With funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF Canada) CIRTN-R2FIC is offering an expanded Training Program.
Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE)
The CREATE Program is designed to improve the training and mentoring environment for the Canadian researchers of tomorrow by improving training in areas such as professional skills, communication and collaboration, as well as by providing mentoring and experience relevant to both academic and non-academic research environments.
Within the CIRTN-R2FIC Training Program, opportunities include mentoring from an external advisor, participation in online courses, in-person and virtual workshops and networking events, an annual National Meeting, and funding for travel. Upon entry into the CREATE Program each Trainee will be paired with a mentor from within CIRTN-R2FIC with whom individualization of the program can be discussed.
Successful applicants will receive stipend support for two years, with the requirement of matching funds from other sources. Additionally, they will receive funding for a national or international academic exchange or industry internship. Interested applicants should begin by asking their current supervisor if matching funds have been committed by their home institution.
For full details regarding program requirements, eligibility, and funding, please refer to the 2026 Program Guide below.
View the 2026 Program Overview in English
Consultez le guide complet du programme de formation en français
Pre-registration for Cohort 4 (2026 Program) is now closed.
To be eligible, applicants must currently be training (or plan to train) in a CIRTN-R2FIC member laboratory on an islet-related project. All trainees currently at the MSc, PhD, or postdoctoral level (or expecting to enter one of these streams by the program start date) are welcome to apply. Applicants should have at least 2 years of training remaining in order to complete the required program objectives.
View the Cohort 4 (2026) Application Instructions
Voir les instructions de candidature 2026 en français
Congratulations to the following graduate students and postdoctoral fellows selected to participate in the CREATE Training Program!
• • •
Cohort 4: 2026-27 Program
Austin Miller • Lynn lab, University of British Columbia Chris Schaaf • MacDonald lab, University of Alberta Dorsa Sadeghi • Krentz lab, University of British Columbia Jialing Tang • Prentice lab, University of Toronto Jessica Tian • Hoesli lab, McGill University Joshua Awoke • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Liam Stanley • Chen lab, University of Saskatchewan Lili Grieco-St-Pierre • Bruin lab, Carleton University Luisa Pessoa Soares • Tsai lab, University of Alberta Tania Bakshi • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Théa Milland • Aghazadeh lab, Université de Montréal (Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal) Tiffany Chen • Devlin lab, University of British Columbia Wenyue Ye • Wheeler lab, University of Toronto Yihan Luo • Prentice lab, University of Toronto
Cohort 3: 2025-26 Program
Camille Prefontaine • Thompson lab, University of Manitoba Haiyang Huang • Nostro lab, University of Toronto Katarina Zosel • Lynn lab, University of British Columbia Matthieu Schoumacher • Estall lab, McGill University Nayara Rampazzo Morelli • Thompson lab, University of Manitoba Nitya Gulati • Rocheleau lab, University of Toronto Shawn Duckett • MacDonald lab, University of Alberta Shreyasi Sarkar • Lim lab, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal Summer Helmi • Pepper lab, University of Alberta Ying Deng • Aghazadeh lab, Université de Montréal (Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal)
Cohort 2: 2024-25 Program
Courtney Ostromecki • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Erin van Zyl • Bruin lab, Carleton University Jia Zhao • Kieffer lab, University of British Columbia Kyle van Allen • Bruin lab, Carleton University Nerea Cuesta Gomez • Korbutt lab, University of Alberta Rachel Spencer • Taubert lab, University of British Columbia Vriti Bhagat • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Youngmin Song • Nostro lab, University of Toronto Zurie Campbell • Screaton lab, University of Toronto
Cohort 1: 2023-24 Program
Cassandra Locatelli • Mulvihill lab, University of Ottawa Heart Institute Clara Goubault • Poitout lab, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal Ekaterina Filatov • Lynn lab, University of British Columbia Emily Hoffman • Riddell lab, York University Hui Huang • Buteau lab, University of Alberta Ishnoor Singh • Wheeler lab, University of Toronto Jane Velghe • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Lahari Basu • Bruin lab, Carleton University Liam Hall • Johnson lab, University of British Columbia Nelson Chang • Dhanvantari lab, Western University Saumadritaa Kar • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Siyi He • Lim lab, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal Yufeng Wang • Rocheleau lab, University of Toronto Xiong Liu • MacDonald lab, University of Alberta Zuraya Elisa Angeles Olvera • Poitout lab, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
Cohorts 1-4 of the CIRTN-R2FIC CREATE Training Program are run in partnership with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF Canada)
CIRTN-R2FIC has partnered with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF Canada) to increase the total number of trainees funded entering the Program. Trainees funded through the Breakthrough T1D Funding Stream will have the opportunity to participate in virtual meetings and seminars together with international Breakthrough T1D trainees. These awards will support health researcher training to build capacity in the future of type 1 diabetes research. This program is part of Breakthrough T1D’s goal to expand its support of the next generation of T1D researchers.
Cohort 4 (2026) Austin Miller • Lynn lab, University of British Columbia Chris Schaaf • MacDonald lab, University of Alberta Yihan Luo • Prentice lab, University of Toronto
Cohort 3 (2025) Nayara Rampazzo Morelli • Thompson lab, University of Manitoba Shreyasi Sarkar • Lim lab, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal Summer Helmi • Pepper lab, University of Alberta
Cohort 2 (2024) Adrian Alejandro Schcolnik-Cabrera • Tsai lab, University of Alberta Jia Zhao • Kieffer lab, University of British Columbia Nerea Cuesta Gomez • Korbutt lab, University of Alberta Youngmin Song • Nostro lab, University of Toronto
Cohort 1 (2023) Emily Hoffman • Riddell lab, York University Hui Huang • Buteau lab, University of Alberta Jane Velghe • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Saumadritaa Kar • Verchere lab, University of British Columbia Siyi He • Lim lab, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal Yufeng Wang • Rocheleau lab, University of Toronto Zuraya Elisa Angeles Olvera • Poitout lab, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
