London RIOT

Amal Aziz is a researcher pursuing a PhD in biomedical engineering at Western University's Robarts Research Institute under Dr. Aaron Fenster. With a background in medical biophysics, her current focus is on developing a 3D breast ultrasound system to provide point-of-care technologies for the early diagnosis of breast cancer, especially in underserved populations.

Edward Wang is an MD/PhD Candidate in the Department of Medical Biophysics at Western University. His research focuses on developing artificial intelligence tools to improve radiation treatment for cancer patients. Edward is passionate about STEM outreach and loves to talk about anything science related!

Sarah Bilgasem is a first-year medical student at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Engineering from Laurentian University and a Master’s in Health Sciences from Western University. Her research interests focus on health equity in cancer care alongside optimizing treatment strategies in radiation oncology.

Alyssa Wu is a PhD Candidate in Biochemistry at Western University, having previously earned her BSc in Honours Life Sciences from McMaster University. She is passionate about cancer education and outreach because it bridges the gap between vital research and the communities it impacts.

Ashmi Shah is a MSc Candidate in the Department of Biochemistry working under the supervision of Dr. Martin Duennwald. She completed her Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Pathology of Human Disease at Western University. Her current research focuses on understanding the contribution of aberrant function in tRNA processing proteins to cellular toxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. 

Dongkyu Kim is a Masters student in Biochemistry at Western University with a strong passion in cancer biochemistry, machine-learning, and cancer clinical research. He is also a cancer survivor, classical guitar player, and swimmer!

Ebenezeer Mussie is a first year medical student at Schulich Medicine with an interest in cancer research that pertains to investigating RB gene mutations in TNBC and exploring potential therapeutics.

Emily Moon is a 4th year undergraduate student studying Medical Biophysics.

Emily Tomas is currently in her 5th year of a PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology at Western University. Her project investigates epithelial ovarian cancer using 3D culture model systems (i.e. spheroids and organoids) to understand the biological changes that occur during disease progression. This will provide new targeted treatment options for patients with disease recurrence and potential resistance to standard chemotherapy.

Jessica Jeong is a Masters student at Western University currently studying antibody-based therapies in glioblastoma treatment. She is passionate about cancer therapeutics and hopes to leverage her skills and experience in health policy development.

Maegan Taylor is currently in her third year BMSc with an Honours Specialization in Biochemistry of Infection and Immunity at Western. Her research is on developing diagnostic assays for M. tuberculosis in the Guthrie-Guariglia Lab and hopes to continue on in research by pursuing a Masters in Biochemistry. 

Peter Zeng is currently a 6th year MD/PhD student at the Schulich School of Medicine and is very glad to be continuing his involvement in RIOT for the 6th year and counting!

Robert Policelli is currently a second year master’s student in Medical Biophysics at Western University. His research focuses on attempting to find predictors of treatment success for brain metastases patients using medical imaging and machine learning techniques.

Ryan Au is a PhD Candidate at Western University studying Medical Biophysics. His research is focused on developing AI tools and using eye tracking technology to improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer on multiparametric MRI.

Raffin Ryeed is a graduate student at Western who is passionate about cancer research and engaging with the community to spread cancer information. 

Sawyer Badiuk is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Medical Biophysics at Western University. Sawyer studies the efficacy of radiation therapy treatments for breast cancer that has spread to the brain, called brain metastases, using novel imaging techniques. The overall goal of her research is to prevent new and recurring brain metastases.

Tori Chen is a 4th year medical sciences student at Western University with a research background in diabetic retinopathy and cardiomyopathy. Passionate about healthcare advocacy and community engagement, she serves as the Vice President of Breast Cancer Canada’s London Hub, a volunteer at ChildCan, and the Finance Director at UNICEF Western. Additionally, Tori supports Bark at the Moon Animal Rescue as a Partnership Coordinator, fostering community connections to enhance animal welfare initiatives.