UTDRO & STARS21 Research Day 2026
The UTDRO & STARS21 Research Day returned on May 5, 2026, welcoming approximately 180 attendees to the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus for a full day of research presentations, poster discussions, networking, and collaboration. Now in its fourth year in partnership with the STARS21 Program, the event continues to highlight the future of cancer research and care through the outstanding work of our trainee community.
This year’s Research Day was co-chaired by David Hodgson (Professor and Vice-Chair of Research), Alexander Louie (Associate Professor), Shane Harding (Associate Professor), and Jennifer Kwan (Assistant Professor). The event brought together a diverse group of trainees, including radiation oncology residents, clinical fellows, medical physics residents, graduate students from Medical Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering, and the Institute of Medical Science, as well as medical students from across the University of Toronto. The STARS21 Program was also well represented, including scholars and trainees from the United Kingdom. In addition, the event welcomed research fellows and healthcare professionals from institutions including University Health Network and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Research Day received a record-high 84 abstract submissions this year, resulting in 25 oral presentations and 54 poster presentations. The program showcased innovative and interdisciplinary research spanning physics innovation, clinical trials, translational science, and health services research - reflecting the breadth and impact of projects led by trainees over the past year.
A highlight of the day was the keynote address delivered by Shiri Breznitz, Director of Research and Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto. Her talk explored how intellectual property ownership and commercialization policies influence innovation within universities and hospitals, using Canada as a case study in the absence of a national intellectual property framework. She also examined how research funding structures shape collaboration and the translation of discoveries into real-world impact.
We extend our sincere thanks to all faculty members, supervisors, moderators, judges, and planning committee members whose contributions made this year’s event possible. Special thanks to the STARS21 Program and its co-directors, Shane Harding and Jennifer Kwan, for their continued commitment to research excellence and trainee mentorship.
We are also especially grateful to our Platinum Sponsors, Elekta and Siemens Healthineers, for their longstanding and invaluable support of UTDRO’s research and education mission.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating the achievements of our trainees. We look forward to another exciting year of discovery, collaboration, and innovation ahead.
2026 Award Recipients
The UTDRO Research Day Committee had the most challenging task of selecting 12 recipients for these prestigious awards. All trophies for the UTDRO winners will be presented at Post-Grad Graduation Ceremony 2026 this June.
- W. J. Simpson Award – Academic Excellence in Research by a Radiation Oncology Resident
– Hannah Bacon (Supervisor: Anne Koch) - R. S. Bush Award – Academic Excellence in Research by a Radiation Oncology Fellow
– Terence Tang (Supervisor: Arjun Sahgal, Jay Detsky) - J. R. Cunningham Award – Academic Excellence in Research by a Physics Resident
– Nico Arezza (Supervisor: Anthony Lausch, Robert Heaton, Catherine Coolens) - Richard P. Hill Award – Academic Excellence in Research by a Graduate Student
– Lucas Penny (Supervisor: Scott Bratman) - Best Poster Award for Academic Excellence in Research by a Radiation Oncology Resident
– George Li (Supervisor: Andrew McPartlin) - Best Poster Award for Academic Excellence in Research by a Radiation Oncology Fellow
– Alexander Rühle (Supervisor: Ezra Hahn) - Best Poster Award for Academic Excellence in Research by a Physics Resident
– Helena Koniar (Supervisor: Hossein Afsharpour) - Best Poster Award for Academic Excellence in Research by a Graduate Student
– Jamiel Nasser (Supervisor: Jan Seunjens) - Best Presentation Award for Academic Excellence in Research by a STARS21 Scholar
– Madeline Brown (Supervisor: Raymond Reilly) - Best Poster Award for Academic Excellence in Research by a STARS21 Scholar
– Tirthankar Ray (Supervisor: Fei-Fei Liu) - Chair’s Award for Academic Excellence in Research
– Elena Riggenbach (Supervisor: Kathy Han, Tony Tadic) - Shun Wong Award – Academic Excellence in Translational Research
– Azin Mirzajavadkhan (Supervisor: Deepak Dinakaran)
