CREMS Summer Research Program

The Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students (CREMS) Summer Research Program provides opportunities each year for medical students enrolled at the University of Toronto to participate in a full-time summer research project between their first and second year, or second and third year of medical school, under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The CREMS Program is only open to current University of Toronto students.

Duration

The CREMS Summer Research Program runs for 10 to 12 weeks from late May/early June to mid/late August. Students will work on the research project on a full-time basis with one week granted for holidays. Students are to arrange holidays with their supervisor directly.

Stipend

A stipend of $5,500 is included; CREMS will contribute $2,750 and the supervisor will be responsible for $2,750. The supervisor is also responsible for any extraneous study or travel expenses.

NOTE: The option of invoicing for student payments was introduced as a courtesy during COVID because the HR departments at hospitals were too overwhelmed to onboard CREMS and GDipHR students. We are pleased that this is no longer the case and will no longer offer this option to PI’s. PI’s are responsible for arranging student payment for their portion of the stipend. Please remember that a student’s after deduction pay must be the equivalent of $2750.

2024 CREMS SUMMER PROJECT CATALOGUE

4. Kim, D - Clinical relevance of ABL1 kinase domain mutation in association with somatic mutation profile beyond BCR ABL1 gene rearrangement on the treatment outcomes in chronic myeloid leukemia patients (1).pdf

5. Chow, CW - Comparison of respiratory oscillometry to standand pulmonary function tests in diagnosis of lung disease.pdf

6. Kwan, J - Blood-based biomarkers for personalized prediction of breast cancer-related lymphedema.pdf

7. Lancman, G - A study of infections and hypogammaglobulinemia in multiple myeloma patients receiving the BCMA-targeted antibody-drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin.pdf

13. Hamilton, R - Patterns and Outcomes of Care in Testicular Cancer.pdf

15. Chen, H - Comparing stereotactic radiosurgery with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for patients with head and neck paragangliomas.pdf

22. Jacobson, M - Cesarean Scar Size and the Relationship with Post-operative Pain in the Acute Postpartum Period.pdf

23. Sobel, M - A double-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the effect of low versus standard pressure pneumoperitoneum on post-opertaive shoulder tip pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgery for benign indications.pdf

30. Drewlo, S - Optimizing Pregnancy through PLGF Pharmacological Advances in Placental Biology.pdf

31. Sinyor, M - Medical Conditions and Stressors in People Who Die by Suicide in Toronto An Analysis of Coroner’s Records 1998-2022.pdf

36. Chan, A - A qualitative assessment of attitudes toward the use of protective wrist guards for gymnast wrist injury prevention.pdf

39. Lau, J - Observing, Understanding, and Telling stories at end of Life for Opioid Use Disorder patients (OUTLOUD) Mixed-methods research and knowledge translation.pdf

40. Mohindra, R - Using machine learning algorithms to improve the accuracy of asthma diagnosis in the emergency department.pdf

42. Lemos, N - Impact of Nerve-Sparing Surgery for Deeply Infiltrating Endometriosis on Bladder Function a Retrospective Cohort Study.pdf

46. Chauhan, V - Novel electrocardiographic (ECG) risk markers of sudden death to improve patient selection for implantable defibrillator therapy.pdf

48. Orkin, A - Exploration of Peer-led HIV Care Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Toronto.pdf

50. Eder, L - The association between Glucose intolerance and Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis A Retrospective Cohort Study.pdf

51. Appel, L - AnxEMU–VR Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Impact of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy on Epilepsy Seizure-Specific Interictal Anxiety In People with Epilepsy.pdf

52. Ferguson, P - The Impact of a Regional Outreach Program in a Centralized Sarcoma Centre.pdf

54. Sockalingam, S - Psychosocial Predictors of Response to Telephone-Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Patients Post Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.pdf

57. Rosenbaum, D - Psilocybin-asssisted Existential, Attachment, and RelationaL (PEARL) Therapy.pdf

61. Behzadi, A - Survival Outcomes Following Surgical Resection for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Insights from a 10-Year Comparison Between Lobar and Sub Lobar Lung Resections.pdf

66. Boulos, M - Strengthening Oropharyngeal Muscles as a Novel Approach to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea A Randomized Feasibility Study.pdf

69. Kozloff, N - Evaluating service use and outcomes for youth with developmental disabilities who are admitted to the Early Psychosis Intervention program.pdf

70. Fehlings, M - Novel classification models to enhance predictions of neurological outcomes in spinal cord injury.pdf

73. Roche-Nagle, G - Women’s abdominal aortic Aneurysm - Repair early Or at threshold.pdf

74. Dick, J - Development of a flow-based biomarker panel to capture hierarchy classification in AML.pdf

75. Steiman, A - Project ECHO Rheumatology – Rationale and Results from a Mixed Methods Study to Capture Impact.pdf

77. Freeman, S - Targeting the glycocalyx in cancer an adaptation for immunoprotection.pdf

78. Furlan, A - Can we Do Better to Help People with Fibromyalgia An Analysis of Factors Contributing to Improved Quality of Life Among People with Fibromyalgia.pdf

83. Glass, K - Beyond the Cancer A Twenty-Year Analysis of Long Term Fertility Outcomes for Young Women post Cancer Treatment.pdf

85. Spitzer, R - Sinai SUPport A collaborative model of care for Substance Use in Pregnancy.pdf

87. Hardisty, M - Quantifying Osteosarcopenia Temporal Progression using Imaging-Based Biomarkers in Young Age Prostate Cancer Patients.pdf

91. Crawford, S - Advancing Endovascular Interventions with Precision AI Aortic Segmentation.pdf

93. Fu, L - Impact of circulating biomarker sFlt-1 and PlGF testing on the management of women with suspected preeclampsia.pdf

96. Paul, R - A Deep Neural Network-Based Algorithm for the Diagnosis and Management of Distal Radius Fractures.pdf

97. Lim Fat, G - An environmental scan of institutional policies on ALC patients with analysis of real life adherence to ALC designation guidelines at UHN and Sinai Health.pdf

99. Okun, N - Patient Experience in Accessing Time Sensitive Information and Testing in the First Trimester of Pregnancy.pdf

101. Sheehan, K - Psychosomatic Futurities in Transplantation A Qualitative Study of Body-Mind Interaction and Psychosocial Coping.pdf

105. Farcas, M - Clinical deployment of a novel device for real-time monitoring of current management practices in continuous bladder irrigation.pdf

107. Ballios, B - Discovering human retinal organoid models of inherited retinal diseases.pdf

116. Badhiwala, J - Development of Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Models for Personalized Prediction of Functional Status after Spinal Cord Injury A Precision Medicine Approach.pdf

118. Baltzer, H - Development of a smart thumb prosthetic sensate capacity with low-cost design.pdf

119. Yao, C - Enabling Virtual Oral Cavity Cancer Surveillance with Computer Vision.pdf

120. Apramian, T - Minding the gap exploring sociocultural barriers to competence in medical assistance in dying (MAiD) for family medicine residents.pdf

121. Khosravani, H - Machine learning assisted swallowing assessment (MASA), expanding the boundaries of stroke and beyond.pdf

123. Perera, S - Identifying clinical characteristics and survival outcomes in patients with brain metastases from gastroesophageal cancers.pdf

125. Librach, C - Interaction and cumulative effect of mutations in maternal fetal genes associated with implantation failure and repetitive pregnancy loss after single euploid embryo transfer.pdf

126. Madjunkova, S - Profiling of the Human Embryo Metabolic Response to Ploidy by NMR.pdf

127. Ladha, K - The Impact of Solid Organ Transplant on Work and Earnings.pdf

128. Singh, J - Temporal changes in mechanical ventilation strategies in patients with acute brain injuries a registry-based cohort study.pdf

140. Zani, A - The regenerative effects of amniotic fluid stem cell extracellular vesicles on fetal lung vascular remodelling in a rabbit model of pulmonary hypoplasia.pdf

148. Snelgrove, J - Placental angiogenic markers, ultrasond parameters, and pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing non-ovulatory and ovulatory frozen embryo transfer cycles A retrospective study.pdf

152. Lall, R - Closing the Loop on mental health referrals in Scarborough in a medium sized practice. A QI research project.pdf

153. Berkhout, S - The Stories We Tell Developing a Methodological Approach to Visual Narrative Analysis in Digital Storytelling.pdf

155. Dimaris, H - Psychosocial Support Needs Reported by Retinoblastoma Survivors and Parents of Children Affected by Retinoblastoma.pdf

156. Gallie, B - DEPICT HEALTH Pilot Project.pdf

Please note that CREMS will not support any pre-determined student/supervisor pairings. Supervisors must agree to open their projects to all students who apply and interview all students that are interested.

Faculty submissions are due February 9, 2024. The CREMS 2022 Supervisor and Project Information Form can be found here: Supervisor & Project Information Form. Due to the overwhelming number of faculty submissions to the program we do not have the capacity to review more than one project submission per faculty therefore you may only submit 1 project per year.

Projects must be remote-capable (in case of new restrictions) or have an alternative remote option outlined.  “The decision about where the project occurs (remote or in a lab) will be decided by the supervisor based on the policies in place at the supervisor’s institution during the time of the placement, and the specific circumstances of the lab.”
Interested faculty should complete a Supervisor & Project Information Form email it to crems.programs@utoronto.ca by  February 9, 2024.
When saving your submission, please use the following format: Last Name, First Initial, Project Title.
Submitted projects will be reviewed and scored by the CREMS adjudication committee. We typically receive 150+ applications and can fund around 40-50 projects. CREMS positions will be offered to the supervisor/projects with the highest scores. We expect to complete the review process and notify successful applicants that their project will be posted by April 1, 2024.
Accepted projects will then be posted below on the CREMS website and medical students will be invited to apply directly to the supervisors. Supervisors should interview at least 5 interested applicants and select one student to work with. In the interest of fairness, we require that supervisors do not pre-select a student to work with. Supervisors are required to list all the students that were interviewed along with the name of the selected student. Interviews must occur after April 8, 2024
We only allow ONE student per project. Once the selection is made supervisors are to notify the CREMS office by May 1, 2024
Once a student is selected and CREMS is notified of the selection, supervisors will be sent a Mentor Agreement Form to be signed by the supervisor and the student. This agreement outlines that the supervisor and student agree to work on the funded project, understand the expectations of the program, and that the supervisor agrees to pay half of the total stipend in the amount of $2750. Supervisors payments must also be arranged through their own finance department. CREMS is not able to invoice or pay on a supervisors behalf. Please note, the Mentor Agreement Form is obtained by advising CREMS of your student selection. A template will not appear on the website.
The dual-signed, Mentor Agreement Form must be sent to CREMS by May 15, 2024.
Write to us at crems.programs@utoronto.ca if you have any questions or require further details.

Application Process

Step 1

Call for projects goes out to all University of Toronto Faculty in January 2024.  If a faculty member does not typically receive these invitations, please contact Lisa crems.programs@utoronto.ca to be added to the distribution list. 

Step 2

Project submissions are due February 9, 2024, by email to crems.programs@utoronto.ca.

Step 3

Submitted projects will be reviewed and scored by the adjudication committee. CREMS positions will be offered to the supervisor/projects with the highest scores by April 1, 2024

Step 4

CREMS will then notify all supervisors to let them know if their project has been selected for the program. On April 3, 2024, successful projects will be posted to the CREMS website and students will be notified via email that they can now apply to the projects listed.

Step 5

As of April 3, students can begin to contact supervisors of the project(s) that they are interested in. We ask that supervisors meet with at least 5 interested students and select which student they feel is most suitable for the project. Interviews should be conducted after April 8, 2024, to enable students time to review the projects and contact potential supervisors.

Step 6

Once a student is selected, supervisors must advise CREMS by email (crems.programs@utoronto.ca) of their student selection by May 1, 2024. Supervisors must also submit a list of all students who were interviewed for the project.

Step 7

Supervisors will be sent a Mentor Agreement form to be signed by both the supervisor and student which outlines that the supervisor and student agree to work with each other, and that the supervisor agrees to pay half of the total CREMS stipend ($2,750). This completed form is due May 15, 2024

Step 8

The CREMS Summer Research Program begins early to mid-June.

Requirements for successful completion

Upon completion of the Summer Program, students will be required to submit via email to Lisa at crems.programs@utoronto.ca. A call for these deliverables will go out the first week of September and will be due the first week of October.

Formal Project Abstract fit for publication
Supervisor and CREMS Program Evaluation Form
One-page Informal Report outlining the student’s research experience

A call for these deliverables will go out in September

Students are required to participate in the annual Medical Student Research Day held in February of the following year, by submitting an abstract and presenting a poster of their findings. Successful completion of the Summer Program will be evaluated by the CREMS Program Director and Coordinator.