Department of Medicine Graduates
Congratulations to all our graduate students who successfully completed their program.
Class of 2024
November Graduates
Get to know four of our November graduates—what inspires them, their advice for the next generation of students, and their guilty (or not guilty) pleasures.
Srijana Gautam, MSc in Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Hometown: Nepal, South Asia
What valuable lessons have you learned during your academic journey? How can we be humble like our professors and about the recent innovations in the field of spinal cord injury.
What advice would you give to students entering graduate school? Enjoy every moment from day one to the last day of your graduate study. You got this.
What was your favorite distraction? Scrolling through TikTok.
What one word would you use to describe yourself? Hardworking
Serena Isley, MSc in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
Hometown: Grande Prairie, Alberta
What valuable lessons have you learned during your academic journey? One of the most valuable lessons I've learned during my academic journey is the importance of resilience and grit. Challenges and setbacks are inevitable, but they offer opportunities for growth and deeper understanding. Embracing mistakes as part of the learning process has helped me develop a more adaptive mindset, allowing me to approach new situations with confidence and curiosity.
What advice would you give to students entering graduate school? Focus on a field of study that truly inspires you, as work driven by passion is the most rewarding. While the journey may not be straightforward or linear, connecting with your passion and your "why" will always provide the clarity and confidence to guide you along your path.
What are you inspired by? I am inspired by connection—connecting with others, with nature, and with ourselves. I believe there is so much we can accomplish when we foster these relationships. The people around me inspire me, especially those who seek to understand and uplift others. Their compassion and drive remind me of the power of community and the potential for positive change. Ultimately, it’s the shared experiences and the support we give each other that fuel my passion for making a difference.
What is one thing you cannot live without? One thing I cannot live without is running! It has given me a sense of community and helps ground me. I was grateful to continue pursuing my love for running at the varsity level during my time as a graduate student.
Trevor Kouritzin, PhD in Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
What advice would you give to students entering graduate school? Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and remember that big accomplishments take time—Rome wasn't built in a day! Grad school is a marathon, not a sprint. So pace yourself, stay curious, and trust the process.
What are you inspired by? I’m inspired by people who make science fun, accessible, and exciting—like Bill Nye the Science Guy. Watching him as a kid, I loved how he could break down complex ideas in a way that sparked curiosity and made learning enjoyable. He showed me that science is not just about facts; it's about exploring the world, asking questions, and finding answers that help us understand everything around us.
Robert Margaryan, MSc in Medicine, Division of Cardiology
Hometown: Nor Geghi, Armenia
What advice would you give to students entering graduate school? Enjoy your time to ask questions and seek answers. The most important skills I learned, and would advise new students to try and develop, are time management and organizational skills.
What is one thing you cannot live without? I love my family very much. Without time to enjoy my family's company, I would have burned out quite spectacularly.
What one word would you use to describe yourself? Pragmatic
All November Graduates
MSc in Medicine
- Matthew Cooper, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Nephrology
- Supervisors: Dr. Aminu Bello and Dr. Gavin Oudit
- Luke R Gagnon, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisor: Dr. Gavin Oudit
- Srijana Gautam, MSc in Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Supervisors: Dr. Chester Ho and Dr. Vivian Mushahwar
- Serena T Isley, MSc in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisor: Dr. Puneeta Tandon
- Robert Margaryan, MSc in Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisor: Dr. Justin Ezekowitz
- Alexandra Saunders, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisor: Dr. Evangelos Michelakis
- Ning Sun, MSc in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Mason
PhD in Medicine
- Parnian Alavi, PhD in Medicine, Division of Hematology
- Supervisors: Dr. Nadia Jahroudi and Dr. Jayan Nagendran
- Khadija RA Alzahrani, PhD in Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine
- Supervisor: Dr. Harissios Vliagoftis
- Allison KJ Bihari, PhD in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisors: Dr. Karen Kroeker and Dr. Eytan Wine
- Trevor M Kouritzin, PhD in Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine
- Supervisors: Dr. Karen Lee and Dr. John Spence
- Md M Rahman, PhD in Medicine, Division of Nephrology
- Supervisor: Dr. Barbara Ballermann
June Graduates
Read more about these four amazing graduates.
Hazal Babadagli
Division of Cardiology
Justine Lai
Division of Hematology
Benson Weyant
Division of Infectious Diseases
Tanis Zadunayski
Division of Preventive Medicine
All June Graduates
- Salem Alghbli, MSc in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisors: Dr. Juan Gonzalez Abraldes and Dr. Andrew Mason
- Leyla Asadi, PhD in Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine
- Supervisors: Dr. Richard Long and Dr. Dick Menzies
- Hazal Babadagli, MSc in Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisors: Dr. Glen Pearson and Dr. Sheri Koshman
- Asmaa Basonbul, PhD in Medicine, Division of Hematology
- Supervisors: Dr. Joseph Brandwein and Dr. Michael Weinfeld
- Justine Lai, PhD in Medicine, Division of Hematology
- Supervisors: Dr. Peng Wang and Dr. Joseph Brandwein
- Benson Weyant, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
- Supervisor: Dr. Carlos Cervera
- Tanis Zadunayski, MSc in Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine
- Supervisor: Dr. Nicola Cherry
June Convocation
Read more about these June '23 Graduates
Arafat Ul Alam
Division of Hematology
Heather Mast
Division of Cardiology
Shayan Poursharif
Division of Nephrology
June Graduates
- Arafat Ul Alam, PhD in Medicine, Division of Hematology
- Supervisors: Dr. Hao Wei (Linda) Sun and Cynthia Wu
- Anas Alrohimi, PhD in Medicine, Division of Neurology
- Supervisor: Dr. Kenneth Butcher and Dr. Brian Buck
- Alison Clifford, MSc in Medicine with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
- Supervisor: Dr. Jan Willem Cohen Tervaert
- Kathleen Ismond, PhD in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisor: Dr. Puneeta Tandon
- Suqing Li, MSc in Medicine with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisor: Dr. Sander Veldhuyzen van Zanten
- Tiffany Lo, MSc in Medicine, Division of Hematology
- Supervisor: Dr. Nadia Jahroudi and Dr. Manijeh Pasdar
- Heather Mast, MSc in Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisors: Dr. Hélène Lemieux and Dr. Pierre Blier
- Shayan Poursharif, MSc in Medicine, Division of Nephrology
- Supervisor: Dr. Branko Braam
November Convocation
Read more about these November '23 Graduates
Abdulellah Musaid A. Almohaya
Division of Infectious Diseases
Kaitlyn Chappell
Division of Gastroenterology
Muhammad Elezzabi
Division of Rheumatology
Reem Abdelaziz Rashed
Division of Gastroenterology
Yongneng Zhang
Division of Cardiology
November Graduates
- Abdulellah Musaid A. Almohaya, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
- Supervisors: Dr. Dima Kabbani and Dr. Carlos Cervera
- Salah Aburahess, PhD in Medicine, Division of Nephrology
- Supervisor: Dr. Barbara Ballermann
- Kaitlyn Chappell, MSc in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisor: Dr. Karen Kroeker
- Muhammad Elezzabi, MSc in Medicine, Division of Rheumatology
- Supervisors: Dr. Mohamed Osman and Dr. Andrew Mason
- David Li, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine
- Supervisor: Dr. Kieran Halloran
- Anoop Mathew, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Graham
- Reem Abdelaziz Rashed, MSc in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisor: Dr. Levinus (Leo) Dieleman
- Chikku Sadasivan, MSc in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology
- Supervisor: Dr. Puneeta Tandon
- Muhammad Siddique, MSc in Medicine, Division of Neurology
- Supervisors: Dr. Trevor Steve and Dr. Richard Camicioli
- Muizz Wahid, MSc in Medicine, with Specialization in Translational Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisor: Dr. Justin Ezekowitz
- Yongneng Zhang, PhD in Medicine, Division of Cardiology
- Supervisor: Dr. Evangelos Michelakis
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Krittika Bali, MSc(Drs. Andrea Gruneir & Adrian Wagg)
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Morgan Bharadia, PhD(Dr. Sunita Vohra)
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Shweta Pipaliya, PhD(Drs. Joel Dacks & Matthew Croxen)
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Yitian Guo, PhD
(Drs. Gary Eitzen & Paige Lacy) -
Yusra Batool, MSc(Dr. Glen Jickling)
- Aris Boukouris, PhD
(Dr. Evangelos Michelakis) -
Jarom Stevenson, MSc(Dr. Neesh Pannu)
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Bashiri, Kiandokht, MSc(Dr. Andrew Mason)
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Bruna Dutra, MSc(Dr. Andrew Mason)
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Bishoi Aziz, MSc(Dr. Andrew Mason)
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Ali Nomani, MSc(Dr. Glen Jickling)
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Al-Karaghouli, Mustafa, MSc(Dr. Juan Gonzalez-Abraldes)
- Haran Yogasundaram, MSc
(Dr. Gavin Oudit) - Mahsa Mohseni, PhD
(Drs. Joseph Brandwein & Hasan Uludag) - Jean-Michel Galarneau, PhD
(Drs. Jeremy Beach & Nicola Cherry) - Nawell Fayad, MSc
(Dr. Paige Lacy) -
Frances Carr, MSc(Drs Darryl Rolfson & Suzette Brémault-Phillips)
- Desmond Yim, MSc
(Drs. Karen Lee & John Spence) - Aya Lafta, MSc
(Dr. Branko Braam) - Daniel Friedman, MSc
(Drs. Karen Doucette & Gregory Tyrrell) - Amogh Agrawal, MSc
(Drs Patricia Campbell & Allan Murray) - Jason An, MSc
(Dr. Evangelos Michelakis) - Katelynn Madill-Thomsen, PhD
(Dr. Philip Halloran) - Diana Chiang Jurado, MSc
(Drs. Carlos Cervera & Juan Gonzalez-Abraldes) - Thomas Roston, PhD
(Drs. Padma Kaul & Shubhayan Sanatani) - Carmel Montgomery, PhD
(Drs. Sean Bagshaw & Colleen Norris) - Victoria Sarban, MSc
(Drs. Miriam Shanks & Kumaradevan Punithakumar) - Xueyi Chen, PhD
(Dr. Gavin Oudit) - Aishwarya Iyer, PhD
(Drs. Robert Gniadecki & Gane Wong) - Lily Lin, MSc
(Drs. Darren Freed, Nee Khoo & Evangelos Michelakis) - Nariman Sepehrvand, PhD
(Drs. Justin Ezekowitz & Padma Kaul) - Sabitha Rajaruban, MSc
(Dr. Karen Madsen) - Hannah Cherniawsky, MSc
(Drs. Christopher Venner & Joseph Brandwein) - Hiatem Abofayed, MSc
(Dr. Andrew Mason) - Christen Klinger, PhD
(Dr. Joel Dacks) - Kahir Rahemtulla, MSc
(Dr. Vivian Mushahwar) - Debraj Das, MSc
(Drs. Rob Welsh & Kevin Bainey) - Kero Messeha, MSc
(Dr. Andrew Mason) - Syed Hussain, MSc
(Drs. Sara Davison & Wendy Duggleby) - Anmol Shahid, PhD
(Dr. Sean McMurtry) - Marcie Smigorowsky, PhD
(Drs. Colleen Norris & Ross Tsuyuki) - Saurabh Vashishtha, PhD
(Drs. Gordon Broderick & Ross Tsuyuki)