McMaster University’s Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences Summer Scholars Program (SSP) continues to carve out space in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) for students from all walks of life.
Now in its fourth year, the competitive program offers fully funded research opportunities to small cohorts of Ontario-based undergraduates who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or 2SLGBTQIA+. The funding not only covers admission, but also housing, transportation, parking, food, and childcare.
Caitlin Mullarkey, an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and chair of the SSP, says the program is designed to strike down common barriers that have historically led to underrepresentation in the field.
“We built this program on a strong foundation of community, inclusivity, and excellence,” she says. “It’s a launchpad for the future of our field — a space for the next generation of STEM leaders to gain mentorship and hands-on experience. Seeing our graduates succeed and advance to careers in medicine, research, and education has been one of the most rewarding outcomes of the program.”
The SSP, led by the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and supported by Global Nexus and the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR), includes a comprehensive two-week research skills training bootcamp and a 10-week laboratory placement.
At their placements, students in this year’s cohort conducted research into range of important biomedical topics, including Crohn’s disease, obesity, neurodegeneration, and infectious disease. Here, they reflect on how the program has shaped them, both personally and academically.
Rose Bilton
For Rose Bilton, a second-year Health Sciences student at Queen’s University, spending the summer at McMaster was an opportunity to truly immerse herself in research.
Training in the laboratory of Brian Coombes, professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and a member of the IIDR, Bilton investigated how the gastrointestinal stressors associated with Crohn’s disease could affect the antimicrobial function of the enzyme diamine oxidase.
While Bilton is proud of her work in the Coombes Lab, she says the highlight of her time in the SSP was brushing elbows with others who share her passion for science.
“This program is unique in that it creates a safe space to be curious and to explore what research truly is,” she says. “Being surrounded by others who are passionate about their work was inspiring, and their excitement made me even more eager to learn and grow.”
Rasheed Ahmad
Connections with peers, lessons from the lab, creative freedom, and developing new skills: these are just some of Rasheed Ahmad’s highlights from their time in the SSP.
Working in the laboratory of Alison Holloway, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ahmad spent the summer using quantitative PCR to investigate potential metabolic side effects associated with the antidepressant drug fluoxetine.
“I really appreciated getting to build my skills in biochemistry throughout th summer,” Ahmad says.
Now in their third year of McMaster’s Honours Health Sciences Program with a specialization in child health, Ahmad says that they will take their SSP experience with them into the future — quite literally. In addition to advancing through the program this summer, Ahmad has maintained their position in the Holloway Lab, where they will build on their SSP research throughout the coming year.
Rejoice Ajimoko
Prior to being accepted into the SSP, Rejoice Ajimoko assumed that lab work was a solitary endeavour; however, in no time, she stood corrected. Brainstorming, teamwork, and collaboration were all a regular part of her time in Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences Professor Deborah Sloboda’s lab.
“Everyone was so willing to help each other out,” says Ajimoko. “There was real camaraderie in the lab.”
Throughout the summer, the fourth-year McMaster biochemistry student imaged more than 200 ileum and colon samples from diverse mouse models, which helped researchers better understand the impacts that high-fat diets during and before pregnancy could have on offspring.
In doing this work, Ajimoko was exposed to a litany of other research techniques, including dissection, slide preparation, and staining — all of which, she says, helped her hone her own lab skills.
Maxwell McConnell
Maxwell McConnell says that the SSP gave him opportunities that are “unheard of for a first-year student.”
During his time in the program, he connected with alumni, met with faculty members, and gained valuable hands-on lab experience.
The McMaster biochemistry student was stationed in the laboratory of Yingfu Li, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, where he investigated how aptamers — tiny molecules that latch onto other, specific target molecules — could be used in future therapeutics for H5N1, a subtype of the virus that causes avian influenza, or “bird flu.”
McConnell says that he learned a lot in the process — not only about science, but about himself, too.
“The SSP has solidified my love for science and confirmed that I am on the right track for my future career,” he says. “The program allowed me to prove to myself that I am capable, even if I am underrepresented in the community.”
Daniel Hailu
Daniel Hailu spent his summer working in the laboratory of Matthew Miller, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the scientific director of the IIDR.
There, he explored how beta-glucans — complex sugars found in the cell walls of fungi — could induce trained innate immunity in human immune cells.
Hailu says he learned a lot in the Miller Lab, but the highlight of his time in the SSP was the program’s two-week skills bootcamp, which set him up for success.
“The bootcamp not only prepared me with the technical skills that I needed for my placement, but also gave me the chance to bond with my fellow scholars and form lasting connections,” he says. “I’m grateful to have been part of such a supportive and inspiring program.”
Michelle Wan
Working in the laboratory of Dawn Bowdish, a professor in McMaster’s Department of Medicine and executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, Michelle Wan performed a summer’s worth of assays to measure the different types of antibodies in the blood of older adults.
This important research helped scientists evaluate the impacts of determinants like age, sex, and frailty on antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines.
For Wan, now a third-year Honours Health Sciences student at McMaster, the rigorous scientific training was the experience of a lifetime; however, when asked about what made the SSP so memorable, she’s quick to say that it was the program’s “culture of curiosity.”
“The openness, paired with the kindness and encouragement of my mentors, allowed me to build lasting relationships with my lab, my fellow scholars, and the entire SSP community,” Wan says. “This summer was one of the most meaningful learning experiences I’ve ever had.”
Destiny Osunbiyi
Destiny Osunbiyi’s summer at McMaster was one to remember. The second-year York University chemistry student says that the SSP afforded her an opportunity to gain important lab skills and a deeper sense of confidence in the lab.
“I was challenged in ways I did not expect and have gained confidence and new skills that I look forward to using in the future,” she says.
Her studies, based in the laboratory of Lesley MacNeil, an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences and a member of the IIDR, used the nematode C. elegans as a model for exploring how problems with nonsense-mediated mRNA decay — our genetic quality-control system — might play a role in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
But for Osunbiyi, the SSP was more than just a research experience — it was the start of a lifelong connection to a community of likeminded people.
“What made the experience especially memorable was the collaborative and supportive community, which continues beyond the program through its alumni network,” she says.
Miracle Okoroma
For Miracle Okoroma, a second-year biomedical sciences student at Toronto Metropolitan University, the SSP was an opportunity to observe and explore complex science up close and in an environment that was safe, inclusive, and collaborative.
Okoroma says her placement in the laboratory of Ray Truant, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, taught her about lab culture, broadened her perspective about what biomedical research can look like, and cemented her interest in chasing science as a career.
“The SSP fostered a sense of community that made the experience deeply rewarding,” Okoroma says. “The program truly solidified my interest in pursuing biomedical research, and gave me the opportunity to develop foundational laboratory skills that I know will serve as the ‘bread and butter’ of my future scientific career.”
In the lab, Okoroma took cellular imaging approaches to investigate a series of protein interactions that helped researchers better understand Huntington’s disease.