The research that he will undertake with Dr. Bernardo Trigatti could be vital to developing treatments for atherosclerosis, a condition that causes cardiovascular disease. This condition causes fat to accumulate in the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke as well as contributing to development of cardiovascular illnesses. With diagnosis of heart disease on the rise in North America and around the world, such research could have profound effects on preventing its progression among at-risk patients.

After completing his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Tehran, then working at a car manufacturing company, the loss of a close family member to cancer changed his goals for the future. He set his sights on biotechnology at the University of British Columbia. Ahmadi initially thought this meant a career destined for academia, but since attending eight Mitacs Step workshops he says “My eyes were opened to the opportunities outside of academia and I started to think about my career differently.”

“While I was working on my PhD, that’s what I was focused on. I needed time to foster industry relationships after my PhD, but I was still in an academic mindset. The Elevate program gave me the technical and practical skills to move to the next level.”

And he’s doing just that in the second year of his Mitacs Elevate postdoctoral fellowship. Gurjit is working with partner company Unitron Hearing, in collaboration with the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the University of Toronto to make hearing care accessible through the internet. 

One of the most talked-about biomedical breakthroughs of 2010, this new development offers hope to sufferers of blood and immunological diseases, such as leukemias, who are often unable to find a suitable donor.

“Ideally, under further development, we hope to be able to grow mature blood cells for patients from their own skin, lessening the likelihood of rejection,” Eva said.