Research Manitoba Trainee Awards

Each year, the Manitoba Lung Association partners with Research Manitoba to support emerging researchers dedicated to advancing lung health. Through the Research Manitoba Trainee Awards, we proudly select and fund outstanding students with Master Studentship Awards. This year, three talented students will receive these awards to support their innovative lung health research projects. Stay tuned for updates on their groundbreaking work!

2024 Manitoba Lung Association Research Grant Recipients

  • Dagem Yilma Chernet: Lung Proteomic Analysis of Patients with Postoperative Respiratory Failure after One-Lung Ventilation Surgery.
  • McKay Lowry: The Role of EpOMEs and DiHOMEs on the Contractility of Airway Smooth Muscle.
  • Huda Rajani: Investigate The Role of Semaphorin3E in Asthma-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Using Primary Human Epithelial Cells

2023 Manitoba Lung Association Research Grant Recipient in partnership with Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba: Sriyani Ranatunga

Project Title: Maternal Diabetes and Smoking as Early Life Risk Factors For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Sriyani joined Dr. Chris Pascoe’s lab in May 2022, as a MSc student. Her project focuses on understanding whether maternal exposures, namely maternal diabetes and smoking, increase susceptibility to cigarette smoke induced lung damage later in life in mice, as a surrogate for COPD risk.

Sriyani Ranatunga

2024 Elenore Haywood Lung Association Manitoba Convocation Prize

Jimmy Szutu is the 2024 recipient of the Eleanor Haywood Lung Association Manitoba Convocation Prize, awarded for achieving the highest GPA in Clinical Assessment in Respiratory Care. Jimmy was also honored with the 2024 College of Rehabilitation Sciences Medal in Respiratory Therapy.

This award is made possible through the generosity of our donors, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for their support of excellence in respiratory care education. Eleanor Haywood, sessional RT faculty member, and Juliette Mucha, CEO of the Manitoba Lung Association, presented the award at the UM Convocation Awards and Brunch.

Congratulations, Jimmy, on this well-deserved achievement!

Juliette Mucha, Jimmy Szutu and Elenore Haywood

2023 Elenore Haywood Lung Association Manitoba Convocation Prize

At the University of Manitoba’s Convocation and Awards Luncheon for Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, and MSc Rehabilitation Sciences, the inaugural Eleanor Haywood Lung Association Manitoba Convocation Prize for Excellence in Respiratory Therapy was awarded. Presented by Eleanor Haywood, sessional RT faculty member, and Neil Johnston, former president of the Manitoba Lung Association, this prestigious prize recognizes the BRT graduate with the highest GPA in Clinical Assessment in Respiratory Care.

The first recipient, Kaylene Normand, has shown exceptional dedication to advancing lung health. Inspired by her own experience with asthma, Kaylene brings passion to her work at St-Boniface Hospital and her commitment to research and lifelong learning. She continues to honor Eleanor Haywood’s legacy of innovation and empathy in respiratory therapy.

Neil Johnston, Kaylene Normand and Elenore Haywood

UM AirSAFE Lab Partnership



We are proud to be a partner of the new $4.8million UM AirSAFE lab. This pioneering centre, led by Dr. Andrew Halayko and Dr. Neeloffer Mookherjee, is the first in Canada to bring together experts from multiple disciplines to study the impact of air pollution on health. With more than 20% of premature deaths linked to air pollution, the AirSAFE lab's research will be crucial in developing policies to improve air quality and public health. We are excited to be part of this vital initiative.

Learn More about the AirSafe Lab Project

2023 Manitoba Lung Association and Canadian Lung Association PhD Studentship: Saeid Maghsoudi

Project Title: Inhibition of Adenylyl Cyclase Isoform 6 by Cysteine Nitrosylation in Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension, and Rescue with Novel Forskolin Derivatives

This PhD project is dedicated to developing new treatments for "blue babies," newborns who struggle with severe oxygen deprivation due to persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). This life-threatening condition affects over 800 infants worldwide each day. Current treatments can be insufficient or lead to serious side effects, so this research is focused on creating safer, more effective options.

A key target is an enzyme in the lungs called Adenylyl Cyclase 6 (AC6), essential for oxygen delivery but impaired in low-oxygen conditions like PPHN. By developing a drug that reactivates AC6, the project aims to improve oxygen flow for these infants. These findings could also benefit adults with respiratory issues, such as pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, and asthma.

Maghsoudi & Dakshinamurti Lab Team

Donate Today

There are gifted, passionate and determined researchers here in Manitoba. 

Your donations fund important lung health research and at the same time, you are helping build a research community right here in Manitoba.