The Faculty of Medicine will be hosting more than 250 of Canada’s top health research students and postdoctoral fellows at the 24th annual Canadian Student Health Research Forum and the Canadian National Medical Student Research Symposium June 7-9, 2011 at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne Campus. These events provide participants with an opportunity to present and showcase their research, network, and receive recognition for the excellence of their scientific discoveries.

The Canadian Student Health Research Forum also features research poster days, awards, tours and social events as well as a one-day symposium on cross-disciplinary scientific themes by some of the world’s leading scientists. This year’s symposium themes, Epigenetics and Neuroscience & Mental Health, are emerging areas of research that play an important role in combating pervasive diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Dr. Alain Beaudet, will also give a special presentation on Thursday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. in the Frederic Gaspard Lecture Theatre, Basic Medical Sciences Building, 745 Bannatyne Ave.

“Students in the health sciences are active within the cultures of laboratory, clinical and population-based studies,” says Ed Kroeger, assistant dean, graduate studies, Faculty of Medicine. “Their career progress depends on networking and being recognized for their contributions. This event seeks to connect students with complementary interests across the university with top doctoral students from across the country.”

The annual Prowse Memorial Lecture takes place on Tuesday, June 7 at noon in Theatre B, Basic Medical Sciences Building. Robin Ducas (MD/07) is a first year cardiology fellow at the University of Manitoba and she will present “Complete revascularization is associated with improved in-hospital survival in cardiogenic shock due to myocardial infarction.”

Lyle McKinnon (PhD/09) will give the E.L. Drewry Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, June 8 at 11:30 a.m. in the Frederic Gaspard Theatre, Basic Medical Sciences Building. McKinnon is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto based at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, where he is studying the mucosal immunology of HIV transmission and acquisition in female sex worker cohorts.

The Canadian National Medical Student Research Symposium’s keynote address will be delivered by Paul Beck of the University of Calgary on “Journey to the Fine Balance… The Life as a Clinician-Scientist,” on Wednesday, June 8 at 1:00 p.m. in the Frederic Gaspard Theatre.

In addition, a poster session and presentation of recognition awards for the Canadian Student Health Research Forum will be held in Thursday, June 9 at 12:00 p.m. in Brodie Atrium.

For more information contact Janice Labossiere, communications officer/web coordinator, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, at: 204-272-3110, or email: labossij@cc.umanitoba.ca