I received my Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Cuba. I have participated in academic exchanges at Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Netherlands and at the University of Toronto. My current project is related to COVID19-associated inflammation and drug fetal exposure during pregnancy.

Our central question is how COVID-19-associated inflammation impacts placental transport and drug disposition. This topic is of scientific relevance and is underexplored since PK studies in pregnant woman are very limited. So, I am committed to providing insights into this topic that hopefully could be useful for physicians as well as pregnant patients.

Experimental design and data analysis are very crucial for this type of research. Throughout my 10 years in science, I have acquired experience and skills, especially in data analysis, presentation, experiment design, and validation. In addition, the valuable guidance of my supervisor Dr. Piquette Miller has been crucial, as she has vast experience in molecular pharmacology and animal models. As an international student the opportunity to perform my PhD studies at University of Toronto has been incredibly valuable.

The resources and facilities plus the vast research experience are greatly contributing to my growth as a young scientist. A rigorous program like this is also improving my research skills, my career, and my future opportunities.

This research project will provide critical aspects to consider for drug selection, dosing and treatment options in pregnancies complicated with COVID-19. Also, part of our lab’s mission is to demonstrate that inflammation and infection during pregnancy impacts drug disposition and fetal exposure. Our findings will contribute to modifying the current guidelines and treatment options for COVID-19 during pregnancy.

Hard work, dedication, and responsibility are currently undervalued skills, especially today when everyone wants the easy way. A balance between time for yourself and your family, but also commitment and dedication to science, is, in my opinion, the key to success.

I completed my undergraduate degree at Toronto Metropolitan University in Biomedical Sciences. I started my Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and transferred to the PhD program in my second year.

Through my PhD research, I hope to understand how drug shortages affect treatment access and consequent clinical outcomes in Canada. I was inspired to pursue this work so I can generate real‑world evidence that guides policies aimed at safeguarding medicine access and building a more resilient drug supply chain.

I received a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biochemistry at the University of Manitoba in 2020. I completed my undergraduate honor's project exploring the immunomodulatory effects of ultra-short cationic antimicrobial peptidomimetics. I obtained my Master of Science in Biochemistry and Medical Genetics from the University of Manitoba in 2022, where I investigated new targeted therapies for Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastoma. I studied different MEK inhibitors to determine if they could attenuate the tumorigenic properties of Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastoma in vitro and in vivo.

My research focuses on the development of a radiopharmaceutical for the treatment of brain metastases in patients with lung cancer. I have been personally impacted by cancer. In 2020, someone very close to me passed away from stage four leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, which began as lung cancer that metastasized to the brain. Experiencing metastatic lung cancer firsthand was devastating and heartbreaking. I witnessed the progression of this horrible disease and observed the impact that it had on her, her family, friends, and loved ones. I am extremely grateful to be pursuing this particularly relevant research for my PhD studies.

My career aspiration is to work in the radiopharmaceutical industry after completing my PhD. I will contribute to cancer research by continuing to develop new radiopharmaceuticals and improve treatment options for cancer patients.

My PhD work is in the radiopharmaceutical chemistry field. I am formulating a radiopharmaceutical kit to prepare 89Zr-labeled pembrolizumab under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) suitable for human administration. I will perform preclinical studies to enable the advancement of this radiopharmaceutical to a clinical trial of MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRIg-FUS) to improve the uptake of pembrolizumab into brain metastases in lung cancer patients. My research will be translated into real-world applications as the radiopharmaceutical will be used in a planned phase I clinical trial. This research will enable PET imaging of pembrolizumab uptake into brain metastases in patients with lung cancer enhanced by MRIg-FUS which will improve the outcome of lung cancer patients treated with pembrolizumab.

I completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences with Honors Specialization in Medical Cell Biology from Western University in 2024.

The question my research is attempting to answer is how human retinal endothelial cell (HREC) metabolism is dysregulated with Ferro chelatase inhibition. I find this a fascinating project as it combines my previous academic background with translational research that has therapeutic potential.

One skill I found to be very valuable is self-accountability; a thesis-based graduate degree is very self-directed and so it is important that I hold myself, work ethic, and performance to a certain standard. Another invaluable skill that I believe has helped me so far is always being inquisitive and not only generating valid data but also making sense out of it and tying it into the bigger picture.

So far into my graduate degree, I have improved many skills like project- and time-management which will be critical skills to have in any role I take on in the future. I am particularly interested in joining the pharmaceutical industry; so a basic understanding of how research is conducted alongside the previously mentioned skills will be of great value.

My research focuses on elucidating protein inhibition-induced metabolic dysregulations which can prevent neovascular retinopathies, a category of blinding eye diseases. A better understanding of the involved metabolic pathways will not only help prove the efficacy of this target, but also potentially reveal additional targets that can be leveraged in treating neovascular retinopathies.

In a room, be the one who is most excited about your project; if you believe in the significance of your work and what it can contribute to the field of science, whatever that may be, you will continue to work tirelessly and achieve great things!

I completed my Honours Bachelor of Science at UofT in immunology and ecology/evolutionary biology, as well as a PharmD at UofT and residency at SickKids Hospital.

How our education system is impacting the conflict and communication skills that develop in our future pharmacists. I was inspired by students, as I love education and working with them. I noticed students talking to me about similar experiences and gaps over the years related to their conflict and communication experiences. And as no research had been done on this topic to date, I thought this would be an excellent way to leverage my experience with students to research this topic more.

Emotional regulation, self-awareness, and inner work. It has also been crucial for me to reflect on how I play into the power imbalances in this system that students experience. How do my roles as a pharmacist and preceptor influence the conflict experience of students? Power and hierarchy are huge influences in conflict. So, being aware of how I fit into this system at large is essential for this work. Also, this reflection work has helped improve how I approach conversations with other preceptors and pharmacists when talking about our impact on students.

It is helping to give me a structured platform to do research for students and advocate for them! It is an absolute privilege to engage students in this way, and my goal is to use my research to build more concrete systems for how we educate our students (and preceptors/faculty) for engaging in difficult conversations and conflict.

This is exactly my goal! My research has changed my perspective on conflict. I no longer see it as a negative thing; it is a tool we use to engage and communicate with others. Difficult conversations can be daunting, and so, if we have more education and support on how to make these conversations more approachable, we can improve multiple levels of communication. My goal is to create a formal curriculum from my research, both at the PharmD and graduate level. I would also love to engage preceptors and faculty in this conversation through structured sessions. Something I underestimated but am now realizing is having an equally positive effect, is how impactful individual informal conversations can be. Talking to colleagues about my research, about what students are describing, is bringing forward a lot of good questions and conversations on the topic. It is opening people up to the student perspective, and what tools we would need to create an environment where both students and preceptors/faculty can engage in these conversations.

Talk to people both inside and outside of our faculty. For my conflict research, I have engaged with other healthcare professionals across various faculties at UofT, and we have exchanged interesting ideas on our research. This is especially helpful if you’re stuck or if you want additional perspectives. Remember, you aren’t alone in doing your research, so reaching out to grad students in and outside of the faculty is an excellent resource!