Lauren Omoto

Lauren Omoto has always had an interest in sciences, specifically neuroscience and neuropathology. After completing a fifth-grade science project on the brain, she became fascinated by the complexity of the organ and its ability to govern day-to-day function. Her interest in scientific research was sparked after witnessing various traumatic brain injuries as a young athlete, as well as the continuous impacts of neurodegenerative disease and cancers on close family members.

 

Eventually, it became an intuitive choice to pursue an HBSc in Life Sciences at the University of Toronto as a student-athlete, coincidingly competing with the Varsity Blues ice hockey team from 2020-2024. She completed a double major in Human Biology and Psychology with a minor in Physiology before opting to complete her MSc in Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology at U of T, starting in 2024.

 

Lauren began her research journey at the end of her first year of undergrad through a Research Opportunity Program at U of T. She conducted research in various projects surrounding stem cells, cognitive neuroscience, occupational therapy, and gene editing under U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and The Hospital for Sick Children.

 

Currently, Lauren is conducting her master’s thesis at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Research Tower, elucidating the pathology and potential therapeutic interventions for glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer. She is passionate about topics addressed through the Research Girl initiative and the opportunity to increase accessibility to research for all students. She hopes to use her interdisciplinary background and experience to contribute meaningfully to all students interested in scientific research and related fields.