Highlights from the 22nd Annual Child Health Research Days conference

The 22nd Annual Child Health Research Days took place October 21st and 22nd, welcoming more than 200 attendees and 21 speakers from across Canada. The abstract competition saw over 110 submissions, covering range of topics relating to child health research.

This year’s CHRD conference included presentations from world-renowned researchers local to our community, as well as presenters from Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia. Some highlights included our yearly Dr. Goodbear’s Den competition, which featured four finalists who presented their work to the team of judges.

Dr. Goodbear’s Den participants:

  • Dania Awais
  • Leeza Goldberg
  • Jacob Marks
  • Mairi MacAulay

The awards dinner was the perfect ending to the week at the beautiful Manitoba Museum, Alloway Hall. We were proud to highlight award winners from the abstract competition, as well as the finalists from Dr. Goodbear’s Den, community partners as well as Equity Awards from the Emerging Scholar Podcast. We were also excited to continue with the CHRIM Excellence Awards, which began two years ago in an effort to recognize those in our community in the categories of Trail Blazer, Lab Master, Rising Star, and CHRIM Champion.

We are grateful to our sponsors and partners who make this event possible: The Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Research Manitoba, The Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, The Office of the Vice-President (Research & International), Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, The Children’s Hospital Foundation and Bioscience Association Manitoba. CHRD truly would not be possible without their support. We are also thankful to CHRIM’s own Sujata Basu, who served as photographer at this year’s event.

Thank you to everyone who presented, participated, organized or attended this years Child Health Research Days, and we can’t wait to welcome you again next year for CHRD 2027, at the RBC Convention Center!

CHRD Award Winners

Undergraduate Students

Honourable mention – Saad Alam
Honourable mention- Lachlan Kopytko
Bronze – Farah Elawah
Bronze – Cato Keijzer
Silver – Jihye Hwang
Gold – Leeza Goldberg

Masters Students

Honourable mention- Joanna Joe
Bronze – Breanna Amoyaw
Silver – Isaak Fast
Silver – Mehakjot Brar
Gold – Shirley Morris

PhD Students

Honourable mention – Runqi Lin
Honourable mention – Sriyani Ranatunga
Bronze – Khushali Trivedi
Silver – Lamisa Tahsin
Gold – Paul Jerard Layug

Post-Doctoral Fellow/Resident

Honourable Mention- Sanie Zehra Zaidi
Bronze- Thiago Baltus
Silver- Md Immanul Islam
Gold – Bernadette Kina Kombo

Non-Trainee

Honourable mention – Tamiris Souza
Honourable mention- Jana Apperley
Bronze – Kelvin Joseph
Silver – Nadine Ahmed
Gold – Disha Malhotra

Dr. Goodbear’s Den Awards, sponsored by Bioscience Association Manitoba

Honourable Mention – Jacob Marks
Gold Winner- Leeza Goldberg

People’s Choice Award

Melissa Anderson & Journey Flett

CHRIM Excellence Awards

Trail Blazer Award: Sydney Anderson
Lab Master Award- Mario Fonseca
Rising Star Award- Cedric Tremblay
Champion Award- Vern Dolinsky

Equity Awards, sponsored by the Emerging Scholar Podcast

Bronze- Olawale Dudubo
Silver- Antonina Kandiurin & Jennifer Lopez
Gold- Melissa Anderson & Journey Flett