CANSSI Ontario STAGE: Spring 2023 Cohort Announced

TORONTO, ON. — CANSSI Ontario STAGE (STAGE) is pleased to announce a new cohort of trainees selected to receive mentorship and to work in research projects that span polygenic risk-environment (GxE) interaction models, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and population pharmacokinetic modelling.

STAGE offers training and career development opportunities designed to cross-train individuals at the interface of genetics and population health sciences in genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics—two disciplines currently facing a shortage of qualified individuals in Canada and elsewhere.

We are delighted to welcome and congratulate four incoming PhD trainees:

1. Hua Lu, Biostatistics at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
   Mentors: Lisa Strug (primary), Rae Yeung
   Project: Genetic overlap between multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and other immunophenotypes: a multi-trait colocalization framework
2. Xiaoyu Men, Department of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
   Mentors: James Kennedy (primary), Daniel Felsky, and Vanessa Gonçalves
   Project: Predicting Venlafaxine-Induced Adverse Effects in Late-Life Depression using mPRS and Population Pharmacokinetic Modelling
3. Muhammad Shoaib, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto
   Mentors: Jennifer Crosbie (primary), Frank Wendt, and Daniel Felsky
   Project: Evaluation of polygenic risk-environment (GxE) interaction models for ADHD traits

Hua, Xiaoyu, and Muhammad, along with information about their background and research projects, are featured in these news releases about the awards:

Hua | Xiaoyu | Muhammad