BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) is pleased to congratulate the recipients of the 2025 Outstanding Achievement Awards. This program, generously funded by the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, plays a pivotal role in acknowledging and nurturing excellence within our research community.
The Outstanding Achievement Awards recognize the remarkable accomplishments of our trainees in their research endeavours aimed at improving the health and well-being of children and families.
This year’s recipients are:
Outstanding Achievement by a Master’s Student
Duneesha De Silva — Mulpuri Research Team
This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a master’s student whose research skills and analytical capacity clearly demonstrate the individual’s potential as a productive member of the scientific community.
Duneesha De Silva completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Experimental Medicine degrees at the University of British Columbia (UBC). In 2021, she joined the Hippy Lab at BC Children’s Hospital as a co-op student. During her graduate studies, she gathered insights into the lived experiences of patients and families impacted by developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). She conducted focus group discussions to learn about the diverse care journeys faced by patients and their caregivers. Her findings helped the Hippy Lab establish a DDH patient and family partner advisory group to co-develop educational resources and shape research priorities.
Outstanding Achievement by a Doctoral Student
This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a doctoral student whose originality, research ability, and capacity for critical thinking show that the individual is likely to become a contributing member of the scientific community.
Dr. Jeffrey Bone — Clinical Research Support Unit
Dr. Jeffrey Bone is a biostatistician who currently leads the biostatistical services at BCCHR. In this role, he provides methodological input to various projects, supervises analysts, and provides support to the research community. He has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Victoria and a Master of Science in Statistics from UBC. He recently completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences from the same alma mater where he focused on statistical methods and modelling in perinatal epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Sarka Lisonkova. His PhD research involved the use and comparison of methods for causal inference in perinatal epidemiology including mediation analyses, bias analyses, and modelling gestational age-specific risks of stillbirth. These methods were applied to population data sources to understand the impact of pre-pregnancy obesity on adverse maternal and fetal outcomes in twin pregnancies or pregnancies complicated by chronic conditions.
Dr. Abhijit Mahesh Chinchani — Woodward Research Team
Dr. Abhijit Mahesh Chinchani completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Bioinformatics from UBC in 2024. Working alongside Dr. Todd Woodward, his research focused on using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to modulate brain oscillations linked to behaviour, to develop new treatments for mental health conditions. During his studies, he also developed computational tools to explore how thinking patterns relate to mental health, by looking closely at individual questions on psychological questionnaires.
In 2021, Dr. Chinchani received the Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform Award for his work in developing an open-source analysis framework that finds relationships between individuals’ questionnaire responses and cognitive measures — which would often be missed when summary scores are analyzed. He was also awarded the IMH Marshall Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2024 for his work on tACS for improving information-gathering impairments using eye movements in patients with schizophrenia.
In addition to research, Dr. Chinchani actively mentors students, having served as a neurodata tutor throughout his PhD and guided two cohorts through courses on neurodata tools. His research and mentorship significantly contribute to the growing field focused on improving mental health treatments, ultimately benefiting individuals and their families.
Outstanding Achievement by a Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Erika Scott — Loucks Research Team
This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a postdoctoral fellow whose high academic achievements, personal leadership qualities, and demonstrated research ability show that the individual is likely to become a future leader in health research.
Dr. Erika Scott completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences in Biochemistry and Immunology from Western University, followed by a PhD in Medical Genetics from UBC. As a postdoctoral fellow on the Loucks research team, she’s working to improve pain management in children through identifying genetic markers that may help to explain why some children experience poor pain relief or side effects while taking opioids.
Dr. Scott is passionate about making a difference in the lives of patients and is dedicated to ensuring her research has a direct impact. Her work includes collaborating with patients and clinicians to create genetic testing strategies to help tailor pain management. By understanding each child’s unique genetic makeup, she hopes to ensure children receive effective pain relief without side effects — ultimately leading to better quality of life for children in pain.
Outstanding Achievement by a Sub-speciality Resident or Fellow
Dr. Uthaya Kumaran Kanagaraj — Shivananda Research Team
This award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a clinical sub-specialty resident or fellow whose research initiatives have been pursued in a conscientious, original, and competent manner, demonstrating potential for academic excellence in their chosen specialty.
Dr. Uthaya Kumaran Kanagaraj completed his medical school, pediatric residency, and neonatology fellowship in India, followed by subspecialty training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and a fellowship in Neonatal Hemodynamics and Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography (TnEcho) at UBC. In addition, he obtained a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology from McMaster University, further strengthening his research skills.
During his fellowship at BC Women’s Hospital, under the guidance of Dr. Sandesh Shivananda, Dr. Kanagaraj focused on identifying practice variation in postnatal steroid use among preterm infants. His work with BC Women’s Hospital’s Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Task Force contributed to the validation and successful implementation of a web-based calculator called the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) 2022 Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Outcome Estimator.
As part of his TnEcho projects, under the supervision of Dr. Souvik Mitra, Dr. Kanagaraj evaluated the reliability of echocardiographic markers for left atrial dilation, for which he received a competitive seed grant from the Evidence to Innovation Research Theme. In collaboration with Dr. Michael Castaldo and Dr. Joseph Ting, he studied the timeline for pulmonary pressure resolution in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
With his upcoming appointment as a neonatologist, Dr. Kanagaraj’s ongoing research interests include the early detection of chronic pulmonary hypertension (cPH) in extremely premature infants with chronic lung disease. Using TnEcho and point-of-care lung ultrasound, he and his team aim to characterize cPH phenotypes and implement timely, targeted interventions to minimize long-term respiratory support and facilitate earlier discharge in this vulnerable patient population.
