Vision Health Research Network

VSRN Student Committee

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The Vision Science Research Network (VSRN) Student Committee represents a diverse and motivated group of trainees including graduate students, medical students, and residents. All the members conduct research under the supervision of a regular or associate member of the Network and report to its Board of Directors.

Student Committee Goals:

Strengthen student engagement and collaboration in vision science research
Increase visibility of research achievements within the network and beyond
Provide mentorship and networking opportunities for trainees
Support the organization of conferences and events to advance knowledge exchange
Enhance national/international representation and foster global research connections

Through these initiatives, the VSRN Student Committee aims to create a dynamic and supportive environment that empowers the next generation of vision science researchers.

Our Team

The Student Committee (SC) is composed of graduate and doctoral students, medical students, residents, summer interns, and postdoctoral fellows, all of whom are supervised by a researcher who is a member (regular or associate) of the Network. It includes 2 Co-Presidents, 1 Executive Vice-President (EVP), 4 Sectoral Vice-Presidents (VP), and Institutional Representatives (Rep-I) (positions reserved for Rep-I).

Co-Presidents: Victoria Anne Purdy-Millaire and Sid Rahman

Direct link to the Board of Directors (BoD) and network coordination
Participate in BoD meetings
Lead the VP team and Rep-Is

Executive Vice-President: Audrey-Anne Lapierre

Ensures the executive direction of the committee and coordinates activities between the various VPs
Makes strategic decisions to support the committee’s overall objectives
Fills in for the Presidents in their absence and assumes leadership responsibilities

VP Marketing: Severina Lopez, Anas Abu-Dieh

Manage social media, including the committee’s Facebook / Instagram / Twitter pages
Publicize events organized by the Student Committee

VP Communications: Marc-Alexandre Ghali, Merve Kulbay, Yosra Er-Reguyeg

Write, create, and update marketing materials such as posters, application notes, presentations, and website content
Contribute to writing editorials about the VSRN to reach a broad academic audience across Canada

VP Logistics: Anas Abu-Dieh

Organize scientific events, such as scientific cafés, etc.
Set up the volunteer team for the network’s annual day and summer school

VP Community outreach: Penelope Abram, Fatima Kassem, Alissa Pak

Promote community awareness and engagement by connecting graduate students with established scientists and communication professionals to share science with the public
Student mentorship

International Representatives: Ehsan Misaghi, Alissa Pak

Rep-Is maintain communication between the Quebec Student Committee and Canadian and international universities
Facilitate knowledge and resource exchanges among students, while supporting collaboration on scientific and academic projects
Promote global community engagement by raising awareness of international issues
Offer mentorship opportunities for the professional development of students worldwide

Please note that the SC is not an independent committee and reports to the Board of Directors, just like any other committee within the VSRN. No decision can be made without approval from the leadership. All SC meetings must have an agenda and minutes (PV), and each PV must be ratified by the BoD in chronological order without delay. The SC must follow the progress of the VSRN’s objectives and planning.

Composition of the VHRN Sudent Committee

The Presidents

Victoria Anne Purdy-Millaire Sid Rahman

Victoria Anne Purdy-Millaire is currently a 4th-year medical student at the University of Ottawa in the francophone stream. Raised in Outaouais, she holds an Honors BSc in Biomedical Science (Neuroscience Option). Her primary research interests focus on corneal reinnervation following corneal neurotization, under the guidance of Dr. Isabelle Brunette at the Université de Montréal.

As co-president of the VSRN Student Committee, Victoria is dedicated to fostering collaboration among researchers, improving community outreach, enhancing opportunities for mentorship, and advancing knowledge translation to improve eye care and vision health.

Sid Rahman is a fourth-year medical student at McGill University, where he also completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Immunology. Originally from the United States, he moved to Montreal, a city he proudly calls home. Having grown up in a low socioeconomic environment, Sid gained a firsthand appreciation for the systemic challenges faced by marginalized communities. This perspective continues to fuel his commitment to advancing equitable healthcare initiatives.

As a result, the majority of his research focuses on improving care for underrepresented groups, including Indigenous and refugee populations, reflecting his belief that equitable healthcare must be both inclusive and accessible to all.

As Co-President of the VSRN Student Committee, Sid is dedicated to expanding awareness and outreach for underserved communities. He strives to bridge the gap between fundamental and clinical research in the realm of eye care and vision health, and is committed to bolstering translational research initiatives. By uniting diverse scientific and medical perspectives, Sid aims to foster meaningful progress in healthcare delivery and ensure that every individual, regardless of background, receives the highest possible standard of care.

Executive Vice-President

Audrey-Anne Lapierre

Audrey-Anne Lapierre is a fourth-year medical student at Laval University, with a strong interest in the genetics of eye diseases and the evaluation of surgical interventions on visual health. As Vice-President, she aims to share her growing passion for research by working to increase the visibility and impact of the network. Audrey-Anne is also committed to promoting the exchange of scientific knowledge among members and incorporating patient experiences, with the goal of improving the quality of care and clinical practices.

Former Members

2022-2024

President of the SC: Deborah Villafranca-Baughman (UdeM)
VP Marketing: Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen (U McGill)
VP Communications: Mélanie Hébert (U Laval) and Michèle MacLean (UdeM)
VP Logistics: Rabah Dabouz (U McGill)
VP Community Outreach: Sheetal Pundir (U McGill)

2021-2022

Co-Presidents of the SC: Deborah Villafranca-Baughman (UdeM) and Sonia Anchouche (U McGill)
VP Marketing: Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen (U McGill)
VP Communications: Mélanie Hébert (U Laval) and Michèle MacLean (UdeM)
VP Logistics: Rabah Dabouz (U McGill), Sergio Crespo-Garcia (UdeM)
VP Community Outreach: Jiaru Liu (UdeM) and Sheetal Pundir (U McGill)

Achievements

◊ PROJECTS

Are you looking for a mentor and/or a mentee?

rrsvcomiteetudiant@gmail.com

◊ PUBLICATIONS

Title: « The Vision Health Research Network and its commitment to the scholarly development of its trainees »
Authors: Sonia Anchouche, Jiaru Liu, Sara Vucetic, Kim Santerre et Tianwei E. Zhou
Journal: Clinical in Investigative Medicine (CIM)
Publication Date: December 2019

⇒ Link

Title: « Academic Conferencing Reimagined in the COVID-19 Era: The Vision Health Research Network Experience »
Authors: Jiaru Liu, Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen, Sheetal Pundir, Sergio Crespo-Garcia, Mélanie Hébert, Deborah Villafranca-Baughman and Sonia Anchouche
Journal: Clinical in Investigative Medicine (CIM)
Publication Date: To come in 2021

⇒ To come

◊ CAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUE – REGISTRATION REQUIRED (It’s free)

Title: Eye to Eye on Tissue Engineering
Invited Speakers: May Griffith, PhD and Stéphanie Proulx, PhD
Date: October 8th, 2019, 6h30 PM
Place: Crew Collective δ Café
The café scientifique will be presented in both languages (french/english)

⇒ Link to the conference

Title: Gene Therapy in Ophthalmology
Guest Speakers: Cynthia Qian, MD, FRCSC, DABO and Sarah Chorfi, MD, FRCSC
Date: November 4th 2021, 6h00 PM
Place: PicNic Velocafe
The café scientifique will be presented in both languages (french/english)

⇒ Link to the conference

CONFERENCE IN SCIENCE OUTREACH – Available on Facebook

Title: Du labo au grand public
Invited Speaker: Carine Monat, PhD, science journalist (Unpointcinq, Québec Science, AMI-télé)
Date: February 1st 2019, 10h00 to 11h30 AM
Place: Auditorium Jacques Genest, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM)
The conference has been presented in French and is available on Facebook.

⇒ Link to the conference

CAREER DAY

To come 2021-2022

PIZZA-LUNCH with mentors

To come 2021-2022