The Scientist-in-Training Research Award is presented to a pre-doctoral candidate from a range of disciplines—including psychology, gerontology, epidemiology, etc.—who submitted the most outstanding abstract for the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting.
2026 Recipient: Noorain Mamdani
The 2026 recipient of the AGS Scientist-in-Training Research Award is Noorain Mamdani, a Master’s student in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University, for her submission “Co-Designing an Augmented Reality (AR) System for Fall Prevention: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation.” Under the mentorship of Dr. Alexandra Papaioannou at the Geras Centre for Aging Research, Noorain is researching an augmented reality–based balance training system designed to support safe aging-in-place. Her research involves working closely with older adults and healthcare providers to ensure that the technology is accessible, usable, and aligned with their needs. Noorain has presented her work at several national conferences and is supported by competitive funding, including the CIHR-funded Canada Graduate Scholarship and AGE-WELL Master’s Fellowship. Noorain is motivated by a strong commitment to compassionate, equitable care for older adults and hopes to continue contributing to the field of geriatrics as a future clinician-scientist focused on developing practical, evidence-based solutions that improve quality of life for older adults.
Past Recipients of the Scientist-in-Training Research Award
2026 Noorain Mamdani
2025 Aastha Relan, BHSc, MSc
2024 Christina Reppas, MD
2023 Helen Omuya
2022 Chan Mi Park, MD
2021 Anabella Pinton
2020 Deborah Mack, MPH
2019 Minakshi Raj, MPH
2018 Joshua Niznik, PharmD
2017 Andrea E. Daddato, MS
2016 Andrew Zullo, PharmD, ScM
2015 Camilla B. Pimentel, MPH
2014 Rebecca H. Affoo, MCLScSLP
2013 Lolita Nidadavolu, BA
2012 Jillian Wong
2011 Jason L. Sanders, BA, MD/PhD Cand.
2010 David Wert
2009 Elisa Rodriguez, BS
2008 Danielle R. Bouchard, MS