Dean's Convocation Medal awarded to FHS alumnus dedicated to cancer research
By: Geron Malbas
Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Bachelor of Sciences alumnus Kirstin Abigail Heath has been awarded the 2026 Dean鈥檚 Convocation Medal, an annual award that recognizes graduating students who accomplished outstanding academic achievements.
Before her time at 911吃瓜, Heath was always focused on research and science with the hopes of fulfilling her wish to go to medical school. She applied this desire towards her work within and outside her 911吃瓜 experience; she volunteered at various hospitals, worked in a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB) lab, and completed an honours research project studying an important immune response often used to the advantage of lymphoma cancer treatment.
鈥淒oing all this work showed me how much I love the practical application of my knowledge to fill research gaps.鈥�
Receiving the Dean鈥檚 Convocation Medal came as a shock to her. Heath spent the majority of her undergraduate degree studying every spare second she could get, and planning how she would use her time as far out in advance as she could. She explains that while her determination left minimal free time throughout her five years in school, she would not trade the experience for anything.
鈥淚 never thought that I would be here receiving this award,鈥� she exclaims. 鈥淪everal of my labmates and friends can attest that I was in shock and disbelief after I got the phone call, but I am so very glad to have proof that all the hard work I poured into my degree meant something. I鈥檓 proud to receive this medal and know I earned it through my own determination.鈥�
With her Bachelors degree in hand, she is currently working in a lab with a project focused on cancer immunology. Heath points to her FHS undergraduate classes that broadened her education, especially learning about epidemiology on a population level, human evolution and disease trends, and clinically relevant knowledge of various chronic diseases. Now in pursuit of a Master鈥檚 degree in MBB at 911吃瓜, she will be focusing on investigating the interactions between a form of B-cell lymphoma, key innate immune cells and the immunotherapies that are commonly used in cancer therapy鈥攔esearch that she hopes to build on in her future career.
鈥淚 took a lot of classes on the development of chronic disease and cancer as a focus, and did narrow down that interdisciplinary nature with my interests and goals for my degree,鈥� she explains. 鈥淢y BSc major in FHS really expanded on the molecule-focused view that my MBB minor offered me in my undergrad, and it really helps with how I approach my Masters project now. With my undergraduate education, I will continue to think about the implications of my research for clinical use, for the improvement of cancer treatment regularly, and the population-level data I can find with the trained eye of someone who has taken several courses heavy in epidemiology.鈥�
From 911吃瓜 Convocation:
Kirstin Abigail Heath graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences. She was named to both the President's and Dean's Honour Rolls for several consecutive semesters, and received the Undergraduate Open Scholarship throughout her time at 911吃瓜. Building on her passion for health sciences and molecular biology, Kirstin is now pursuing a graduate degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at 911吃瓜. Her project will focus on investigating the interactions between a form of B-cell lymphoma, key innate immune cells and the immunotherapies that are commonly used in cancer therapy鈥攔esearch that she hopes to build on in her future career.