Each April, the Vision Science Graduate Research Conference takes place at the School of Optometry and Vision Science to celebrate research and student achievements. Graduate students presented their research and some were awarded for their success and commitment to innovative research in vision science.
A highlight of the conference was the 2024 Larkworthy Lecture, established in memory of Stratford optometrist Dr. Donald Larkworthy. This year’s lecture, titled “Reconciliation: An Indigenous ontology of climate change,” was presented by Dr. Deborah McGregor, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.
Award Winners
This year, two new awards were made possible by I-MED Pharma Inc and Dr. Kristine Dalton. The I-MED Pharma Graduate Scholarship was established to encourage innovative research in the dry eye vision care field. Dalton, an associate professor at the School, created the Clinical Scientist Graduate Award, which encourages trained optometrists to pursue research – as she has.
I-MED Pharma representatives with Nijani Nagaarudkumaran, a winner of the I-MED Pharma Graduate Scholarship
Dr. Kristine Dalton with Sahar Khakneshin, winner of the Clinical Scientist Graduate Award
Congratulations to all the award recipients and thank you to the donors who made these scholarships possible.
Award winners are as follows:
Class of 1948 Graduate Scholarship
Piyush Garg
Clinical Scientist Graduate Award
Sahar Khakneshin
Daytech Manufacturing Ltd. Prize
Piyush Garg (PhD Prize)
Adrianna Warren (MSc Prize)
Desmond Fonn Contact Lens Research Award
Mehdi Al Atrach and Asiya Jabeen
The Dr. Emerson Woodruff Graduate Scholarship in Paediatrics
Lauren Hoare
H. Winston Algate Award in Graduate Studies
Ashita Bidarkar
I-MED Pharma Graduate Scholarship
Nijani Nagaarudkumaran and Heinz Otchere
Outstanding Teaching Assistantship Award
Shilpa Gorla (Basic Science Award)
Heinz Otchere (Clinical Science Award)
University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships
- Mehdi Al Atrach
- Rishav Bhardwaj
- Ashita Bidarkar
- Theodore Chow
- Piyush Garg
- Shilpa Gorla
- Lauren Hoare
- Heather Hudecki
- Cassandra Huynh
- Sahar Khakneshin
- Allison Lynch
- Marisa McKinney
- Mana Monfared
- Nijani Nagaarudkumaran
- Sharon Qiu
- Anne Marie Yeboah
2023 Award Winners
American Academy of Optometry OD/PhD Scholarship
Sharon Qiu
International Masters Award of Excellence
Daniel Kessie
Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS) doctoral Research Award
Piyush Garg
Provost Doctoral Entrance Award for Women
Shilpa Gorla, Allison Lynch and Sharon Qiu
Graduates and graduates-to-be
Congratulations to those who have recently completed their graduate studies in vision science.
Spring and Fall 2023 convocations:
Susmita Bose (PhD)
Yutong Jin (PhD)
Juliette Teodoro (MSc)
Adrianna Warren (MSc)
To convocate in 2024:
Heather Hudecki (MSc)
Abdul Rasheed Mohammed (PhD)
Megala Ramasamy (MSc)
Manish Shukla (MSc)