2020 MBP Virtual Geneva Park Retreat a success!
The annual Medical Biophysics (MBP) retreat looked a little different this year. Typically, the Department hosts a three-day event at Geneva Park near Orillia, ON, but due to social distancing requirements, a gathering of this nature was not possible for the 2020 retreat.
Hosted through Zoom Meeting on Monday, September 28th, the modified one-day virtual program brought MBP students and faculty members together remotely to engage in meaningful knowledge-sharing activities.
Approximately 120 MBP graduate students and 30 MBP faculty participated in the 2020 event, which featured opportunities for MBP students and faculty to network, share exciting MBP research and discuss issues related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in scientific research.
A keynote presentation was delivered by special guest Dr. Terry Peters titled 'A Kiwi’s Journey Through Five Decades of Medical Imaging’.
Throughout the one-day event, MBP-focused research presentations were provided by:
- Dr. Marianne Koritzinsky
- Dr. Chris McIntosh
- Dr. Hon Leong
- Dr. Kristin Hope
- Dr. Phyllis Billia
- Dr. Olivier Villemain
- Dr. Courtney Jones
- Dr. Maged Goubran
PhD exit talks were given by:
- Stanley Zhou
- Stecia-Marie Fletcher
- Philippa Krahn
The Virtual Geneva Park Retreat also featured a very special MBP Awards ceremony.
Walker-Marshall Prize
The award is given to a student who has completed a PhD in the Department during the past year or is expected to have completed the PhD by December of this year. It recognizes a combination of academic excellence, scientific impact from thesis work and participation in and contribution to the culture, student life and student welfare in the Department.
The 2020 Walker-Marshall award was awarded to Ms. Stecia-Marie Fletcher.
MBP Achievement Award
These awards recognize three PhD students (applied, basic and translational) for outstanding academic achievements, annually. Selection criteria are based on the overall quality of students’ PhD theses, with a specific focus on publications, patents, development of devices/methods, contributions to clinical practice and knowledge translation.
The 2020 MBP Achievement Award recipients:
- Dr. Ali Seyed Madani Tonekaboni (Applied)
- Dr. Sarah Zarabi (Basic)
- Dr. Joseph Longo (Translational)
Education Awards
As part of a recent student-led initiative, two special awards were presented to outstanding MBP faculty as selected by MBP students.
Dr. Marianne Koritzinsky received the Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of her significant contributions to graduate student education within the Department.
Dr. Charles Cunningham was awarded the Excellence in Mentorship Award in recognition of his exceptional dedication to graduate student development & continued commitment to mentorship within the Department.
Special thanks to all participants and event organizers for making the 2020 Virtual Geneva Park Retreat a success!