Nutrition Graduate Student and Trainee Award

Graduate students and other trainees are encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration in the Nutrition Graduate Student and Trainee Award Competition. Students/Trainees must enter the competition at the time of abstract submission (deadline January 31, 2024) by checking off the box on the abstract submission form indicating that they would like their abstract to be considered for this Award. Please click here for more information on our Call for Abstracts. 

A Committee, appointed by the CNS President and Awards Committee Co-Chairs, will make the selection of the Nutrition Graduate Student and Trainee Award finalists using a blind review process.  During the Annual Conference, a Committee will  judge all the finalists (see competition details below) and determine the first, second and third place recipients. The names will be announced during the CNS Awards Ceremony.

The eight (8) finalists in the Oral Competition and the eight (8) finalists in the Poster Competition will be notified of their status by email, with a personalized letter of congratulations and further competition instructions. 


Competition Details


Oral Competition

From the student/trainee abstracts submitted for consideration, the eight (8) highest ranked abstracts (judged using a blind review process) will be selected as finalists for the Oral Competition. These finalists will be required to present their abstract during Oral Competition sessions held during the CNS Conference. These presentations will undergo further judging and the first, second and third place recipients will be selected.

During the 2024 CNS Awards Ceremony, all eight (8) Oral Competition Finalists will be presented with the Christine Gagnon Travel Award for excellence in nutritional sciences research and reporting. The first, second and third place recipients will also be announced at this time, and a further prize package presented.

Please see the conference program for details on award presentations and lectures.

Poster Competition

After the selection of the eight Oral Award recipients, the next eight (8) highest ranked student/trainee abstracts submitted for consideration will be selected as finalists for the Poster Competition. Poster Competition judging will take place during the Poster Expo held at the CNS Annual Conference. Short meetings will be set up with each finalist where they will present their work to a panel of judges. These judges will rank the presentations, and the results of these rankings will identify the first, second and third place recipients. All eight (8) finalists will be recognized and presented with a certificate during the 2024 CNS Awards Ceremony. At this time the first, second and third place recipients will be announced and a further prize package presented to these individuals.


Eligibility for Oral and Poster Awards


Previous Award Winners

2023 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Matineh Rastegar Panah, University of Toronto
  • 2nd: Jaqueline Munhoz, University of Alberta
  • 3rd Kelsey Cochrane, University of British Columbia
  • Finalists:
    • Amélie Bélanger, Université Laval
    • Manon Bordeleau, Université Laval
    • Jessi Lau, University of Guelph
    • Jennifer Lee, University of Toronto
    • Nikki Webb, University of Manitoba
2022 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Audrey Moyen, McGill University
  • 2nd: He Helen Huang, Université de Sherbrooke
  • 3rd Zeyu Yang, University of Toronto
  • Finalists:
    • Nadia Flexner, University of Toronto
    • Samer Hamamji, University of Toronto
    • Sarah Jarvis,  University of Toronto
    • Maryam Samsamikor, University of Manitoba
    • Tabitha Williams, University of Waterloo
2021 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Raniru Randunu, Memorial University
  • 2nd: Rola Hammoud, University of Toronto
  • 3rd TIE: Bastien Vallée Marcotte, Université Laval | Laura Vergeer, University of Toronto
  • Finalists:
    • Salma Mahmoodianfard, University of Ottawa
    • Gabrielle Plamondon, Université Laval
    • Kaitlyn L.I. Samson, University of British Columbia
    • Maria Tinajero, University of Toronto
2020 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Julia M.B. White, Memorial University of Newfoundland
  • 2nd: Tongzhu Meng, McGill University
  • 3rd TIE: Zack M. Clancy, Memorial University of Newfoundland /
                 Chelsia Gillis, University of Calgary
  • Finalists:
    • Paulina Aldana-Hernandez, University of Alberta
    • Alexandra Dubuc, University of Ottawa
    • Joëlle Létourneau, Université de Montreal
    • Raniru Randunu, Memorial University of Newfoundland
2019 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Melissa Calleja, Brock University
  • 2nd: Peter Isesele, Memorial University of Newfoundland
  • 3rd: Marnie Newell, University of Alberta
  • Finalists:
    • Olatunji Anthony Akerele, Memorial University of Newfoundland
    • Jacqueline Brown, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
    • Joy Hutchinson, University of Toronto
    • Valérie Lamantia, Université de Montréal
    • Louise Watson, University of Waterloo
2018 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Janie Allaire, Université Laval
  • 2nd: Anne-Julie Tessier, McGill University
  • 3rd: Vanessa Giuliano, University of Toronto
  • Finalists:
    • Shoug Alashmali, University of Toronto
    • Jamie Lynn Clark, University of Manitoba
    • Josephine Jakubowski, McMaster University
    • Maude Perreault, McMaster University
    • Maryam Razaghi, McGill University
2017 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Kathryn Jacob, McGill University
  • 2nd: Pascale Grégoire-Pelchat, Université de Montréal
  • 3rd: Marnie Newell, University of Alberta
  • Finalists:
    • Paulina Aldana Hernandez, University of Alberta
    • Tatiana Allore, Université Laval
    • Marina Castro, University of Toronto
    • Kerri Delaney, Concordia University
    • Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, Université Laval
2016 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Kathryn Hopperton, University of Toronto 
  • 2nd: Bénédicte Tremblay, University of Laval
  • 3rd: Kosar Omidian, University of Saskatchewan
  • Finalists:
    • Hubert Cormier, University of Laval
    • Kabo Masisi, University of Manitoba
    • Hossein Rafiei, University of Saskatchewan
    • Marc-Olivier Trepanier, University of Toronto
    • Christopher Villa, University of Toronto
2015 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Danyelle Liddle, University of Guelph
  • 2nd: Raphael Chouinard-Watkins, Université de Sherbrooke 
  • 3rd: Mohammad Abdullah, University of Manitoba 
  • Finalists:
    • Hubert Cormier, Université Laval
    • Jutika Datar, University of Manitoba
    • Sarah Dainty, University of Guelph
    • Lena Hong, University of Manitoba
    • Yanan Wang, University of Manitoba
2014 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Erin Lewis, University of Alberta
  • 2nd: Rebecca Theal, McGill University  
  • 3rd: Anna A. DeBoer, University of Guelph
  • Finalists:
    • Hubert Cormier, Université Laval
    • Jason Robinson, Memorial University
    • Linda Siemens, University of Manitoba
    • Isaac T. Streit, University of Waterloo
    • Yanan Wang, University of Manitoba
2013 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Trina Stephens, University of British Columbia  
  • 2nd: Teri Emrich, University of Toronto
  • 3rd: Anna De Boer, University of Guelph
  • Finalists:
    • Kathryn Adel, Laval University
    • Hubert Cormier, Laval University
    • Marie-Eve Labonte, Laval University
    • Sandra Castillo San Juan, University of Manitoba
    • Stephanie Schwindt, University of Alberta
2012 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Sina Gallo, Queens University
  • 2nd: Stephanie Caligiuri, University of Manitoba 
  • 3rd: Brian Wu, University of British Columbia 
  • Finalists:
    • Diana Sanchez-Hernandez, University of Toronto
    • Véronique Gingras, Laval University
    • Nancy N. Kang, University of Toronto
    • Mahsa Jessri, University of Alberta
    • Chelsia Gillis, McGill University
2011 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Mira B. MacLennan, University of Guelph
  • 2nd: Carla Rodriguez Dimitrescu, University of Alberta 
  • 3rd: Melinda Mintarno, University of Manitoba 
  • Finalists:
    • Sahar Tamadon-nejad, Université de Montréal
    • Sylvia H. Ley, University of Toronto
    • Jennifer E. Lambert, University of Alberta
    • Sarah Finch, McGill University
    • Teri E. Emrich, University of Toronto
2010 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: JoAnne Arcand, University of Toronto
  • 2nd: Rachel Murphy, University of Alberta
  • 3rd: Adrienne Danyliw, University of Saskatchewan 
  • Finalists:
    • Maira Quintanilha, University of Alberta
    • Jing Qiao, University of Alberta
    • Xiaoran Liu, University of Manitoba
    • Jennifer E. Lambert, University of Alberta
    • Carole Thompson, Mount Saint Vincent University
2009 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Bodil Larsen, University of Alberta  
  • 2nd: Rachel Murphy, University of Alberta  
  • 3rd: Elizabeth Novak, University of British Columbia  
  • Finalists:
    • Susan Tran, University of Toronto
    • Sarah Finch, McGill University
    • Kanta Chechi, Memorial University
    • Matthew Parrott, University of Toronto
    • Laura Forbes, University of Alberta
2008 Oral Competition:
  • 1st: Jasdeep Saggar, University of Toronto
  • 2nd: Beatrice Lau, University of Toronto
  • 3rd: Justine Tishinsky, University of Guelph
  • Finalists:
    • Agnes Gozdzik, University of Toronto
    • Alireza Jahan-Mihan, University of Toronto
    • Yong Jia,
    • Sean Mark, McGill University
    • Semone Myrie, Memorial University
2023 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Benoît Boulanger, Université Laval
  • 2nd: Eva Kranenburg, University of Toronto
  • 3rd: Ren Wang, University of Alberta            
  • Finalists:
    • Nadia Faucher, Université Laval
    • Martin Holmes, University of Waterloo
    • Emily Meier, Mount Saint Vincent University
    • Isabelle Petitclerc, Université Laval
    • Raniru Randunu , Memorial University
2022 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Dana Lowry, University of Calgary
  • 2nd: Michelle Nguyen, University of Toronto
  • 3rd: Emily Ziraldo, University of Toronto              
  • Finalists:
    • Zoe Bye, University of Saskatchewan
    • Nicole Ingham, McGill University
    • Hadis Mozaffari, University of British Columbia
    • Raniru Randunu, Memorial University of Newfoundland
    • Yahan Yang, University of Toronto
2021 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Michael D. McAlpine, Brock University
  • 2nd: Christine Mulligan, University of Toronto
  • 3rd: Lulu X Pei, University of British Columbia               
  • Finalists:
    • Janani Balakrishnan, Université de Sherbrooke
    • Karen F. Dolinar, University of Guelph
    • Parisa Jandaghi, University of Saskatchewan
    • Christine Mills, Queen's University
    • Janice Padilla-Moseley, Ontario Tech University
2020 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Pamela Klassen, University of Alberta
  • 2nd: Hannah Froome, Ontario Tech University
  • 3rd: TIE: Camila Oliveira, University of Alberta / 
                  Beatriz Franco-Arellano, University of Toronto
  • Finalists:
    • Olatunji Anthony Akerele, Memorial University of Newfoundland
    • Katherine L. Ford, University of Alberta
    • Indrayani Phadtare, Memorial University of Newfoundland
    • Cynthia Yamilka Ramirez Contreras, University of British Columbia
2019 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Amélie Bergeron, Université Laval
  • 2nd: Mirjana Valdes, University of British Columbia 
  • 3rd: Scott Lacombe, University of Toronto
  • Finalists:
    • Juan Aristizabal Henao, University of Waterloo
    • Beatriz Franco-Arellano, University of Toronto
    • Justine Horne, Western University
    • Danyelle Liddle, University of Guelph
    • Anne-Julie Tessier, McGill University
2018 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Brittany MacPherson, University of Guelph
  • 2nd: Elise Carbonneau, Université Laval 
  • 3rd: Andrée-Anne Fafard St-Germain, University of Toronto
  • Finalists:
    • Olatunji Akerele, Memorial University of Newfoundland
    • Beatriz Franco-Arellano, University of Toronto
    • Scott Lacombe, University of Toronto
    • Lin Lin, University of Toronto
    • Laura Vergeer, University of Toronto
2017 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Neil Brett, McGill University
  • 2nd: Claire Tugault-Lafleur, University of British Columbia
  • 3rd: Véronique Gingras, Université de Montréal
  • Finalists:
    • Ashkan Hashemi, University of Toronto
    • Myriam Landry, Laval University
    • Sara Nejatinamini, University of Alberta
    • Jessica Pawly, McGill University
    • Claudia Savard, Laval University
2016 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Arti Sharma-Parpia, University of Toronto
  • 2nd: Chelsey Walchuk, University of Manitoba
  • 3rd: Fatima Chleilat, University of Guelph
  • Finalists:
    • Stéphanie Bégin, Laval University
    • Neil Brett, McGill University
    • Raphaelle Jacob, Laval University
    • Husein Mohammed, McGill University
    • Susan Trang, University of Toronto
2015 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Sarah Purcell, University of Alberta
  • 2nd: Jiaje Lui, University of Guelph
  • 3rd: Isabella Carneiro, University of Alberta
  • Finalists:
    • Chenxi Cai, University of Manitoba
    • O Chandani Dinesh, Memorial University
    • Samaneh Farsijani, McGill University
    • Megha Murali, University of Manitoba
    • Aurelia Sima, Université de Montréal
2014 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Lisa Martin, Brescia University College at Western University
  • 2nd: Kayode Balogun, Memorial University
  • 3rd: Laura McBreairty, University of Saskatchewan
  • Finalists:
    • Robin P. da Silva, University of Alberta
    • T. Kankayaliyan, Memorial University
    • Daniel-Constantin Manolescu, Memorial University
    • Matthew G. Nosworthy, Memorial University
    • Hiteshkumar Vaidya, Memorial University
2013 Poster Competition: 
  • 1st: Rima Nasrah, McGill University
  • 2nd: Simon Bissonnette, Université de Montréal
  • 3rd: Shough M. Alashmali, University of Manitoba
  • Finalists:
    • Bianca M. Arendt, University Health Network
    • Erin Connelly, University of Guelph
    • Raphaëlle Jacob, Université Laval
    • Daniel-C. Manolescu, Université de Montréal
    • Naghmeh Mirhosseini, University of Saskatchewan
2012 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Erin Lewis, University of Alberta
  • 2nd: Michael Yang, University of Toronto
  • 3rd: Trina Stephens, University of British Columbia
  • Finalists:
    • Scarlett M. Ewen, University of Saskatchewan
    • Geneviève Nolet, Laval University
    • Kirsten Bell, University of Waterloo
    • Frank M. Vassilyadi, McGill University
    • Laura M. Stratton, University of Guelph
2011 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Howe-Ming Yu, University of Alberta
  • 2nd: Jennifer Ball, McGill University
  • 3rd: L. Jane Paterson, University of Toronto; 3rd: Bimal Tennakoon, Memorial University
  • Finalists:
    • Jacqueline MacAdams, McGill University
    • Juliana M. Antunes, McGill University
    • Julie Crowell, University of Toronto
2010 Poster Competition:
  • 1st: Leah Gillingham, University of Manitoba
  • 2nd: Alanna Lakoff, University of Toronto
  • 3rd: Ryan Samuel, University of Toronto
 

 


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