Connecting Young Minds 2026
Research Conference
Join us for the annual undergraduate research conference at the University of Ottawa. Showcasing innovative research across Science, Health Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering.
Saturday, September 19, 2026 • University of Ottawa
Conference Begins In:
About CYM
Connecting Young Minds (CYM) is a student-run undergraduate research conference at the University of Ottawa. Our mission is to foster collaboration and innovation among young researchers.
CYM provides a platform for undergraduate students to present their research projects, exchange ideas, and build connections with peers and faculty members. The conference spans multiple disciplines, including Science, Health Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering.
What makes CYM unique is its commitment to being fully bilingual, reflecting the University of Ottawa's dedication to both official languages. Presentations can be delivered in either English or French, celebrating Canada's linguistic diversity.
Showcase Your Research
Present your findings to peers, faculty, and industry professionals in a supportive environment.
Network with Peers
Connect with like-minded students and build relationships that could lead to future collaborations.
Bilingual Experience
Present in English or French. Our conference celebrates Canada's linguistic diversity.
Win Recognition
Outstanding presentations are eligible for awards and recognition from our panel of expert judges.
Speakers & Judges 2025
Meet our distinguished speakers and judges who will be joining us for the 2025 conference.
Dr. Dylan Burger
Lead Judge
University of Ottawa
Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and President of the Canadian Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Leads kidney and inflammation research with over 130 publications.
Dr. Marcelo Muñoz
Lead Judge
University of Ottawa
Scientist at the uOttawa Heart Institute and CEO of the Chilean Weightlifting Federation. Expert in photochemical cancer therapies, sports science, and anti-doping innovation.
Dr. Anne Konkle
Judge
University of Ottawa
Associate Professor specializing in women’s mental health and neurodiversity. Known for interdisciplinary leadership and mentorship in health sciences.
Dr. Ron Saulnier
Judge
University of Ottawa
Biologist and evaluator at Health Canada. Focused on tumor biology, neurodegeneration, and education in public health and safety.
Dr. Di Wang
Judge
University of Ottawa
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering with 30+ projects and 120+ publications. Recognized for global collaborations and engineering leadership.
Dr. Chanele Polenz
Judge
University of Ottawa
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Heart Institute. Bridges cardiovascular and mental health research with a decade of academic and leadership experience.
Dr. Howard Alper
Judge
University of Ottawa
Distinguished University Professor and leading chemist with 500+ publications and 37 patents. Recipient of the Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal and Companion of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Sarina Isenberg
Judge
University of Ottawa
Chair in Mixed Methods Palliative Care Research at Bruyère. Leads research improving care quality and health systems with $56M+ in funded projects.
Dr. Peter Liu
Judge
University of Ottawa
Cardiologist and Scientific Director at the Heart Institute. Internationally recognized for work in heart failure and inflammation, with 350+ publications.
Upcoming Events!
Join us for upcoming CYM events
What People Are Saying
Hear from past participants about their CYM experience
"Attending the Connecting Young Minds (CYM) Research Conference was a fantastic opportunity to network with peers and professors. I learned so much about current scientific and healthcare research. Huge thank you to the CYM team for organizing such an amazing event!"
Meghan DoCanto-Primeau
Second Year Biomedical Science Student
University of Ottawa
"Being selected as a Top 5 Winner and presenting my research on hallucination in synthetic data generation was an unforgettable experience. The feedback I received and the opportunity to publish in the URNCST Journal were career-changing moments for me."
Reema Alwadi
Electrical Engineering and Computing Technology Student
University of Ottawa
"CYM was an excellent platform for connecting with fellow students and professors. I gained valuable insights into scientific and healthcare advancements, and I’m already looking forward to attending again next year!"
Sarah Awada
Health Science Student
University of Ottawa
"It was a pleasure to attend the 2023 Connecting Young Minds (CYM) conference! Seeing so many like-minded undergraduate researchers was inspiring. Congrats to the winners!"
Olivia Jacot de Boinod
BSc Psychology Student
University of Ottawa
"Exploring the intersection of neuroscience and psychology through research was incredibly rewarding. I’m grateful my abstract was selected in the Top 10 and published in the URNCST Journal thanks to CYM!"
Sarah Bukhari
Honours BSc Student in Biology
University of Ottawa
"Thrilled to have my abstract published in the URNCST Journal for CYM 2023! Thank you to the CYM team for showcasing undergraduate research on such a professional platform."
Daria Goulets
Health Sciences Student & Researcher
University of Ottawa
"Attending the CYM conference was such a wonderful and insightful experience. Hearing from passionate researchers and connecting with peers was truly inspiring!"
Maggie Divok
Honours Bachelor of Health Science Student
University of Ottawa
"The CYM conference was an unforgettable experience. I gained insights from brilliant speakers and felt encouraged to pursue research and graduate studies in the near future."
Daphne Mavindidze
Financial Mathematics and Economics Student
University of Ottawa
Want to share your CYM experience? DM us your testimonials
Our Team
Meet the dedicated student organizers and faculty advisors behind CYM 2026.
Student Organizers
Maxime Laniel
President
Honours Bachelor of Science in Physics-Mathematics
Sara Justinico
Co-President
Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Kiana Gholizadeh Vazvani
Co-President
B.Sc. spécialisé sciences biomédicales, Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Haider Ikram
Co-VP Logistics
Honours Bachelor of Science in Translational and Molecular Medicine (BSc)
Duncan Tong
Co-VP Logistics
Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Rebecca Santhosh Babu
Director of Logistics
Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology
Viola Wibowo
Director of Logistics
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Serena Khouri
Director of Logistics
Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Tomi Opapeju
Director of Logistics
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences Specialization in Integrative Health Biosciences (BHSc)
Sofie Cultrera
Director of Logistics
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Lona Kandil
VP Marketing
Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (Co-op)
Maggie Divok
Director of Marketing
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences (Co-Op)
Kani Osiagwu
Director of Marketing
Honours Bachelor of Health Science, French as a Second Language
Tiana Yuen
Director of Marketing
Honours BSc Biochemistry and BASc Chemical Engineering (Biotechnology)
Kirsten Harper
Director of Marketing
Honours Bachelor of Science in Translational and Molecular Medicine
Aanreen Reza
Director of Marketing
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Priyanka Azad
Director of Marketing
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Aarya Bhatt
VP Web Development
Honours Computer Engineering (Co-op)
Zhenrui Zhang
Director of Website Development
Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Nuha Khan
VP Design
Honours Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Aziz Guesmi-Mekki
Director of Design
Honours BSc in Biomedical Sciences (Co-op) and Minor in Entrepreneurship
Reem Jaweesh
Director of Design
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Natalie Youhanna
Director of Design
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Anika Joseph
VP External Affairs
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences (Co-op) and Minor in Law
Uchechukwume Dogo
Director of External Affairs
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Maya Rodrigues
Director of External Affairs
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences and Minor in Psychology
Aaron Ngameni
Director of External Affairs
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Meena Ibrahim
Director of External Affairs
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Omid Yeganeh
VP Media Production
Honors Bachelor of Health Sciences Specialization in Technology and Innovation (BHSc)
Diana Munteanu
Director of Media Production
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences
Avanish Maniyan
Director of Media Production
Honours BSc Biomedical Science
Sadra Ghaderpanah
Director of Media Production
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences (Co-op)
Gabrielle Yuen
VP Finance
Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences and Minor in Biochemistry
Diana Ariana
Director of Finance
Honours BSc in Biomedical Sciences and Minor in Psychology
Una Bilcar
VP Bilingualism
Honours BSc Biomedical Science
Chloé Hajjar
Director of Bilingualism
Honours Bachelors of Health Sciences
Samantha Sutherland
VP Research
Honours BSc Biomedical Science
Alé Rivés
Director of Research
Honours Bachelors of Health Sciences
Michael Song
Director of Research
Honours Bachelors of Health Sciences
Advisory Council
Grace Tongue
President Emeritus & Chief Strategic Advisor
Rachel Pang
Senior Advisor Emeritus
Jordan Yin
Senior Advisor Emeritus
Tai Adewoye
Senior Strategic Advisor, Logistics
Jean-Paul Azzi
Senior Strategic Advisor, External Affairs
Majd Al-Aarg
Senior Strategic Advisor, External Affairs
Faculty Advisors
Dr. Alain St-Amant
Vice-Provost at uOttawa
Academic Affairs
Joanne Benoit
Manager at uOttawa
Communications and Marketing
Ways to support Connecting Young Minds
Help CYM deliver its annual undergraduate research conference and the programs that inspire the next generation of researchers, scientists, and leaders.
Monetary contributions
Support conference preparation, including catering, venue booking, promotion, prizes, and gift cards.
Gifts, catering & prizes
Contribute gifts, gift cards, food, or beverages to support attendees and social-media raffles.
Promotion & speakers
Share CYM with your community or join us as a keynote guest in STEM and research.
Visitor booth
Showcase your organization and connect directly with 300+ undergraduate students at the conference.
Sponsorship packages
Choose the partnership level that fits your organization.
Bronze
$750+
Name and logo on: Website
- • Visitor booth
Silver
$1,500+
Name and logo on: Website, conference banner & agenda
- • Visitor booth
Gold
$2,500+
Name and logo on: Website, conference banner & agenda
- • Custom advertising video
- • Paid social posts
- • Visitor booth
Platinum
$3,500+
Name and logo on: Website, conference banner, agenda & promotional materials
- • URNCST journal mention
- • Custom advertising video
- • Paid social posts
- • Visitor booth
Donations below $750 receive an honourable thank-you note and a CYM Instagram story shoutout.
Questions? Contact finance@cymottawa.com or external@cymottawa.com.
Contact Us
Have questions about the conference? Get in touch with our team.