Meara Sanjayan

Meara Sanjayan is a second-year MSc student in the Translational Medicine Graduate Program at Queen’s University, supervised by Karen Yeates and Amber Simpson. Her work sits at the intersection of clinical medicine, epidemiology, innovation and medical education, with a focus on using research and responsible technology to address gaps in health care.

Her master’s research combines longitudinal epidemiologic analyses of treatment outcomes following ablative and surgical interventions with the integration of artificial intelligence and health technologies to strengthen cervical-cancer care pathways in Tanzania. As a recipient of the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program in Medical Informatics Award, she is also exploring responsible AI governance and implementation approaches in work aimed at improving NCD outcomes for Indigenous communities.

Meara’s broader experience includes work with the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network, where she has contributed to efforts connecting laboratory discovery with patient care through precision oncology, and with the Clinical Simulation Centre at Queen’s University, where innovation is used to strengthen medical education. She has received the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship–Master’s as well as Queen’s Graduate, R. Samuel McLaughlin and Learning Track Excellence Awards, and has presented research at national and international conferences.

Beyond her scientific work, Meara contributes to Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism and accessibility in educational and research environments. She serves as I-EDIAA Commissioner for the Society of Graduate and Professional Students after previously representing the Translational Medicine Student Society, bringing research, advocacy and leadership together around the goal of making innovation more responsive to the communities it is intended to serve.