Alice Man, an MD/PhD candidate at McMaster University, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) Award.
The award, given to only 15 medical students in Canada, recognizes those who have demonstrated outstanding community leadership, superior communication skills and a strong commitment to advancing medical knowledge.
Sixth-year MD/PhD candidate Alice Man is one of only 15 Canadian medical students recieving the 2026 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) Award.
"The past five years working toward my MD and PhD at McMaster University have been a transformative period," said Man, who is originally from Vancouver.
"I've had the chance to learn from wonderful people and reflect on where I can make the most meaningful impact in medicine. Knowing that others believe in my vision as a clinician-scientist means a lot, and I hope to pay that support forward."
Man was inspired to pursue a career in medicine through her early research experiences at BC Children's Hospital. Before beginning her MD/PhD training, she worked with the Canadian Pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety, a pan-Canadian research network investigating genetic factors that increase the risk of severe adverse drug reactions.
Working alongside a team developing genetic tests to identify children at greatest risk, she saw firsthand how questions arising in clinical care could drive research that improves patient outcomes.
"I chose to pursue an MD/PhD because I wanted to care for patients directly while developing the tools to address the gaps I encounter in their care," she said.
McMaster's MD/PhD program is designed to train the next generation of clinician-scientists who will pursue research as a major career priority and be at the forefront of medical research and innovation. Students in the program complete both the undergraduate medical education program curriculum and PhD requirements.
Under the supervision of Professor Guillaume Paré, Man's doctoral research uses human genetics to explore why disease risk, treatment responses and clinical outcomes differ across patients, with the goal of advancing more precise and equitable care. Her work spans genetic epidemiology, stroke, adverse drug reactions and pediatric neurological disorders, drawing on datasets ranging from large population biobanks to carefully characterized patient cohorts.
Among her research achievements, Man developed a statistical approach to investigate whether the effects of cardiometabolic risk factors differ across patient groups using genetic data and population-scale biobanks.
She also contributes to an international collaboration examining the genetic contributors to stroke among individuals of African ancestry, helping address a longstanding gap in stroke genetics research.
In another project, Man worked with collaborators across several countries to study epilepsy in individuals with rare BRAF-related genetic disorders, identifying patterns that may help guide future care and treatment.
Her research has been supported by competitive trainee funding, including the prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Alongside her doctoral work, Man recently secured $20,000 in funding with Associate Professor Robyn Whitney to launch a study examining sleep disturbances in severe pediatric epilepsies, an often-overlooked challenge for patients and families.
Passionate about collaborative science and mentorship, Man hopes to build a career that combines research and clinical care. She is particularly interested in caring for children with neurological conditions and advancing discoveries that can improve outcomes for young patients.
"My sincere congratulations to Alice Man on this national recognition," said Mohit Bhandari, interim vice-president and dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. "Alice exemplifies the curiosity, compassion and dedication that define outstanding clinician-scientists.
"Her achievements reflect the spirit of inquiry, collaboration and service that are at the heart of a McMaster education, and we are proud to see her receive this well-deserved honour."
CMHF award recipients receive a cash prize and support to attend the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where they can connect with newly inducted CMHF laureates and other leaders in medicine from across Canada.
Learn more from Man's bio on the CMHF website.
