“I'm forever indebted for the opportunities this university offered me. I would not be where I am today without them.”
Recent PhD graduate Stephane Hajjer, now undertaking her postdoc at Harvard University
On November 6, some 2,000 students put on their gowns for the University of Ottawa’s fall 2022 convocation, including the Faculty of Medicine’s Stephanie Hajjar, who received her PhD in microbiology and immunology.
Dr. Hajjar recently discussed the opportunities afforded her by the University and the Faculty of Medicine, including scholarships, research funding and facilities, and an ideal setting to hone her French.
Dr. Hajjar moved to Lebanon with her family when she was very young. In 2016, she decided to return to Canada and study at the University of Ottawa.
“At that time, I was looking for a place to settle down that could offer me great opportunities, so I immediately thought of Ottawa,” she said.
After doing a bachelor’s in biomedical science, Dr. Hajjar wasn’t really sure what she wanted to do. That’s when she met the person who would be her doctoral thesis supervisor, Dr. Subash Sad, professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology and director of the Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation.
“I went to this awards of excellence ceremony in my faculty, and I was introduced to the professor, his laboratory and the microbiology and immunology program. I was immediately won over,” she said.
This unplanned meeting would be beneficial—six years later, she would become a doctor of microbiology and immunology and help advance research on Crohn’s disease.
“I'm forever indebted for the opportunities this university offered me. I would not be where I am today without them,” she said. During her studies, Dr. Hajjar was able to do a volunteer placement abroad, receive many scholarships covering all her tuition fees, improve her French, and especially, enjoy excellent conditions for conducting her research. She is particularly pleased with the space to collaborate, the facilities, the funds available and the diverse research projects underway.
After receiving a doctorate from uOttawa, D. Hajjar decided to do a postdoc at Harvard. As for what’s next, she plans to return to Canada and hopes to one day “give back to the University of Ottawa community” in thanks for what she was able to have as a student.
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