2024's Top stories from the Faculty of Medicine

Published on December 12, 2024

Faculty of Medicine

2024 was a year full of exciting firsts for the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. From groundbreaking research and innovative new education programs, to the literal groundbreaking of our new Advanced Medical Research Centre, 2024 showcased how the Faculty has become a global leader among its peers and one of the top medical schools in Canada.

This year-end wrap up highlights some of our top stories from 2024, showcasing the faculty's unwavering commitment to advancing medical science and improving the lives of patients worldwide.

Watch for more highlights in our upcoming 2024 Progress Report, due out in early 2025.

	Better healthcare starts here: AMRC breaks ground Members of the Ottawa healthcare community joined researchers, educators, community leaders and investors on May 9 to break ground on the Advanced Medical Research Centre (AMRC), the University of Ottawa’s new initiative to grow the medical biotechnology sector in the Ottawa region.
	Faculty of Medicine’s strengths bolster uOttawa’s status as one of Canada’s elite medical doctoral universities Propelled by strengths in research grants, faculty awards, excellence in scholarships and student services, the University of Ottawa has cemented itself as one of Canada's elite universities in Maclean’s annual rankings.
	Today’s ideas, tomorrow’s solutions: Medical students showcase projects at CityStudio Ottawa’s 2024 HUBBUB competition Students were celebrated for their winning ideas for collaborative projects that could address the city’s most pressing health care needs.
	Indigenous Garden takes root at University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine Indigenous Garden takes root at University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Faculty of Medicine unveiled the Indigenous Garden at Roger Guindon Hall. Among many purposes, the dedicated green space serves as a teaching tool that can help combine centuries-old traditional medicines and knowledge with modern science.
	Pioneering brain–heart research in Ottawa is redefining patient care Supported by a $109-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, the Brain–Heart Interconnectome aims to accelerate the prevention, detection, treatment and care of brain–heart disorders. And not just here in Ottawa or Ontario, but across Canada and around the world.
	New Clinical Science and Translational Medicine program the first of its kind in Canada The hands-on graduate-level program invites those with an ambition to create, translate, and innovate to grow their career potential in the emerging field of clinical and translational research.
	Going viral: Undergrads immersed in the wide, weird world of phages Dr. Adam Rudner’s award-winning “Phage Hunters” course is introducing undergrads to research methods, experimental design, and data interpretation.
	Celebrating Black History Month: A Q&A with Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng As part of Black History Month, we discussed breaking down barriers and driving change with one of our community’s prominent health care leaders.
	Healing faster: Unveiling the future of tissue & organ repair Combining biomedical finesse and nature-inspired engineering, a uOttawa-led team of scientists have created a jelly-like material that shows great potential for on-the-spot repair to a remarkable range of damaged organs and tissues in the human body.
	Leaving a legacy of hope: The Goldenbergs' gift to endometriosis research A couple turns their fight against endometriosis into a donation to support research and awareness. Discover their story of resilience and generosity.
	uOttawa partners with CASTL and The Ottawa Hospital to ready students for careers in biomanufacturing Biomanufacturing is a rapidly growing industry that is critical for the production of new vaccines, gene therapies and cell therapies.
	Paddling toward excellence: Meet Olympian Toshka Besharah From the water to the classroom, Toshka Besharah forges her path with determination. This Canadian paddler, a rising star in sprint kayaking and semi-finalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, combines her passion for high-level sport with her medical ambitions.
	Twenty-year partnership with Benin supports culturally sensitive care in Canada In 2003, the Francophone Affairs office of the Faculty of Medicine established a partnership with the Université d’Abomey-Calavi in Benin, which would transform the learning experience of a hundred or so francophone doctors and shape their personal and career paths.
	New research from uOttawa-led team takes aim at limiting progression of breast cancer Collaborative research co-led by Dr. Julie St-Pierre’s lab has shed light on the mysteries of mitochondrial dynamics and its likely role in the metastatic progression of breast cancer.
	Faculty of Medicine inspires counterparts to follow its leadership path in planetary health In a published commentary in The Lancet Planetary Health, Dr. Husein Moloo and colleagues from the Faculty of Medicine say every medical faculty across the globe should create their own planetary health director position.
	PharmD ambassadors: A bridge to the future of Francophone pharmacy Two passionate students promote the first undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program offered in French outside Quebec.
	From Challenges to Triumphs: Meet the Faculty of Medicine’s Amarachi Asomugha For Amarachi Asomugha, the prospect of earning a master’s degree in public health at the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine was a one-of-a-kind opportunity that she fully intended to make the most of.