Turning clinical gaps into research‑driven solutions
Faculty of Engineering Co-op Student of the Year, Aiden Sarrafzadeh, learned that translating innovation into clinical practice is as important as developing new technologies.
Aiden Sarrafzadeh, a second-year Biomedical Engineering student, worked at Women's College Hospital on the Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV) team.
With a focus on health systems and digital health, he mainly worked with artificial intelligence (AI) clinical decision support tools in a collaboration project with OntarioMD. These tools can help with anything from a doctor's AI scribe, to assistance with medical imaging and even basic admin tasks.
Aiden evaluated many of these tools by comparing their performances against each other and establishing baseline metrics to determine which solutions were most suitable for future clinical use. His project work was accepted to the 2026 e-Health Conference.
Beyond this, he conducted research and performed development work on an AI tool to assist researchers in implementing their interventions.
Q&A with Aiden
Tell me about a moment when you realized your work was making a real difference.
“I was able to shadow a few primary care physicians and see firsthand how these revolutionary assisting tools function in real clinical workflows. I realized my work was making a difference during those late nights when I was in the office with a clinician, diagnosing and treating different patients. Then, the next morning, I would be working on a project that would look for tools that could improve these exact workflows that the doctors struggled with the night before because AI wasn't there to help.”
What technical or professional skills did you develop that were essential to your success during your work term?
“Being able to talk to my employer and my team. They knew I was a co-op student there to learn, and they were glad to answer all the questions I had. The skill itself is having the courage to ask a question when you need help. Be sociable with your coworkers, seeing that they are people you look up to and hope to be like one day. Jump on the opportunity to learn as much as possible from them.”
In what ways did your supervisor support your learning or growth during the work term?
“I would finish projects quickly, and anytime I would ask if I could help with something else, my supervisor would immediately give me the opportunity to work on a new project. Plus, every few days, Dr. Laur would introduce me to a new researcher, principal investigator or person of relevance in the health-care industry so I could make as many connections as possible. She knew I was there to learn and treated me amazingly. Those connections are people that I'm still in contact with right now, people that became my mentors along with Dr. Laur.”
How has co-op shaped or changed your understanding of the research industry?
“Co-op influenced my understanding of the research industry because my supervisor specialized in implementation science, which is often a very overlooked aspect of research. Implementation is the idea that you come up with an intervention, for example, you cure cancer, but then how are you going to actually get it used in a clinic, pharmacy or a hospital? My supervisor gave me this holistic view of research early on. Now, if I come up with some amazing research intervention, I know how to implement it.”
What’s one piece of advice you would give to future co-op students?
“Prioritize impact and passion over money. Don't let salary be a determinant as to whether or not the work you're doing is sufficient and whether or not you're successful. At the end of the day, what matters is helping people, that's your purpose on this planet. Don’t look at your paycheck as an indicator of success because it isn't. Instead, strive to improve the world.”
What does receiving the Co-op Student of the Year Award mean to you?
“Winning this award is a great honour, especially having been a first-year student in my first co-op term. It's proof and reinforcement that what I've been doing is right, that is being curious, excited and going into a field that I’m truly passionate about.”
What’s next for you?
“I am currently employed at SickKids working towards improving molecular engineering with machine learning. We’re working on predicting protein peptide binding affinities by developing models that incorporate physics and thermodynamics data into their predictions.”
“Thanks to the amazing co-op program at Waterloo and my very versatile degree, I am excited to try out different things in my next four co-op terms. Maybe I’ll work in tech, at a manufacturing company or in the design field to get experience in all the different aspects of my degree. Long-term, I want to go back to research. I want to increase the number of lives saved, and research is my way of doing that. It’s my calling.”
