Eyes High postdoctoral program announces eight fellows

Eight scholars have been selected as Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures/Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Calgary. The eight postdoctoral fellows are pictured above. Front row, left to right: Jessica Sarthi, Kun Shao, Zohreh Hassanzadeh Fard, and Hagar Labouta. Back row, from left: Sajan Mushini, Joydip Ghosh, Aligul Buyukaksoy, and Denis Spasyuk.

The prestigious award is worth $70,000 per year with a tenure of two years, and has been awarded to Postdoctoral Fellows (PDFs) who have demonstrated excellence in research, innovation and technology development – coupled with future potential in the areas of information and communications technology, nanotechnology and omics (e.g. genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and regulomics).

Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF) is a highly prestigious program, the result of a strategic investment made by the provincial government to promote and enhance innovation and technology development in Alberta. This brings to $1.12 million the total investment by the AITF in the university’s Eyes High PDF program.

In 2013, the university announced that it will make meaningful, targeted and strategic investments in the area of its key research priorities. With that in mind, the Office of the Vice-President (Research) launched a highly competitive and ambitious initiative with well-defined goals and clear objectives for its newly formulated postdoctoral office.

“Such a strategic partnership between the University of Calgary and the AITF has enabled us to attract the best and the brightest minds to Alberta,” said Dr. Ed McCauley, vice-president (research). “These creative and innovative scholars bring unique expertise to our campus and will help create a hub of highly qualified individuals; such an investment is pivotal for attracting industry to Alberta.”

The postdoctoral program and the Office of the Vice-President (Research) congratulates the following recipients of AITF/Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellows:

• Jessica Sarthi, principal investigator (researching under the supervision of Jennifer Cobb), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Kun Shao, PI (Pere Santamaria), Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases
• Zohreh Hassanzadeh Fard, PI (George Shimizu), Department of Chemistry
• Hagar Labouta, PI (David Cramb), Department of Chemistry
• Sajan Mushini, PI (Eric Donovan), Department of Physics and Astronomy
• Joydip Ghosh, PI (Barry Sanders), Department of Physics and Astronomy
• Aligul Buyukaksoy, PI (Viola Birss), Department of Chemistry
• Denis Spasyuk, PI (Warren Piers), Department of Chemistry

The selected candidates praised the academy and also the AITF for the awards. The prestigious recognition will position them well towards achieving their respective career goals, while boosting the research, innovation, vision and mission of all partners.