McGill’s President honours outstanding early-career researchers
Three McGill scholars were recognized with the 2025 President’s Prize for Outstanding Emerging Researchers at the Health Sciences Convocation Ceremony on May 27. The award honours exceptional early-career researchers whose work is expanding the frontiers of knowledge in their fields.
Although researchers across all disciplines were eligible, this year’s recipients – Professors Guojun Chen, Mahsa Dadar and Phoebe Friesen – are all members of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The prize is administered by the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. Up to three early-career scholars are honoured each year. Each honoree also receives $5000.
“As rising leaders in health research, Professors Chen, Dadar and Friesen are advancing research that not only deepens academic understanding but also addresses urgent health challenges with real-world impact,” said Deep Saini, President and Vice-Chancellor. “McGill is proud to honour their remarkable contributions and commitment to research that serves society and future generations in Quebec, across Canada and around the globe.”
Guojun Chen: Nano-engineering for the delivery of RNA therapeutics
Professor Guojun Chen is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Biomaterials and Biomacromolecule Delivery and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Member of the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute.
His work developing next-generation drug delivery systems using nanomaterials and biomaterials is redefining how we treat cancer, chronic diseases and diabetes. His innovations – such as a microneedle patch that mimics pancreatic insulin delivery and novel lipid nanoparticles for gene delivery – are already the subjects of clinical trials and have received commercial attention. He holds nine patents, several of which are licensed to biotech companies for development into real-world treatments.
In just four years as an independent investigator, he has published over 90 articles in top journals, accumulated over 9,000 citations, secured nearly $4 million in competitive funding and received international recognition, such as the 2022 Young Investigator Award from the Chinese Association for Biomaterials.
Mahsa Dadar: Transforming our detection and understanding of age-related brain diseases
Professor Mahsa Dadar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and a researcher at the Douglas Research Centre.
Her work in neuroscience is transforming how we detect and understand age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. By combining cutting-edge brain imaging with artificial intelligence, she develops open-access tools that help identify disease markers in brain scans, advancing early disease detection and diagnosis worldwide. Her postmortem imaging program, which connects MRI findings with microscopic brain changes, is a breakthrough in validating diagnostic methods and accelerating drug discovery.
Since joining the Douglas Research Centre just three years ago, she has published nearly 50 peer-reviewed papers, secured over $3 million in funding as a principal investigator and gained international recognition, including the Brain Canada Future Leader Award and CIHR’s Yves Joanette Award of Excellence in Research in Aging.
Phoebe Friesen: Reshaping how we think about patients’ rights
Professor Phoebe Friesen is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed to McGill’s Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy of the School of Population and Global Health and the Department of Social Studies of Medicine.
Her research tackles big questions in bioethics and the philosophy of science. She explores controversial and often overlooked topics such as the placebo effect, psychedelic treatments, psychiatric classification and nonconsensual pelvic exams on anesthetized patients. She also examines how medical science can marginalize certain voices in various ways, such as in the treatment of pain and the governance of research.
In just a few years, Friesen has built an outstanding record of impact. Her research has been cited more than 2,600 times, and she has authored 53 peer-reviewed articles – most as lead author – in top journals across philosophy, psychiatry, medicine and bioethics. She also directs the Medical Ethics and Health Law curriculum for medical students at McGill.
To learn more about the award and past recipients, visit the Research Honours website.