GOED).
- Rashmi Siribaddanage (Suh Lab – CCARM/DNND): Received the Mark & Patricia Smerchanski Endowed Studentship Grant.
- Sunita Karki (Netticadan Lab – CCARM): Awarded the Frank & Jeanne Plett Endowed Studentship Grant.
- Shanella Senadhiraja (Suh Lab – CCARM/DNND): Secured the TD Bank Group Graduate Student Award Grant.
- Anna Koplovich (Wijekoon Lab – CCARM): Recognized as the undergraduate recipient of the Frank & Jeanne Plett Endowed Studentship Grant, receiving a $500 award to support research and career development.
Congratulations to all of our incredible student researchers on a stellar half-year of achievements!