The Vanier scholarship — one of Canada's most prestigious academic honours — is awarded to doctoral students who demonstrate academic excellence, research potential and leadership skills. Each recipient will receive $50,000 annually for three years.
Meet our scholars:
Karen Kai-Lin Fang
Fang obtained her BSc and MSc degrees from the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. Her MSc research focused on CAR-T cell therapy for T-cell malignancies and was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. This work laid the foundation for her PhD research on immune dysfunction in hematological malignancies.
Fang is now pursuing her PhD in Dr. Aaron Schimmer’s lab at the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Centre. Her doctoral research focuses on the biological pathways that influence disease progression in acute myeloid leukemia and other hematological malignancies. Specifically, she investigates mechanisms by which systemic factors and the leukemia microenvironment impair effective anti-tumour immune responses. Using in vitro and mouse models, Fang aims to identify therapeutic strategies to restore immune function and enhance treatment outcomes for these patients.
"I am deeply honoured to receive this award, which will support my ongoing research into blood cancers. This work has been shaped by the guidance of my mentors and the support of my lab colleagues, and I am grateful to be part of such a collaborative and inspiring research environment. I look forward to building on these collective efforts to better understand these diseases and ultimately improve patient care."
Laura Llamosas Falcón
Llamosas Falcón earned her medical degree from the Universidad de Cantabria and completed a residency in Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Spain. While there, she led initiatives to improve patient safety, including optimizing surveillance for drug-resistant infections. She later took on a leadership role in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, prioritizing high-risk populations.
Llamosas Falcón is currently a PhD candidate in Dr. Jürgen Rehm's lab at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Her research focuses on epidemiology and public health, particularly the burden of alcohol consumption on injuries. Her doctoral project aims to develop a novel method that improves the estimations of how alcohol use impacts unintentional injuries. Over the course of her research career, Llamosas Falcón has authored 25 peer-reviewed publications, with over half as first author.
"I’m excited about the opportunity to translate my research into real-world impact. These steps can greatly reduce the harm caused by alcohol, lower the number of alcohol-related injuries in at-risk groups, and ultimately save lives. I’m extremely grateful to the mentors and supervisors who have supported and encouraged me throughout my journey."
