Before Lakehead University’s 20th annual Research and Innovation Week came to an end, awards were given out to recognize students and staff.
“Research & Innovation Week is a platform for knowledge exchange and innovation, an opportunity to advance our understanding of how the work of people in our community adds to our understanding of individuals, groups, and societies,” explained the Vice-President of Research and Innovation, Dr. Andrew P. Dean. “What we think, how we live, and how we interact with each other and the world around us – and leads to advancements that not only improve but enhance lives.”
Professors Dr. Christopher Mushquash and Dr. Sandra Jeppesen were recognized with the 2025 Distinguished Researcher Award.
Dr. Mushquash is known for extensive contributions to the field of Indigenous mental health and addictions.
He is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, a professor in the Department of Psychology, vice president of research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and chief scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute.
Dr. Jeppesen joined Lakehead University in 2010 and is a professor in Media, Film, and Communications in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Orillia Campus.
Her work has influenced significant changes in laws, policies, and practices for a range of issues such as immigration, mental health, digital engagement, racial and gender equity, and 2SLGBTQ+ rights.
The following awards were also given out:
Distinguished Researcher Award:
- Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Department of Psychology
- Dr. Sandra Jeppesen, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
Research Excellence Awards:
- NSERC Category – Dr. Waleed Ejaz, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- SSHRC Category – Dr. Idevania Costa, School of Nursing
Indigenous Partnership Research Award:
- “Impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous Communities” – Dr. Anna Koné Péfoyo, Department of Health Sciences and Dr. Lana Ray, Health Disciplines, Athabasca University
- Partners include: Ariel Root and Janet Gordon, Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority; Paul Capon, Matawa First Nations Chiefs Council; and Janice Spencer and Serena Joseph, Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig.
Community Engaged Research Award:
- “The Healthy Kids HOME (Health on the Move for Equity) Program: Examining the Feasibility of a Neighbourhood-based Health Promotion Service Model for Equity Deserving Children and Families” – Dr. Erin Pearson, School of Kinesiology
- Partners include: Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Our Kids Count, and Thunder Bay
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Research Award:
- “EDI in the HOPE Collaboratory’s Community Engagement” – Dr. Pauline Sameshima, Faculty of Education
Innovation Award:
- Bryan Wong, LLB Student, Bora Laskin Faculty of Law
Three-Minute Thesis:
- First Place: Dylan Di Carlo, MSc Candidate, Department of Anthropology (Supervisor: M. Boyd)
- Second Place: Siddharth Kishore, MSc Candidate, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Supervisor: F. Gaffar)
GRADflix Award:
- Alexandra Haak, MSc Candidate, Faculty of Natural Resources Management (Supervisor: F. Pendea)
Graduate Studies Research Excellence Awards:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Category – Vira Grynko, PhD Chemistry & Materials Science (Supervisor: M. Albert)
Social Sciences and Humanities Category – Chelsea Noël, PhD Clinical Psychology (Supervisor: D. Scharf)
Health Research Category – Douglas Newhouse, MSc Kinesiology (Supervisor: N. Ravanelli)
Graduate Student Conference Poster Winners:
Winner Engineering Category – Mona Mohammadkhani, PhD Candidate, Department of Chemical Engineering (Supervisor: L. Pakzad)
Winner NSERC Category – Amy Stieh, MSc Candidate, Department of Physics (Supervisor: A. Reznik)
Winner SSHRC Category – Maaja Sepa, MHSc Candidate, Department of Health Sciences (Supervisor: E. Wiersma)
Post-Doctoral Fellow Excellence Award:
- Viktoriia Batarchuk, Department of Chemistry (Supervisor: M. Albert)
This year’s event included over 32 public lectures, interactive exhibits, performances, and research workshops.
The action was kicked off with a Science Carnival held in collaboration with Science North that welcomed roughly 3,800 visitors.
A total of 52 undergraduate and 65 graduate students also shared their scholarly and creative activities with their peers through research conferences and poster competitions.
At the graduate level, Dylan Di Carlo, a master of science candidate in Anthropology, was crowned champion of the 2025 Lakehead Three Minute Thesis competition, and Alexandra Haak, a master of science candidate in Forestry from the Orillia Campus, was named finalist of the GRADflix competition.
