REACH Day 2026: sparking curiosity, one cell at a time
Curiosity and excitement filled the Medical Sciences Building at the University of Toronto on Saturday, May 23, as over 70 high school students from across Ontario gathered for REACH Day 2026. Organized by CLAMPS (Committee of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Students), the event offered an engaging introduction to laboratory medicine through an inspiring keynote talk, candid career conversations, and hands-on workshops that brought science to life.
The day began with welcoming remarks from Susanna Fang, third-year PhD student and CLAMPS Vice President External, who introduced the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology (LMP).
Dr. Mario Capitano, Staff Hematopathologist and Anatomical Pathologist at Unity Health Toronto and Lecturer in LMP, delivered a compelling keynote titled "Every Cell Tells a Story." Using a real patient case, he guided students through the microscope, showing how pathologists interpret cellular clues to uncover causes of disease. He explained that pathologists often work behind the scenes but play a vital role in launching and directing a patient's care journey. He also encouraged students to build three key habits: curiosity, intellectual honesty, and collaboration.
"Every cell tells a story," Dr. Capitano shared. "When disease develops, the story changes."
Students responded with thoughtful questions about finding passion in medicine, the diagnostic process, and life as a pathologist. That energy flowed naturally into the student panel, moderated by Cori Lau, fourth-year PhD student and CLAMPS Junior External. Panelists Catherine Dong (second-year PhD student in LMP), Jessica Lo Choy (second-year medical student), Lauren Omoto (first-year PhD student), and Sarah Qu (master’s student in Clinical Embryology) shared honest reflections on their academic journeys, research experiences, and navigating uncertainty in science and healthcare careers.
Students asked practical questions about undergrad habits, networking, soft skills, and program differences. Many stayed afterward to continue the conversations over lunch, turning the panel into valuable mentorship moments.
In the afternoon, students rotated through four interactive workshops:
- The Pathology workshop led by Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology Residents Dr. Sarah Khan and Dr. Jennifer Nguyen, where the students examined tissue slides and learned to distinguish healthy from cancer samples.
- The Microbiology workshop with Medical Microbiology Resident Dr. Kumudhavalli Kavanoor Sridhar and Clinical Microbiology Postdoctoral Diploma Fellow, Dr. Zareen Fatima, included hands-on practice with handwashing and safe glove removal to understand infection prevention.
- The Blood Typing workshop led by Clinical Chemistry Postdoctoral Diploma Fellow, Dr. Yasser Tabana, and PhD Candidate, Catherine Dong, where students solved a mock crime scene by matching blood types.
- The DNA Extraction workshop, led by PhD Candidate Anca Maglaviceanu and MSc student, Tara Lazetic, allowed students to extract long strands of strawberry DNA which was visible to the naked eye.
Throughout the day, students remained highly engaged, asking questions at every session. One attendee shared, "It was a great learning experience! The panelists provided invaluable information that has helped me plan my future." Another added, "Opportunities such as this helps us understand what we are getting into... I truly have fun being involved in laboratory experiments that we normally wouldn't have access to."
Dr. Rita Kandel, Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, stopped by to praise the strong turnout and excellent organization, thanking the dedicated CLAMPS team, speakers, residents, panelists, and volunteers. The students were so stimulated they even approached her for advice.
Susanna reflected on the day: "Organizing the 2026 REACH Open Day was an incredibly rewarding experience. It was inspiring to see the students' curiosity as they engaged with the keynote speaker, panelists, and workshop leaders throughout the day. I hope participants left feeling encouraged to continue exploring their own interests and future careers in science."
As students headed home, they carried more than notes and memories. They left with sparked curiosity, new connections, and a deeper appreciation that science is about discovery, collaboration, honesty, and human impact. Just as Dr. Capitano reminded them, every cell - and every future scientist - has a story to tell.
Events like REACH play a vital role in helping high school students explore their options early. For many, it was their first real look inside a university lab environment, and a powerful reminder of the many rewarding paths a love for science can open.
See photos from the day on Flickr!
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Read about last year’s event: Helping high school students explore science and lab medicine!
This story showcases the following pillars of the LMP strategic plan: Inclusive Community (pillar 1), Dynamic Collaboration (pillar 2) and Agile Education (pillar 5).
