Summer undergraduate research program breaks records!

On Friday, August 9, the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto, held its summer program research day. With 67 posters presented, it was the largest cohort LMP has had in the program to date.

Running from May to August every year, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Program (known as SURE), attracts undergraduates from across Canada. The students join a variety of research laboratories across Toronto, gaining valuable lab and research experience as they work for 12 weeks, culminating in a research day where they present posters describing their work.

Organised and run by Dr. Jeff Lee and Undergraduate Life Sciences Program Administrator, Louella D'Cunha, the program has grown steadily each year.

“We attract many students to the program and saw a record number this year. I am delighted so many of our faculty have been able to offer students research opportunities this summer. It’s an incredibly valuable experience for these students, some of whom are working in a lab for the first time. They get to work with experts in the field in a dynamic city and be at the forefront of some great research,” commented Lee.

“Not only are the labs themselves important, but the network of faculty, research staff, postdocs and graduate students who support the students and help with the research day by judging and coming along to discuss the research is vital to making the program work, as well as the support from the rest of the administrative team. It really is a community effort,” commented D’Cunha.

The students were enthusiastic and excited to present their research and talk about their experiences in the program.

“It was really interesting to see some of the lab techniques and what happens in the background in a hospital. Working in hematology it was extremely rewarding to see things that can be directly applied to patients and improve their care”, commented Corey Fletcher - a medical student at Queen’s University who spent the summer in the lab of Dr. Jacob Pendergrast at Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network (UHN). 

Elle Kerr is currently completing a BSc in life science at McMaster University and spent the summer working with Dr. Chris McCulloch, cross-appointed to LMP from Dentistry. “I really enjoyed it – it was eye-opening and offered me a lot of new experiences. To be able to come out of my first year at university and get hands-on experience in the lab and dive deeper into scientific research was amazing.”

Dr. German found it surprising how advanced the students were, “these undergraduate students act more like masters students in terms of their energy, interests and enthusiasm – which is fantastic. As a judge here today, I have been so impressed. The skill level on show is testament to both the strength of the student, but also the faculty members who are mentoring them.” 

See all the poster winners below!

This program is offered every academic year so start thinking about the area you want to do research in for summer 2025!

Find out more

See all the photos on Flickr

The LMP Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)

Graduate studies in LMP

Seeing yourself in STEM: attracting Black talent

This story showcases the following pillars of the LMP strategic plan: Inclusive Community (pillar 1), Dynamic Collaboration (pillar 2), Impactful Research (pillar 3) and Agile Education (Pillar 5).

Poster award winners from the SURE Research Day 2024!