The 2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) winners at the University of Calgary are forging new paths in neuroscience research, each striving to improve outcomes for children and vulnerable populations.
While their projects range from paediatric brain-computer interfaces to understanding stress responses and anesthetic effects on the developing brain, all three scholars share a common goal: harnessing science to make tangible, positive impacts on human health.
From left: Araz Minhas, Jessica Scheufen and Zainab Khan. Submitted
The Vanier CGS, one of Canada's most prestigious graduate awards, recognizes doctoral students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership. Funded by the Government of Canada, the scholarship provides $150,000 over three years to Canadian and international students pursuing research through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, or Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
This year marks the final competition under the current Vanier format before it transitions to a harmonized scholarship program.
Three UCalgary PhD students Araz Minhas, Jessica Scheufen and Zainab Khan received the award for their groundbreaking neuroscience research.
Their work, conducted at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) spans paediatric intensive care, stress-related neurobiology and anesthetic neurotoxicity, all aimed at improving patient care and health outcomes.
Araz Minhas: Translating AI and brain-computer interfaces into paediatric care
Araz Minhas, a third-year MD/PhD student in neuroscience, is developing AI and brain-computer interface (BCI) tools that could one day help critically ill children in the paediatric intensive care unit.
Through the BCI4Kids program, a research initiative at the Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH) that works to bring BCI technology out of the lab and into children's lives, Minhas is studying how brain activity can be analyzed to better predict outcomes for comatose patients.
His work aims to create automated, interpretable systems that can support clinical decision making and, in the future, may even enable simple forms of communication between parents and their children when words aren't possible.
Winning the Vanier Scholarship reinforced Minhas' commitment to translating AI innovations into future clinical tools. He views the award as both an honour and a responsibility to advance patient-centred, interdisciplinary research that brings engineers, clinicians and neuroscientists together to improve future care.
"Initially, I was quite stunned a mix of disbelief and gratitude, particularly for my supervisor, Dr. Adam Kirton (MD), my colleagues in his lab, and for the strength of the children and families who inspire our work every day," says Minhas, BSc'21.
Supported by UCalgary's collaborative, interdisciplinary research community, Minhas is part of a team at ACH working to advance paediatric BCI technologies.
Their goal is to create practical, evidence-based tools that help clinicians interpret brain activity and, in the future, may support new ways for children with severe neurological conditions to connect with their families.
Jessica Scheufen: Unlocking the endocannabinoid system to manage stress
Jessica Scheufen, a second-year PhD student in neuroscience, is exploring the brain's endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in various human processes including mood, memory, sleep and pain responses.
After several years studying how cannabis interacts with the brain, she now investigates how to help people respond to stress in healthier ways. Her research could one day contribute to new treatments for stress-related disorders and improve public-health outcomes.
The Vanier Scholarship gives Scheufen, MSc'24, the opportunity to focus fully on her research while continuing her passion for science communication.
She volunteers as a neuroscience facilitator at addiction recovery centres in Calgary, where she helps participants understand how the brain responds to stress, substance use and healing, turning complex research into discussions that support their recovery journeys.
"Getting their feedback, listening to their questions and helping them along their recovery journey has been so rewarding and has helped shape my research questions in the eyes of what the community actually wants answers to," Scheufen says.
Scheufen says her research has been shaped by the open, supportive environment at UCalgary, where researchers readily share expertise and mentorship across labs.
Within the HBI, the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, and the ACHRI, she's found a network of colleagues and mentors, including her supervisor, Dr. Matthew Hill, PhD, whose guidance has strengthened her scientific skills and deepened her commitment to advancing mental health research through neuroscience.
Zainab Khan: Investigating anesthetic neurotoxicity to protect vulnerable brains
In the neuroscience lab of Dr. Naweed I. Syed, PhD, Zainab Khan is unravelling how anesthetics affect the brain, a question that could improve safety for millions of people every year.
Her research combines molecular analysis and neurochip technology to study how commonly used anesthetics influence brain connectivity, learning and memory, particularly in children and older adults.
Khan says winning the Vanier scholarship filled her with pride and gratitude, reaffirming her commitment to advancing brain-health research.
"Winning this award felt like more than just a personal achievement it was also an endorsement of the work I've done so far in my research journey," she says.
"More importantly, it gives me the support and encouragement to take my research to the next level, with the hope of creating a meaningful impact."
Originally from Pakistan, Khan describes finding a sense of belonging at UCalgary's diverse and supportive campus community. Guided by Syed's mentorship, she is determined to pursue research discoveries in anesthesia aiming to enhance safety, optimize outcomes and provide more personalized care.
Shaping the future of neuroscience at UCalgary
Together, Minhas, Scheufen and Khan embody the spirit of innovation, collaboration and societal impact that the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship supports.
Through their ongoing research, they are working to advance scientific understanding and contribute to future applications that could improve human health.
To learn more about our exceptional scholars and awards, visit the Exceptional Scholars web page.
