IMS Scientific Day 2025: Bridging Science and Community

By Kowsar Teymouri

Graphic design by Jeah Kim

On the morning of Friday, April 25^th, 2025, among the hustle and bustle of the city, Hart House–the beautiful, gothic-style building at the heart of the University of Toronto–was housing a rush of its own. Preparations were underway for another successful annual Institute of Medical Science (IMS) Scientific Day. What began as a small gathering in 2006 has now grown into a full-day conference celebrating the academic excellence of students and faculty through events like the Bernard Langer keynote lecture, the Laidlaw manuscript competition, and the Alan Wu poster competition.

This year’s event kicked off with the morning session of the Alan Wu poster competition, showcasing students’ research across a wide variety of disciplines and methodologies, reflective of the vast reach of the IMS. Following this, Drs. Nadia Minian and Brian Ballios delivered a warm welcome through their opening remarks. Dr. Mingyao Liu then delivered a heartfelt report to conclude his remarkable ten-year tenure as the director of IMS, which was received with a standing ovation–a testament to the deep appreciation of his work by the IMS community. Dr. Liu has been an integral part of the students’ experience at the IMS, and he will be dearly missed by students and faculty alike.

Dr. Mingyao Liu delivers a 10-year leadership report on his term as the director of IMS

Photo credit: Emily Yeung

Dr. Liu then introduced this year’s keynote lecturer, Dr. Sonia Anand, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at McMaster University. She discussed her groundbreaking research evaluating the genetic and environmental determinants of vascular health for women and participants of varying ancestral origin, inspiring the next generation of healthy equity researchers.

Dr. Sonia Anand delivers the Bernard Langer keynote lecture

Photo credit: Emily Yeung

To make the lunch hour more lively, the IMS Scientific Day planning committee had organized a speed dating-style mentoring event, which provided students the opportunity to connect with six IMS faculty members—asking questions and receiving career advice in a dynamic setting.

The day continued with the Laidlaw manuscript competition, during which four students presented their published manuscripts to a panel of judges. This session offered attendees a chance to learn about the impactful work that students have carried out throughout their graduate program.

Following a coffee break, the most anticipated event of the day took place: the award ceremony. Now an annual tradition, IMS students, staff, and faculty are recognized for their academic achievements, impacts on the education of the student body, and contributions to the IMS community. The IMS Scientific Day award ceremony reflects the culture of support, recognition, and mentorship at the core of our values. We would like to congratulate all of this year’s award winners!

The closing remarks by the co-leads of the planning committee concluded another successful and memorable IMS Scientific Day. We would like to thank the IMS planning committee for their amazing work in organizing this event. Last but certainly not least, we would like to thank Dr. Liu for the lasting impact he has had on the IMS community, and warmly welcome Dr. Lucy Osborne as the new interim director of IMS!