Here is the portrait of the recipient of the 2025 Jacques-Landry Scholarship, Mame Sokhna Sylla, Master's student in molecular medicine in the team of Professors Étienne Audet-Walsh et Frédéric Pouliot. The CRC scholarship program is made possible thanks to the funding of our center by Université Laval and Fonds de recherche en cancérologie from Université Laval.
Passionate about science, Mame Sokhna chose at an early age to pursue a purely scientific path. Originally from Senegal, she decided to take the highly competitive entrance exam for the Lycée Scientifique d’Excellence de Diourbel (LSED), which selects the 60 top science students in Senegal. After a year of intensive preparation, she was admitted to this prestigious high school in the penultimate grade. As a scholarship recipient from LSED through the Government of Senegal, Mame Sokhna came to Canada after completing her baccalaureate in experimental sciences. Eager to deepen her understanding of human biology and acquire skills in computer programming, she enrolled in the Bachelor’s program in Bioinformatics at Université Laval.
From the very beginning of her studies, Mame Sokhna completed her first mandatory internship in the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Mathieu at IUCPQ. This internship focused on developing a graphical interface for studying protein networks causally associated with cardiovascular diseases, including mitral valve prolapse. The excellence of her work earned her a letter of commendation from the Vice-Dean of Studies at Université Laval. Passionate about biomedical research, she then worked part-time for nearly a year in this laboratory to further apply her skills. At the same time, she maintained an excellent academic record, which earned her the prestigious Citizens of the World Excellence Scholarship from Université Laval.
After contributing to two scientific publications in cardiology, Mame Sokhna sought to shift her focus to oncology to gain a deeper understanding of cancer biology. She joined Dr. Étienne Audet-Walsh’s team and collaborated on several projects studying androgen-mediated regulation of gene expression. These stimulating experiences led her to pursue a Master’s in Molecular Medicine in Dr. Audet-Walsh’s lab, co-supervised by Dr. Frédéric Pouliot. Her research project focuses on characterizing the genome of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from prostate cancer (CaP) patients. Analyses of the transcriptome and genome of these PDOs will provide a deeper understanding of CaP biology. Simultaneously, she is studying the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on prostate cancer progression using these PDOs. These studies aim to improve our understanding of how cancer cells absorb and metabolize fatty acids in the prostate, potentially paving the way for nutrition-based therapeutic approaches.
Long before beginning her academic journey, Mame Sokhna was committed to a cause close to her heart: science outreach. At her college in Louga, she founded the first science club and organized science days to make science more accessible. In parallel, she participated in numerous extracurricular activities and training and orientation sessions to promote bioinformatics. She served as the coordinator of the CR-CRC committee and sat on the CRC’s steering committee, contributing to the update of the CRC resource guide. She was also responsible for “Mon Avenir en Sciences,” a flagship monthly CRC event.
In recognition of her dedication, Mame Sokhna received several awards throughout her Master’s, including the Desjardins Training Scholarship and the CRC Engagement Award. She aspires to continue her commitment by combining academic excellence with scientific and community involvement. Holding a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, she aims to advance in biomedical research and contribute to the progress of this exciting field.