Western Gold Medals
We would like to congratulate the 2026 Western Gold Medal recipients. The Western Gold Medal is awarded to the student with the highest academic average in an Honours Specialization or Major program at Western University. The department is pleased to recognize seven students for this distinction this year.
Gold Medal Recipient: Asiba Noori
Program/Module: PATHOL HSP
Supervisor: Dr. Zia A. Khan
Medal Presenter: Dr. Zia A. Khan
Gold Medal Recipient: Eesa Huq
Program/Module: ONEHEALT HSP
Supervisor: Dr. Vanessa Ambtman Smith
Medal Presenter: Dr. Patti Kiser
Gold Medal Recipient: Graydon Chapple
Program/Module: BIOCHEM and PATHOL HSP (combined module)
Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Schild Poulter
Medal Presenter: Dr. Brian Dempsey (Biochemistry)
Gold Medal Recipient: Michael Yoshida
Program/Module: MBI HSP
Supervisors: Drs. Jina Kum and Art Poon
Medal Presenter: Dr. Christina Castellani
Gold Medal Recipient: Sharon Chen
Program/Module: MICROIMM with PATHOL HSP (combined module)
Supervisors: Drs. Ola Z. Ismail and Michael Knauer
Medal Presenter: Dr. Stephanie Zukowski (Microbiology and Immunology)
Gold Medal Recipient: Gabrielle Kunde
Program/Module: ONEHEALT Major
Supervisor: N/A
Medal Presenter: Dr. Patti Kiser
Asiba Noori received the medal for the Honours Specialization in Pathology, supervised by Dr. Zia A. Khan. Eesa Huq was recognized for the Honours Specialization in One Health, under the supervision of Dr. Vanessa Ambtman Smith. Michael Yoshida received the medal for the Honours Specialization in Medical Bioinformatics, supervised by Drs. Jina Kum and Art Poon.
Graydon Chapple earned the medal for the combined Honours Specialization in Biochemistry and Pathology, supervised by Dr. Caroline Schild Poulter. Sharon Chen was recognized for the combined Honours Specialization in Microbiology and Immunology with Pathology, under the supervision of Drs. Ola Z. Ismail and Michael Knauer.
Riley Galla received the medal for the Major in Pathology, and Gabrielle Kunde for the Major in One Health. Riley was unable to join the medal presentation ceremony in person, and the department sends its congratulations to them all the same.
Please join us in congratulating all seven recipients on this well-deserved honour.
