David Philpott, a PhD candidate at The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) is one of three students from U of T Engineering who have been named 2019 recipients of the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships.
The Vanier Scholarship recognizes doctoral students at Canadian universities who demonstrate excellence academics, research impact and leadership. Worth $50,000 a year over three years, for a total of $150,000, the funding supports leading-edge doctoral research across the country.
Philpott studies under the supervision of Professor Ted Sargent (ECE) and co-supervisor Professor Shana Kelley of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. His research aims to leverage a magnetic-based microfluidic platform to perform large cell-based screens. Potential applications of this work include CRISPR loss-of-function screens in cancer and stem cells as well as on-cell synthetic antibody screening.
In addition to his research, Philpott is also an active volunteer in his community, mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and serving on the executive committee of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
“Being recognized by experienced researchers who see potential in me and my work means a lot to me,” says Philpott. “The Vanier award gives me the freedom to focus on my research rather than managing other grant applications or finances — I can invest my energy completely into the research I love and hopefully one day see my work have a real-world impact on a patient.”
More information:
Jessica MacInnis
Senior Communications Officer
The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
416-978-7997; jessica.macinnis@utoronto.ca