Amgen Scholars gain key skills and experience in pharmacy research labs

Left to right: Mike Folinas, Director, Research Administration; Professor Tim Corson; Gabrielle Pegado (University of Victoria); Assistant Professor Rachel Harding; Inderpreet-Kaur Virk (McGill University); Omar Alshehabi (McGill University); Nifemi Ogundare (McMaster University); and Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream Certina Ho.

Amgen program provides undergraduate students with opportunities to explore graduate studies and science careers

For ten weeks this summer, undergraduate students from across Canada gained critical experience working with leading-edge research teams at U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. By participating in research, seminar series and journal clubs, the students were able to explore careers in science and prepare for graduate studies.

This year, U of T hosted 11 students through the Amgen Scholars Canada Program, which provides full funding for undergraduate science students to work in biomedical research labs in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Four of these students were based at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, which has participated in the Amgen Scholars program for the last eight years.

A key goal of the program is to help students develop the skills needed for graduate school through hands-on research, professional development and networking opportunities. In addition to programming at U of T, the scholars also received full funding to attend the National Amgen Scholars Program Symposium at Harvard University, where they met fellow scholars from other institutions in the United States and heard speakers from academia and industry. The program wrapped up with a U of T Amgen Scholars Research Day at the end of July.

This year’s four Amgen Scholars based at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy worked in labs in diverse fields of research. Inderpreet-Kaur Virk (McGill University) worked in Rachel Harding’s lab investigating the MED15 protein in Huntington’s disease, Omar Alshehabi (McGill University), worked with Bowen Li’s team to study the delivery of gene therapeutics to cells and tissues, Gabrielle Pegado (University of Victoria) worked in Tim Corson’s lab studying development of compounds to treat eye diseases, and Nifemi Ogundare (McMaster University) worked with Certina Ho on research related to medication safety and education scholarship via the use of virtual reality simulation.

Students will carry skills forward to next chapter of career

A second-year biochemistry student from the University of Victoria, Pegado was drawn to Professor Corson's lab because of its focus on the development of novel therapies for neovascular eye diseases. With a background working as an ophthalmic technician, Pegado has firsthand exposure to the impact of eye diseases on patients. “Professor Corson's lab gave me the chance to build on that clinical foundation and explore those same diseases from a research perspective” said Pegado. “This experience strengthened my passion for research and gave me both valuable laboratory skills and a better understanding of how research can be translated into new patient therapies.”

As a life sciences student at McMaster University, Ogundare is interested in health care research, particularly as it relates to racialized and underserved communities. He was interested in the Amgen Scholars program and the opportunity to work with Certina Ho, assistant professor (teaching stream), to gain experience in biomedical and clinical research and the network of scholars across Canada and internationally.

Ogundare worked with Dr. Ho on research related to patient safety in pharmacy and education scholarship and the use of virtual reality in student training related to opioid overdose response in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Simulation Centre.

He says that the skills and relationships he gained through the Amgen Scholars program will stay with him for years to come.

“Having grown up with both of my parents in pharmacy, I wanted to explore the field further through Dr. Ho’s research on education scholarship, medication safety, and improving patient outcomes in clinical practice,” says Ogundare. “I left with transferable skills in conducting research, collaborating within a team, presenting scientific data, and gained a deeper appreciation for the vital role pharmacists play in improving patient care. I look forward to carrying these experiences into the next chapter of my journey in research, health care and medicine.”