On Thursday, October 30, 2025, UBC Ortho hosted its fifth annual UBC Orthopaedics UGME Fall Research Forum, a vibrant celebration of student-led research and academic achievement. The event took place at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Chaired by Drs. Lise Leveille and Lauren Roberts, the event brought together UGME students, faculty, and trainees for an afternoon of insightful presentations, scholarly exchange, and community celebration.
The forum featured four themed presentation blocks, each followed by engaging Q&A sessions. Topics ranged from surgical innovation and medical imaging to equity in orthopaedic care and global health; the review panel, consisting of Drs. Michael Bond, Bonnie Sawatzky, and Yasir AlShehri provided thoughtful feedback and helped select this year’s top presenters.
Congratulations to all our presenters on their exceptional research and compelling presentations! We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make the UGME Fall Research Forum a success—from our dedicated chairs and review panel to the enthusiastic attendees who brought energy and insight to every session.
We are proud to announce the winners of this year’s research awards:
First Place
Krystal Cuthbert
Preoperative Peripheral Nerve Blocks and Troponin Trends in Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study at Vancouver General Hospital
“I am grateful for the opportunity to present our research on early peripheral nerve blocks in hip fracture patients at the 2025 Orthopaedic UGME Research Forum. I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Aresh Sepehri, for his mentorship throughout the summer, Dr. Pierre Guy for his constructive feedback, and the VGH Orthopaedic Trauma research team for their support.”
– Krystal Cuthbert
Second Place
Sumair Shergill
Automatic Detection of Anatomical Landmarks in Lower Limb X-Rays Using Convolutional Neural Network
I am excited and honoured to be recognized at the 2025 UGME Fall Research Forum. Presenting our work and engaging with peers and faculty was an incredibly meaningful experience that pushed me to think more critically about the impact of this research. I am grateful for the mentorship, guidance and support from Dr. Taqdir Ali, Dr. Anthony Cooper, Dr. Harpreet Chhina, and the rest of the Walk Tall Team. I look forward to continuing to contribute to this field as this project evolves!
– Sumair Shergill
Poster Winner
Diorah Ozoh
Understanding the impact of MRI Terminology on patient anxiety and treatment expectations in orthopaedic care
“I’m honoured to receive the top poster award at the 2025 UBC Orthopaedics UGME Fall Research Forum. It was a valuable opportunity to learn from the outstanding work of my peers and connect with many inspiring clinicians. I’m grateful to have worked with Dr. Kathryn Duff, Dr. Bonita Sawatzky, and Dr. Leung on this MRI terminology study, and the feedback we received has further motivated me to help improve patient experience in orthopaedic care.”
– Diorah Ozoh
