From dark matter to drug design, research conducted by York University undergraduate students earned top honours for projects that are shaping the future of science and innovation.
The Faculty of Science hosted its Summer Undergraduate Research Conference on Aug. 14, providing students with an opportunity to showcase their research, share discoveries, connect with other researchers and receive feedback on their work.
The annual event highlights student recipients of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs), as well as York Science Summer Awards (YSSAs) and other prizes supported by individual donor contributions, including the Diethard Bohme Undergraduate Research Awards, the John Goodings Undergraduate Research Awards and the Helen Freedhoff First Year Awards.
"Our undergraduate researchers continue to impress with their curiosity and ingenuity,” says Robert Tsushima, interim dean, Faculty of Science. “The breadth and depth of this year's projects are incredible and reflect our students’ dedication to scientific inquiry and tackling big challenges at this early stage of their academic careers.”
Student projects contributed unique research tackling important questions in their field. Topics ranged from theoretical astrophysics formulations of dark matter models and the study of proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, to mathematical modelling of infectious diseases and quantum-level investigations into the fundamental physical properties of matter and precision measurements of the same.
Students from the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change competed for top poster and oral presentation awards, demonstrating creativity, technical skill and transformative scientific inquiry across the disciplines.
Poster presentation winners and research highlights
First place: Tanya Puri (Physics)
Puri developed biomimetic nanoscale coatings to improve the compatibility of brain-machine interfaces. These coatings mimic the brain’s soft, hydrated tissue to reduce neuroinflammatory responses and support stable, long-term integration of neural probes, advancing safer and more effective neural interface technologies.
Second place: Daniel Della Rossa (Chemistry)
Della Rossa’s research improves hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) by reducing deuterium scrambling during peptide fragmentation, allowing more precise identification of drug binding sites, including secondary sites. It also maps how binding affects protein shape and allosteric regulation, complementing X-ray crystallography with dynamic structural insights. This technique aids early drug design by providing detailed information on protein-ligand interactions.
Thirrd place: Rafia Nadeem (Biology)
Nadeem investigated the role of the transcription factor ZTF-22 in managing misfolded protein toxicity linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Using a worm model expressing human alpha-synuclein, the project examines how loss of ZTF-22 affects protein aggregation and motor function. Findings could reveal how transcriptional regulation influences protein homeostasis and disease progression.
Oral presentation winners and research highlights
First place: Parmeetpal Dhillon (Chemistry)
Dhillon identified fundamental sources of error in measuring the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) with surface-based assays. The research provided formulas and practical guidance to improve accuracy and reliability in drug screening, helping to reduce mis-ranking of compounds in early drug discovery.
Second place: Umael Qudrat (Biology)
Qudrat used a macaque monkey model to study how the primate brain processes abstract images like sketches. By comparing macaque visual recognition and artificial neural networks, and recording brain activity in a key visual area, the project aimed to better understand visual generalization. The findings will improve knowledge of primate vision, advance AI design and have applications in neuroscience and clinical fields.
Third place: Jesse Hughes (Environmental & Urban Change)
Hughes focused on how tributaries may contribute to toxic cyanobacteria blooms in Sambaa K’e, a subarctic lake. Early results show tributaries carry bloom-forming cyanobacteria, helping trigger lake blooms. The work supports Indigenous conservation efforts and informs understanding of cyanobacteria in similar cold lakes.
“The Faculty of Science extends its sincere gratitude to NSERC, individual donors, the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, and dedicated faculty members and staff for their unwavering support and commitment to nurturing undergraduate research,” says Tsushima. “Their generosity and guidance have been essential in making these summer research experiences possible.”