On Friday, January 21, Dr. Jake Pirkkanen and Dr. Chris Thome each received the “Rising Star” Award for conducting innovative research in the postsecondary education sector from the Honourable Jill Dunlop, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities.
The Minister of Colleges and Universities’ Awards of Excellence shine a spotlight on the work being done at Ontario’s postsecondary institutions. The awards celebrate the incredible work of faculty, staff and graduate students on campus, in the community, and beyond.
Dr. Christopher Thome received a Minister’s Award of Excellence in the category of Rising Star. Dr. Thome is an Asst. Professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and conducts research with the REPAIR Collaboration running out of the life science laboratory at SNOLAB.
Dr. Jake Pirkkanen, an early career scientist who recently completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Northern Ontario School of Medicine received a Minister’s Award of Excellence in the category of Rising Star. Dr. Pirkkanen is also a key member of the REPAIR research team.
Despite challenges the REPAIR team faced during the pandemic, they have excelled and produced leading-edge research resulting in high-impact scientific publications on a number of subjects including cosmic radiation and the effects of radon on cell metabolism and cancer.
Congratulations from everyone at SNOLAB!