Leonam is nearing completion of his undergraduate studies at the Fluminense Federal Institute with a passion for all things “engineering”. Having completed engineering projects to assist in remote monitoring of the Paraiba do Sul River as well as testing equipment for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Leonam set his sights on Canada for his next research adventure, this one in the life sciences through Mitacs Globalink.  While at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Leonam will assist Dr.

Aarya— a third-year biotechnology student— was hoping to be able to hone her laboratory skills and knowledge of life sciences research before completing the final year of her degree. Though she had applied to a highly competitive life sciences research term in New York and was accepted to the prestigious Indian Academy of Sciences research program, Aarya chose to accept an internship with the Mitacs Globalink program because of the chance to take part in cancer research at the University of British Columbia under Dr. Christian Naus in the Department of Cell and Physiological Sciences.

However, now that she’s here, she cannot stop singing praises for the beautiful city and culture of Québec as well as the top-quality research climate which she has now been a part of.

“I wasn’t originally thinking about doing an internship abroad during my undergraduate degree, but when my Professor in Brazil told me about Mitacs Globalink, I had to apply!”

Having completed an internship in South Korea last year, where he developed a wireless camera surveillance system for police vehicles, the bright Electronics and Communications Engineering student turned down an internship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to come to University of British Columbia Vancouver through Mitacs Globalink.

About to enter his fourth year of study at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Surojit had been considering a research internship in Germany. However, when accepted into the  Mitacs Globalink program to undertake an internship with Dr. Amit Kumar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering  at the University of Alberta, , he says “I knew that the Mitacs program would give me the best experience overall.”

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.

Each summer, Globalink students undertake a research project with a Canadian university which allows them to experience state-of-the-art research facilities, Canadian society and build friendships with local students.

Ankita was one of 200 top international students that undertook 3 month research projects over the summer at universities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.