Dr. Lisa Lix
Associate dean (research) and professor, College of Community and Global Health
2026 Forum
MSHRF schedule of events
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Poster competition | Brodie Centre atrium |
2:30 - 4:00 p.m. | Professional development workshop Presented by: | 050 Apotex Centre |
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
9:30 – 10:00 a.m. | Prowse Breakfast | Apotex Centre |
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. | Prowse Memorial Award Lecture | 050 Apotex Centre |
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | E.L. Drewry Memorial Award Lecture | 050 Apotex Centre |
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | Drewry Luncheon | Apotex Centre |
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. | MMSF Showcase Session | 050 Apotex Centre |
2:30 - 3:00 p.m. | MMSF/MBC Reception | Apotex Centre |
3:00 – 4:15 p.m. | Awards Ceremony | Brodie Centre Atrium |
MMSF Showcase session
Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF) presents: Artificial Intelligence in Research.
Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF), in partnership with the Manitoba Blue Cross, provides funding to new Manitoba Researchers and students to improve the health and well-being of Manitobans.
Biography
Dr. Lix collaborates extensively on studies related to population health and health service use. Her research focuses on applying statistical methods to analyze electronic health databases for population health and health policy research. Her work is centred in four main areas:
- Statistical and machine-learning methods to evaluate the quality of electronic health databases for research and disease surveillance.
- Fracture risk prediction.
- Statistical and machine-learning methods for measurement bias in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
- Post-marketing surveillance of prescription drug safety and effectiveness.
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Dr. Sabine Mai
Professor, UM Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology
Biography
Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer, driving disease progression and influencing how tumors respond to treatment. Dr. Sabine Mai’s research sheds light on this process by studying how structural changes in the genome contribute to cancer development.
Mai has identified the oncogene c-MYC as a potent inducer of genomic instability and has developed advanced imaging techniques to study the 3D spatial organization of the genome, including telomeres, centromeres, chromosomes, and genomic DNA. Her work has led to the discovery of structural biomarkers that offer new insights into how genome organization influences cancer.
By combining molecular biology with high-resolution imaging, she has created quantitative tools to measure these genomic changes. These innovations provide new approaches for cancer detection, risk assessment, and treatment strategies.
Mai’s research has applications across multiple cancer types, including prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and glioblastoma. Her studies on nuclear architecture and telomere organization have revealed key mechanisms underlying cancer progression and treatment resistance.
As the leader of a multidisciplinary team at the Genomic Centre for Cancer Research and Diagnosis, Mai continues to develop cutting-edge imaging technologies that are shaping the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
Special lectures
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E. L. Drewry Memorial Lecture
Dr. Mojtaba Hosseini
Post-doctoral Fellow, Winnipeg Stroke Research Group, Department of Internal Medicine Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences -
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Prowse Memorial Lecture
Dr. Zohaib Siddiqi
PGY5 Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences -
Professional Development Workshop
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Dr. Tarah Lynch
Synergy Scientific Coaching and ConsultingPresentation title
Level Up: Communication and Networking
Presentation summary
Coming soon.
Biography
Coming soon.
Manitoba poster competition
Overview
The Manitoba Poster Competition will take place on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 in the Brodie Centre Atrium at the University of Manitoba Bannatyne campus.
Abstract submissions are now open
Submission deadline: April 14, 2026
Eligibility
This competition is open to Manitoba graduate students and postdoctoral fellows undertaking research in the health sciences. There will also be limited opportunities for undergraduate students, with up to 10 abstracts selected from those who submitted.
Consideration will be given to students who:
- Have registered by the registration deadline
- Have submitted their abstract by the registration deadline
Note: We welcome posters from across the breadth of the CIHR mandate.
How to register
To register, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Prepare your abstract according to our template
Step 2: Complete the abstract submission form
Step 3: Check your email frequently for updates including judging schedule.
Important: please add srforum@umanitoba.ca to your spam filters to ensure they do not end up in your junk folder.
Format
This event has been planned to take place in person.
Participants will present a poster (no larger than 4 feet wide) to showcase their research. Recommended templates are available.
Poster numbers will be assigned to participants once registration has closed. Participants are invited to mount their poster at their corresponding number upon arrival to the forum and orally present their research to the judges at the scheduled judging time.
Each participant will be assigned a 15-minute judging slot – 10 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for a question/answer period. Please be sure not to exceed your 10 minutes of presentation time as the judging schedule is very tight.
Judging criteria
Please keep in mind, the judges are most likely not experts in your specific area of research. The topics covered in this competition are very broad and logistically it would be impossible to provide close expertise for all presenters.
However, the judges have been selected based on their success as scientists in their respective fields and their broader knowledge of science.
As with any presentation, the audience must be taken into account and the information delivered accordingly.
Participants will be judged on:
- Organization
- Clarity of presentation, including:
- background
- hypothesis/research question(s)
- methods (eg. study design and analysis technique)
- results
- conclusion
- Visual appearance of your presentation
- Defense of results
2026 MSHRF Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors.
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba
- Faculty of Graduate Studies
- Health Science Graduate Students' Association (HSGSA)
- Health Sciences Centre Foundation
- Manitoba Blue Cross
- Manitoba Lung Association
- Manitoba Medical Service Foundation
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute – Cancer Care Manitoba
- Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
- St. Boniface Hospital General Hospital Foundation
2025 MSHRF Past award winners
Congratulations to all the award recipients on your well-deserved recognition.
Poster awards
- Bioscience Association Manitoba (BAM) poster award:
- Pranav Mishra
- Dean of RFHS poster awards:
- Helgi Kuzmychova
- Paul Jerrard Layug
- Deanne Nixie Miao
- Jasmine Pipella
- Diana Savage
- Dean of Graduate Studies Poster Award:
- Maria Godoy
- Riley Greenslade
- M Wasif Khan
- Katherine Li
- FGS Postdoctoral Fellow Poster Award:
- Elisabet Jakova
- Carmine Slipski
- FGS Undergraduate Poster Award:
- Quynh Le
- Camila Oda
- MMSF Poster Award:
- Sikta Chattopadhyaya
- Elise Gork
- Lara Haidar
- Taylor Orchard
- Leena Regi Saleth
- Nitesh Sangai
- Riley Tough
- Khushali Trivedi
- Hannah Zhang
- Women’s Health Research Foundation of Canada Poster Award:
- Marina Costa Fujishima
Travel awards
- MMCF – Graduate Student Travel Award:
- Elise Gork
- Rubendren Jamilchelvan
- Paul Jerrard Layug
- Toby Le
- Deanne Nixie Miao
- Faisal Nuhu
- Jasmine Pipella
- Diana Savage
- Suraj Shaji
- Dr. Ed Kroeger Travel Award:
- Sikta Chattopadhyaya
- Marina Costa Fujishima
- Maria Godoy
- Riley Greenslade
- Lara Haidar
- M Wasif Khan
- Helgi Kuzmychova
- Katherine Li
- Pranav Mishra
- Taylor Orchard
- Leena Regi Saleth
- Nitesh Sanghai
- Riley Tough
- Khushali Trivedi
- Hannah Zhang
Dr. Forough Khadem memorial awards
- 2025 recipients:
- Keshav Narayan Alagarsamy (PhD)
- Termeh Shakery (MSc)
Major awards
- Research Manitoba Major Award
- Lara Haidar
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba Major Student Research Award
- Saeid Maghsoudi
- Health Sciences Centre Foundation Major Award
- Seyed Motjaba Hosseini
- E. L. Drewry Memorial Award
- Seyed Motjaba Hosseini
- St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation Major Award
- Sikta Chattopadhyaya
Additional awards
- Karol D. McNeill Research Technician Award
- Martha Hinton (Physiology and Pathophysiology)
Contact us
MSHRF planning team
A202 Chown Building, 753 Mcdermot Avenue
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Winnipeg MB R3E 0T6
204-789-3402