LMP SURE students showcase summer research

Each summer, undergraduate students from across Ontario join research teams in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (LMP), gaining hands-on experience in laboratory medicine and biomedical research through the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program.

Over 12 weeks from May to August, SURE students work alongside LMP faculty, trainees and research teams at sites across Toronto. For some, the program offers an opportunity to build on previous research experience, while for others, it is their first opportunity to work in a research laboratory and contribute to an active research project.

The summer culminates in the annual SURE Research Day, which this year took place on Friday, August 7, at the University of Toronto’s Medical Sciences Building. The day opened with poster presentations from the 50+ participating students, giving them the opportunity to share their summer projects and discuss their findings with members of the LMP community.

The afternoon program highlighted different pathways in research and graduate education. Students heard short research talks from Dr. Negar Khosraviani from the Dr. Jason Fish Lab; PhD candidate Britney Tian from the Dr. Shinichiro Ogawa Lab; and MD/PhD candidate, Dr. Mathepan Mahendralingam, from the Dr. Adam Shlien Lab. The talks were followed by the annual “Everything you wanted to know about graduate school and MD/PhD” panel, where students had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about pursuing further training.

The day concluded with an awards ceremony and closing remarks from department Chair, Dr. Rita Kandel and SURE Program Director Dr. Jeff Lee, followed by a networking reception.

Aisha Siddiqi

Aisha Siddiqi, who is studying Human Biology and Chemistry at the University of Toronto, spent the summer working with Dr. Katalin Szaszi (Department of Surgery and cross-appointed to LMP) at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. “I didn’t think I would have enough data to present a poster as the time was so short, but when I put everything together, I realised I had been too harsh on myself as I had plenty of data. It was my first time in a lab full time, and I loved the way I was able to immerse myself into the project. The experience was really the full package – the networking, research experience, learning to trouble shoot and solve problems creatively, I learned so much.”

Jaden da Silva

Now going into his third year in the U of T Specialist Program in Pathobiology in LMP, Jaden da Silva spent his summer working with Dr. Victor Ferreira through the Ajmera Transplant Centre Research Institute at UHN. “As an undergraduate, it can be daunting to be surrounded by experienced researchers and graduate students, especially when experiments don’t go as planned. SURE gave me a tight-knit community of peers who were going through many of the same challenges and insecurities, which helped keep me grounded. I also really enjoyed the Lunch and Learn sessions, which helped me get into the mindset of being a scientist, not just a student.”

Fiona Streutker with Dr. Dan Beriault

Working with Dr. Dan Beriault at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Fiona Streutker is studying medicinal chemistry at the University of Waterloo, so working on the Drug Checking program at Unity Health was directly in her field of interest. “Although I have experience being in labs, I’ve never conducted a large independent research project before. I’ve developed skills in self-management, independent learning, time management and communication, particularly my writing skills which I hadn’t expected. It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but it was super fun and I have grown so much.”

See photos from the day on Flickr

Awards were presented to the top student poster presentations, recognizing the quality of research and communication demonstrated throughout the day. See below for the 2026 SURE Research Day award recipients.