Ottawa RIOT 

Dr. Zaid Taha is a post-doctoral fellow at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, in the labs of Dr. Carolina Ilkow and John Bell, and is a co-chair of Ottawa RIOT.  Zaid uses his background in immunology to investigate and develop new therapeutic strategies to address difficult to treat cancers. These strategies include a range of living therapies, including cell therapies. Zaid is passionate about cancer research, community outreach, and accessible science. He uses every opportunity for science communication to try to inspire hope, curiousitiy, and excitement about the amazing local research efforts!

Emma is the Ottawa Chapter co-chair for RIOT. She is a  PhD student studying acquired chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer at the OHRI.

Priya Bharadwa is a PhD student at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute's Cancer Research Program. She studies cancer-killing, oncolytic, viruses and is passionate about making research and science accessible to patients and their families, allowing research to become a collaborative effort to develop meaningful and effective therapeutics. 

Erin is a PhD student working on developing a new immunotherapy for ovarian cancers using a virus-based approach.

Olivia is  a PhD student studying BRCA1 mutations and ovarian cancer prevention.

Nouf Alluqmani is a post-doctoral fellow at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute/University of Ottawa. Dr. Alluqmani is driven by a desire to keep learning, exploring, and embracing endless curiosity. She is also passionate about cancer research, more specifically cancer immunology and immunotherapy, and the continuous exchange of knowledge. Dr. Alluqmani firmly believes that accessible learning is crucial, as it allows us to master new skills and continue our intellectual journey.

Hi, I'm Khushi, a PhD student in the Ilkow Lab, where I’m developing new therapeutics for KRAS‑mutated cancers. Cancer research, to me, represents hope—the hope for earlier diagnosis, simpler treatments, and ultimately, a cure for all.

Hi there! My name is Tim and I'm a PhD Candidate in Dr. Carolina Ilkow's lab, working on developing new platforms for delivering cancer therapies and vaccines. I believe that research is one of the most important pillars of the fight against cancer, and I aim to use my work to inspire hope in those around me and my community!

 Hi! I am a Master’s student in Dr. Carolina Ilkow’s lab. My project focuses on developing a lung cancer vaccine using cancer killing viruses and extracellular vesicles.

Emma is a PhD student in the lab of Dr. Dylan Burger. She is currently working on uncovering mechanisms underlying the development of ovarian cancer.

Hi! I’m Tamara, a graduate student in Dr. Carolina Ilkow’s lab. My work focuses on creating new therapeutic platforms for treating mesothelin-positive cancers—including mesothelioma, ovarian, pancreatic, colorectal, and blood-related malignancies—using prodrug systems and adoptive cellular immunotherapies. I’m so excited to be involved with CRP and CCS to help bring our research closer to the community!

I’m Hannah, a Master's student studying targeted therapies for glioblastoma, working to develop more precise and effective treatments for this aggressive brain cancer. Cancer research is deeply meaningful to me because I’ve seen how advancing science can bring hope to patients and families facing this devastating disease.