by Kyla Trkulja, Iciar Iturmendi Sabater, Kristen Ashworth, & Suraiya Mangra

Welcome to a new school year, IMS!

Just as the vibrant foliage signals a season of change, the IMS Magazine is also embracing new beginnings as we welcome new members of our 2024-25 leadership team. We are thrilled to announce the addition of our two incoming Editors-in-Chief, Kristen Ashworth and Suraiya Mangra, who will be joining the role with Kyla Trkulja (returning Co-Editor-in-Chief). We bid a fond farewell to our outgoing Co-Editor-in-Chief, Iciar Iturmendi-Sabater, as we turn the page to this new chapter. Iciar has been a member of the IMS Magazine since Fall 2021, and served as a Co-Editor-in-Chief this past 2023-24 school year. Iciar had some farewell words to share:

“Co-directing the IMS Magazine has given me a unique opportunity to gain a broad perspective on the innovative research and ideas emerging from our inspiring IMS community. It has helped me recognize that all research exists within a social context, where scientists thrive when they feel connected to their communities. Working with Kyla and leading a talented team of writers, editors, and designers has strengthened my belief that collaboration in interdisciplinary research improves science. Lastly, I am deeply grateful for the trust Dr. Mingyao Liu and the IMS team have placed in their students to spearhead innovative projects like the IMS Magazine. Serving as a Co-Editor-in-Chief has made me a more well-rounded scientist and I am proud to have contributed to the IMS community in this role.” – Iciar Iturmendi-Sabater

Kristen Ashworth and Suraiya Mangra, also wanted to share a few words of welcome:

“For the past two years, I have had the pleasure of working with the IMS Magazine team, first as a journalist and then as an Executive Editor. One of the most meaningful aspects of being part of this team has been knowing the impact we have on the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) community. Through the stories we tell, I feel fortunate to have come to know IMS–and the faculty and students who make it such a special institute–in a profound way. I am thrilled to extend my leadership this year as Co-Editor-in-Chief to continue fostering this impact and elevate the magazine’s role in our community. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!” – Kristen Ashworth

“My motivation for joining IMS Magazine in 2023 was to explore new and interesting topics in medical science that were outside the scope of my thesis. In the past year, our magazine’s viewpoint articles have allowed me to dive into fascinating research that I would have otherwise never learned about. I have had the privilege of collaborating with a dedicated team of writers, photographers, designers, and fellow editors that all share an inspiring passion for bringing science to a wider audience. As one of the three Editors-in-Chief for this year, I am thrilled to be continuing with the magazine in a more substantial role.” – Suraiya Mangra

Our Fall 2024 issue is all about cardiovascular health. From a young age, we learn that our heart is the drumbeat of our bodies: the vital organ that keeps us alive. With that considered, do we truly take care of our hearts the way that we should?

As the weather turns colder and the bustle of the school year picks up, it can be easy to fall into habits that compromise our heart health. Our Viewpoint articles touch upon the detrimental impacts of sedentary behaviour, excessive screen time, and vaping–common habits associated with colder weather and increased stress and workload–on our cardiovascular systems. We also explore a positive counterpoint to these habits: exercise and endurance training. Our Faculty Feature articles highlight some of the foremost cardiovascular research taking place within the IMS right now, from the labs of Dr. Paaladinesh Thavendiranathan, Dr. Keyvan Karkouti, and Dr. Osami Honjo. Our spotlighted IMS members for this issue include Dr. Tony George, Dr. Aadil Ali, and Alex Boshart–each of whom have touched the lives of others through leadership, innovation, and mentorship. Their stories remind us of the non-physical part of the heart: the part we use to care for others.

Whether you are pipetting all day at the lab bench, analyzing patient data, or finishing your next grant application at the office, remember to take care of your heart this school year, in every sense. We hope these articles provide valuable and inspiring insights on how to do just that. On behalf of both the outgoing and incoming Editors-in-Chief, we would like to extend our thanks to all the journalists, editors, and designers who have made this issue’s production possible.

Kyla Trkulja

Iciar is a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Meng-Chuan Lai and Dr.Hsiang-Yuan Lin. She investigates social adaptive behaviors in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Twitter: @kylatrkulja_

Iciar Iturmendi Sabater

Iciar is a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Meng-Chuan Lai and Dr.Hsiang-Yuan Lin. She investigates social adaptive behaviors in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Twitter: @iciar_itur

Kristen Ashworth

Kristen is a PhD student studying the use of a human-based retinal organoid model to investigate cell therapies for genetic eye disease under the supervision of Dr. Brian Ballios at the Krembil Research Institute. Twitter: @K_Ashworth01

Twitter: @K_Ashworth01

Suraiya Mangra

Suraiya is a 2^nd year MSc student investigating the effects of neuromodulation interventions on brain morphology in patients with neurodegenerative disorders at the Krembil Research Institute under the supervision of Dr. Andres Lozano.