About being a Vanier Scholar

What does receiving a Vanier Scholarship mean to you?

I am extremely grateful and honoured to have received a Vanier Scholarship. This prestigious award symbolizes a recognition of my perseverance and diligence to serve both my community and the Canadian population through leadership and research endeavours. The Vanier Scholarship places me amongst an exceptionally talented pool of scholars and provides me with incredible opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

Notably, being a Vanier Scholar will act as a catalyst to advance my career in academia and create a meaningful impact in my field. It serves as a testament to my commitment to creating accessible, multifaceted technologies for the betterment of society. I am humbled to call myself a Vanier Scholar, especially considering all the phenomenal mentors who have helped me reach this stage. I look forward to further developing impactful solutions while providing positive mentorship of the next generation.

Tell us about your Vanier research.

Canada has amongst the highest levels of food waste in the world. In fact, over half of our domestic food supply is discarded. Concurrently, Canadian food insecurity rates continue to rise, representing a growing crisis. The removal of best before dates has been suggested to ease this crisis since these dates often overestimate food spoilage, leading to millions of tonnes of edible food being wasted each year. However, consumers are against this change as they rely on best before dates to guide their food consumption. Therefore, there exists a need to develop dynamic spoilage indicators that can monitor individual products and inform consumers when their food is spoiling. While some food spoilage sensors exist, they all require that sealed packaging be opened for testing, which only exasperates spoilage due to air exposure.

My Vanier research aims to develop smart food packaging that can provide dynamic food spoilage detection and enable individualized product monitoring. Importantly, the proposed platform will be intuitive and consumer-friendly, relying on an observable colour-changing sensor to inform users of the status of their food product. An important goal of this work will be indicating when a food product begins to spoil so users can consume the product in a timely manner rather than discarding it. Overall, I hope to revolutionize our current food consumption and wastage habits to help alleviate Canada’s growing food insecurity crisis by minimizing unnecessary food waste.

About graduate student life

What inspired you to pursue a postgraduate degree?

My passion for research and problem solving was the driving force behind my decision to pursue a doctoral degree. I enjoy exploring how fundamentals of science can be amalgamated with engineering design to create innovative solutions for everyday challenges. The unparalleled support I received from my mentors and co-supervisors Dr. Carlos Filipe and Dr. Tohid Didar throughout my undergraduate research was a huge source of encouragement for me.

Why did you choose to study at McMaster?

McMaster is a world-class institution in terms of its research and academic excellence. The excellent collaborative environment and impressive innovation offered here makes it a wonderful fit for graduate students like myself. As a proud McMaster engineering graduate (BEng, BME & chemical engineering), I was fortunate to interact with extraordinary faculty, staff, and students, all of whom add to the diversity that the university prides itself on. This diversity fosters an environment of learning, respect and inclusivity that is conducive to my success as a doctoral student. I am excited to continue contributing to the McMaster community throughout my time here.

What do you love most about your graduate program?

The sense of community within the School of Biomedical Engineering, and the Faculty of Engineering altogether, is definitely my favourite aspect. All the faculty and staff are extremely passionate, personable, and most importantly, genuinely invested in student success, including members of visible minorities and women such as myself. I am very grateful to be surrounded by such a brilliant group of graduate student peers, who are supportive both within and outside of the academic environment.

What is your favourite thing about McMaster and the broader Hamilton community?

The juxtaposition of McMaster’s differing architectural styles and its natural beauty is something I really appreciate. Outside of campus, Hamilton has quickly become home for me, with its radiant culture and restaurant scene. Lastly, all the nature that Hamilton has to offer never fails to help me find clarity and unwind.

When you’re not busy being a graduate student, how do you like to spend your free time?

Outside of my research, I love volunteering my time and energy to initiatives that can make an impact on people’s lives. I currently represent my peers as a graduate student leader in several clubs and societies around the university. Beyond these initiatives, I enjoy going on long walks and exploring new hiking trails throughout Hamilton. I am also fond of playing board games as well as video games, painting, cooking new recipes and trying all the food that Hamilton has to offer.

Beyond Grad School

What do you see as the next step in your life journey?

Looking ahead, I am excited to continue my journey in academia with the goal of bridging the gap between research and the development of solutions with real-world application. I seek to one day become a leader in academia myself and am continually inspired by all the role models ahead of me, especially my supervisors who are not only pioneers in nanobiotechnology but are also successful entrepreneurs.

At the same time, I want to serve the various communities I am a part of by fostering equality, mentorship and professional development opportunities throughout my career and beyond. I wish to balance time with my loved ones while continuing to grow and evolve within academia and on a personal level. While I look forward to seeing what the future holds, I am enjoying every step of my journey along the way!