Tuesday, Feb. 11 is International Day for Women and Girls in Science. In recognition, UHN News looks at the remarkable contributions of two women who are among many driving innovation and shaping the future of health care. From pioneering research to advancing patient care, these scientists and leaders exemplify the impact of women in science.
Grandmother's stroke inspires Aisha Raji to change the future of rehabilitation
Aisha Raji overcame a lot in her first few weeks in Canada, from adjusting to living alone after growing up in a bustling household of five siblings to navigating the complexities of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, all while learning to build a robot on the fly for her PhD.
But she says that paled in comparison to her biggest challenge: surviving her first winter.
Toronto's weather is notoriously fickle. It can be 12 Celsius one day and snowing the next — or sometimes in the same day. Whereas in her home of Ogun State in Nigeria is rarely dips below 20 C.
"I thought I was losing my mind," says Aisha, a trainee at UHN's KITE Research Institute and fifth-year PhD candidate at the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
Aisha is recounting her journey to KITE as part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an annual awareness event organized by the United Nations that aims to promote equal access and participation for women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
"I hope by sharing my story I can inspire more women to enter STEM," she says. "Everyone knows it's a male-dominated field and from the outside, it can seem a bit daunting but once you get in you'll see that the challenges are surmountable and you're just as good as your male peers."
As part of her innovative research, Aisha is shifting the paradigm of robotic rehabilitation by developing software – and at times building hardware – for a robotic arm that provides therapy for individuals with upper extremity impairment (arms, shoulders, wrist, and hand) as a result of stroke and spinal cord injury.
The arm presents 3D-printed everyday objects such as a mug, phone, or credit card at various positions and angles within a patient's reach for them to grab. Eventually, the robot presents these objects outside of their comfort zone.
Therapists can work simultaneously with the robot, fostering an integrated rehabilitation experience.
"Aisha's research will allow therapists and robots to work together in an unprecedented way, making it possible to integrate the strengths each of them offers during rehabilitation," says Dr. Cesar Marquez-Chin, a scientist at KITE and Aisha's PhD supervisor.
Aisha's ultimate goal is to make this robotic arm portable and accessible worldwide. The arm would not only help patients do exercises but it would use data to tell them how they're progressing in their rehabilitation journey and adapt the exercises to their abilities.
"My grandma is the reason why I got into this field," Aisha says. "When I was 13 years old she suffered a stroke. For the rest of her life she depended on my uncle and his family to do anything, eat, get out of bed, or just put on clothes.
"Seeing how she suffered and the toll it took on my uncle inspired me to build devices that could help individuals with stroke live a better life and be less dependent on the people around them."
After completing her PhD, Raji hopes to enter the medical technology industry and use the expertise she's gained here to help stroke survivors in her hometown.
Raji didn't need to take an 8,892-kilometre journey across the world to pursue her dreams.
She could have easily stayed in her hometown and studied at the University of Ilorin — where her father is a professor — or chosen a field where she wouldn't be one of the only women in her classes.
But where's the fun in that?
"These challenges are what makes life interesting and beautiful," said Raji.
Establishing the Office of Research Trainees at UHN
"Everyone's scientific career is shaped by their own unique journey, and they take on different lenses to view and solve real-world problems. By empowering young scientists, we foster innovative solutions to shape a better future," says Dr. Linda Penn, a Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Director of the Office of Research Trainees (ORT) at UHN.
Dr. Penn played a pivotal role in establishing ORT — an initiative designed to support and empower graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as they navigate their scientific careers.
What started as a small project on the side of her desk in 2011 has grown into a thriving program that now oversees over 1,200 trainees across UHN, offering them career development, mentorship and essential training opportunities.
"It's important to have a clear vision to know where you're going and what you want to achieve," says Dr. Penn.
Through ORT, Penn and her colleagues, Dr. Amanda Veri and Jordan Beck, are building a supportive ecosystem where young scientists can embrace risk, push boundaries and ultimately pave the way for the next generation of discoveries.
Besides her work dedicated to mentorship and ORT, Dr. Penn has been at the forefront of cancer research, investigating MYC, a powerful oncoprotein linked to more than 50 per cent of human cancers.
Dr. Penn's lab has pioneered strategies to disrupt MYC's influence, working to develop new treatments various types of cancers.
For nearly 30 years, Dr. Penn has been at the forefront of MYC research, uncovering how cancer cells rely on this potent cancer driver — and, more importantly, how to break that reliance to develop new treatments.
