Congratulations to Olivia on being the first graduate of UBC’s Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Programs to receive a Governor General’s Gold Medal for her Master’s thesis! As a Master’s student in Dr. Jordan Guenette’s lab, Olivia investigated the effects of face masks on mechanisms of breathlessness during exercise. The Governor General’s Academic Medals are the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. This gold medal recognizes Olivia’s Master’s thesis as the top thesis of the year.
Olivia’s MSc work, which was supported by a CIHR CGS-M award, has contributed to 4 peer-reviewed publications, 11 conference presentations, and several other manuscripts that are in preparation. She is now pursuing a PhD under the supervision of Dr. Guenette, and has already received a BC Lung Foundation Respiratory Rehabilitation Fellowship and a CIHR and Canadian Lung Association studentship. She will build on her MSc work to now explore the mechanisms and management of breathlessness and exercise intolerance in individuals with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD).
Congratulations, Olivia!
Learn more here.
Olivia Ferguson