BHI scholarship
We are thrilled to announce the 2025 BHI scholarship awardees. This fall, we successfully funded 16 outstanding trainees dedicated to advancing brain-heart research. Below is the list of awardees along with their affiliations and project titles. Congratulations!

Master’s Scholarship

Luna Alkabra, McGill University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,

NINJA-HEART: Long-Term Cardiac Outcomes in School-Aged Children Following Neonatal Encephalopathy

Taiwo Balogun, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Health Sciences,

The Impact of Cardiac Rehabilitation on the 24-Hour Movement Behaviours and Health Outcomes among Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Aramide Badejoh, University of Ottawa, Health Sciences,

Patient-Centered Evaluation of an Integrated Brain-Heart Health Clinic: A Mixed-Methods Study

Mia Carbone, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine,

Built environment determinants of quality of life among patients with heart failure

Maha Khan, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine,

Targeting Inflammation to Mitigate Cardiovascular and Evaluation of GLP-1-Based Therapies

Sam Khanlou, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine,

Genetic Crosstalk at the Heart-Brain Interface: Insights into Irregular Heart Rhythms and Neurodevelopmental Diseases

Namita Maunick, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine,

Genomics study of the role of the transcriptional regulator PGC1-alpha

Sathurthika Selvanayagam, McGill University, Faculty of Medicine

Brain Imaging and Multidomain Lifestyle Engagement: An Optional Pilot Study for the Kimel Family Centre’s Personalized Dementia Risk Reduction Trial

Doctoral Scholarship

Termeh Aslani, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine

Investigating Irx1/2-Mediated Neurodevelopmental Disruption as a Driver of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities

Fatima Jahel, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine

Social prescribing for older adults living with multiple chronic health and social conditions, including brain and heart conditions

Hassan Khan, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute 

(co-funded by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute)

Role of Clonal Hematopoiesis in Ischemic Stroke following Pulmonary Embolism in Racialized Populations

Umerdad Khudadad, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Health Sciences

Bridging the Gap: Community Voices in Digital Health Communication to Address Social Isolation

Alixe Ménard, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Health Sciences

Integrating Mental Health in Heart Failure Care: A Feasibility and Implementation study of FRAME Digital Tool

Phoenix Plessas-Azurduy, McGill University, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Surveillance of Postnatal Steroids Effects on Cardiac and Autonomic Function in Extremely Preterm Infants with Evolving BPD

Rama Sarakbi, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine,

Characterizing the role of immune-perivascular cell crosstalk in the progression of inflammatory disease

David Smith, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine,

Exploring the biomarkers of insomnia phenotypes using combined electroencephalography and electrocardiography