by Dr. Mingyao Liu

Congratulations to our IMS community on another successful academic year. With the warm summer months comes a time for reflection on the accomplishments of our students, staff, and faculty, and on behalf of IMS, I would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to everyone for their hard work and achievements. It brings me great excitement to think about what the upcoming year holds for our community—and the prospect of reproducing this year’s success aligns nicely with the Summer 2025 theme of the IMS Magazine on Reproductive Health. 

This edition features two IMS faculty members whose research is focused on improving reproductive health for both males and females alike. Dr. Mrinalini Balki is investigating ways of making childbirth safer and more patient-centered, while Dr. Keith Jarvi is striving to uncover treatments for male infertility. It is our pleasure to share their accomplishments with the community in this issue. 

We are also pleased to put the spotlight on three outstanding individuals within the IMS community that have made impacts beyond their research. Dr. Jennifer Rabin shares her journey into academia as a female scientist and the initiatives she has pioneered to foster support among women in the field. Dr. Paul Kudlow, an IMS alum, discusses how he strategically combined his passions for medicine and investment banking to become CEO of a venture capital firm. Lastly, Shaghayegh (Feri) Boroojeni underlines her journey into IMS as an international student and how she found community through student-led initiatives, eventually leading to her winning the Jay Keystone Memorial Award for IMS MedDash. 

Additionally, this issue shares the highlights of our annual IMS Scientific Day, the community’s favourite celebration of the hard work and accomplishments of our students, faculty, and alumni. On behalf of the IMS community, I extend my warmest congratulations to the new faculty joining IMS and members who have received promotions this year.

This edition also marks my final Director’s Message for the IMS Magazine. It has been an honour and a privilege to be a part of such a talented community here at the IMS, and I have enjoyed using each issue of the IMS Magazine to highlight the incredible people that make our department so impactful in the lab and beyond. I have been involved with the Magazine since 2012 as Associate Director of IMS, 2014 as Interim Director, and 2015 as Director, and have enjoyed reading every issue—especially the IMS50 Special Edition in 2018 and Student Life Special Edition in 2024. I have cherished working with the students that make up the IMS Magazine team, and it has been a delight to recognize their hard work in the letters of support I have written as part of their scholarship and medical school applications over the years. It has been a treasured experience to witness their great success in graduate school and throughout their career development, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of the team here at the IMS Magazine. 

I would like to thank Suraiya Mangra for her contributions to the IMS Magazine as Editor-in-Chief as she transitions into her career, and welcome Nayaab Punjani as incoming Editor-in-Chief. As well, I would like to thank our returning Editors-in-Chief, Kristen and Kyla, as well as the dedicated journalists, editors, photographers, and design team for their exceptional work in bringing this issue of the IMS Magazine to life. 

Lastly, I would like to thank our talented students, faculty, and staff that make up the IMS community for making my last 10 years as Director so memorable and full of pride. It has been an honour, and I look forward to seeing what’s next for our incredible members. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Mingyao Liu

Director, Institute of Medical Science