The Future of Health Research in Canada: The Student Perspective
Wednesday, June 5, 2019 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sir John A. Macdonald Building, 144 Wellington Street, Ottawa
This event is by Invitation only
The Future of Health Research in Canada: The Student Perspective
The number of scholarships and fellowships awarded by the federal granting councils has not kept pace with the increased enrollment in doctoral programs, leading to a disproportionately small percentage of trainees receiving direct funding. As a result, not only are many PhD graduates leaving to pursue their post-doctoral training in other countries, Canada underperforms in attracting top international talent. Other graduates leave academia altogether, but a smooth transition into non-academic careers is hardly guaranteed. It seems that Canadian students and post-doctoral fellows are overwhelmingly identifying a lack of knowledge of and preparedness for careers outside of academia as a major gap in their training. This lack of both training and funding support leaves Canada’s trainees in a particularly precarious position.
This Parliamentary Health Research Caucus Luncheon will give trainees in health research an opportunity to share their experiences, their research and their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges a career in science presents in 2019. This event will be held during Research Canada’s Annual General Meeting.
2019 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Parliamentary Health Research Caucus (PHRC), making this Luncheon a special celebration!
Join us along with previous and current Chairs, Mr. John Oliver, MP (Oakville) and Ms. Kim Rudd, MP (Northumberland—Peterborough South) as we take stock of the best PHRC moments over the past decade.
PRESENTERS
Shawn McGuirk, PhD
PhD Biochemistry McGill University
Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellow, NSERC
Shawn McGuirk is a Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellow at NSERC and PhD in Biochemistry at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre (McGill University). His research centers on the role of metabolism in breast cancer progression. During this degree, he launched a biomedical start-up through the inaugural USA Breast Cancer Start-up Challenge. Shawn also represents the next generation of researchers on the boards of directors of Acfas and of the student-led non-profit Science & Policy Exchange.
Taylor Morriseau, B.Sc.
PhD Student, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba
Taylor Morriseau is a member of Peguis First Nation and a PhD student at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Using a pre-clinical mouse model, she investigates the interplay between genes and environment in youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D). In 2018, she was awarded a CIHR Vanier Scholarship to elucidate how a prominent genetic variant in Anishininiiwuk (Oji-Cree) youth influences T2D onset and how traditional diets may prevent or delay diabetes development.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Innovative Medicines Canada is the national voice of Canada’s innovative pharmaceutical industry. We advocate for policies that enable the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines and vaccines that improve the lives of all Canadians. We support our members’ commitment to being valued partners in the Canadian healthcare system.
