2019-2020 Deszo Kadar Award Recipient

Jay came to the University of Toronto from San Jose, California to pursue his passion for the life sciences. Like many first-year students, Jay found the adaptation to life away from home challenging and soon felt lost while trying to decide on a program. However, after PCL201 sparked his interest in the subject, Jay was quick to join the Specialist program in Pharmacology. Since enrolling, he has felt right at home combining his love for molecular biology with his desire to help others. Jay is grateful for the encouragement and support he has received from his peers, TAs and professors - especially those in the Undergraduate Laboratory courses whom he credits with sparking his joy for research.

Although he has long been unsure if he was cut out for research, receiving this award has given Jay the confidence and motivation to pursue it as a future career. Jay hopes to bring the same curiosity instilled in him by the laboratory courses to Sanofi Pasteur, where he will be working as a manufacturing technology Co-op student as part of the PEY program this upcoming year. After that, Jay is eager to return to the laboratory to complete his degree and aspires towards a graduate education in drug discovery.