A climate organizer with a passion for building resilient communities and a medical student keen to harness AI for health equity have joined the ranks of University of Toronto students who have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships.
Alice Ferguson-O'Brien, a fourth-year undergraduate student who is pursuing a double major in cognitive science and philosophy in the Faculty of Arts & Science as a member of Trinity College, and Adham Elsherbini, a second-year medical student at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, are among 11 young Canadians to be elected Rhodes Scholars for 2026.
One of the world's most prestigious scholarship programs, the Rhodes Scholarships provide full funding for recipients to undertake full-time graduate studies at the University of Oxford.
Ferguson-O'Brien will pursue a master's in comparative social policy and applied digital health at Oxford, while Elsherbini plans to complete a PhD in surgical sciences.
"On behalf of the entire University of Toronto community, I would like to congratulate Alice Ferguson-O'Brien and Adham Elsherbini on being selected as Rhodes Scholars," says U of T President Melanie Woodin. "They exemplify the excellence of our student body - combining academic rigour with creativity, resilience and a deep commitment to making a positive impact on the world.
"I look forward to following their continued progress and contributions in the years to come."
Alice Ferguson-O'Brien: Building resilient communities
Alice Ferguson-O'Brien (photo by Johnny Guatto)
For Ferguson-O'Brien, the Rhodes Scholarship is an opportunity to build on her passion for mental health supports and community-building, which took root during her upbringing in St. John's, N.L.
Growing up, she was deeply influenced by the wide network of people who supported her and her family, including her older brothers, who have disabilities. Inspired by her brothers, she volunteered with Best Buddies, a group that includes neurodiverse community members in meaningful ways. She also co-founded the St. John's chapter of Fridays for Future, an international, youth-led climate action movement. Her passion for sustainability continued at U of T, where she joined the student group Climate Justice UofT and advocated for divestment from fossil fuels.
The recipient of a 2022 National Scholarship and 2023 Laidlaw Scholarship, Ferguson-O'Brien served on the board of the U of T Students' Union, conducted research on conspiracy theory belief and well-being, and worked with the Arctic Mayors' Forum to bring northern voices into global policy-making.
She says her experiences have forged a passion for building resilient communities and a determination to advocate for inclusive, just and supportive policies, particularly around mental illness.
"I hope to use my education to better understand, help, care for and connect with vulnerable people, and to ensure that people are given the tools and the power to shape the policies that matter to them," Ferguson-O'Brien says.
She adds that she looks forward to contributing to the Rhodes community and pursuing research that will make a meaningful impact - and aims to return to St. John's following her graduate studies. "All of these people who raised me as a village when I was younger - this scholarship feels like a shared accomplishment," she says.
Adham Elsherbini: Harnessing AI for health equity
Adham Elsherbini (photo by Johnny Guatto)
Elsherbini's passion for health care was shaped by his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was a high school student in Fredericton.
"There were a lot of close friends and family that I saw getting sick, and that was my main exposure to the health-care system," he says. "I started seeing the relationship between doctors and the vulnerability that patients had with physicians, and that was something that really motivated me."
Born in Egypt, Elsherbini immigrated to Canada at age six, living in Mississauga and Winnipeg before moving to Fredericton. After earning his undergraduate degree at Queen's University, he progressed to the MD program at Temerty Medicine, where he is a member of the Mississauga Academy of Medicine.
He has since published numerous papers in basic and clinical research, developed a free app to help trainees learn surgical steps and is now working as a liaison officer for the Canadian Global Surgery Trainee Alliance, aiming to improve outcomes of intussusception, a life-threatening form of bowel obstruction, in Ethiopia.
At Oxford, Elsherbini hopes to explore how AI and other emerging technologies can be used to increase access to surgery. "I want to increase the efficiency that doctors operate at, so they are able to provide more safe and accessible surgeries, especially in lower-income and middle-income countries," says Elsherbini, who plans to return to U of T in 2029 to complete his MD.
He adds he didn't expect to land a coveted Rhodes Scholarship.
"I'm definitely excited. I never expected this to be my trajectory," he says. "A mentor of mine urged me to apply, and their confidence in me motivated me to go for it. When I got the call, I felt very, very grateful. I feel very humbled to have this opportunity."
Read more about Alice Ferguson-O'Brien at Trinity College
Read more about Adham Elsherbini at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine
