CEHCR Student Gemma Postill Named 2026 Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award Recipient

One IHPME student is working to advance research that puts patients first, and now with the support of the Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award, she hopes to leverage this work to contribute to a more equitable and informed healthcare landscape.

By: Marielle Boutin

An MD/PhD student, Gemma Postill is currently completing her doctoral studies in IHPME’s Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research (CEHCR) Program. In February 2026, she was announced as the recipient of the 2026 Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions as a leader within and beyond the U of T community.

As a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar, Postill has dedicated her research to advancing the use of AI tools in clinical settings to help doctors better predict patient outcomes and recovery, with the goal of improving long-term care planning.

Postill’s leadership also extends beyond her research, as a Student Education Co-Lead at the Temerty Centre for AI Research and Evaluation in Medicine (T-CAIREM), she developed education programs centred around responsible AI implementation.

As an aspiring clinician-scientist, Postill’s research and education efforts are guided by the desire to empower people through knowledge mobilization.

Reflecting on receiving the Adel S. Sedra Award, she says the news comes at a crucial time in her training, where goals can feel abstract and locked to a distant timeframe.

“This recognition is both energizing and grounding,” says Postill. “It reminds me that the questions I’m pursuing matter not just academically, but socially and clinically as well.”

More broadly, she sees this recognition as a testament to her dedication to working across boundaries, whether between disciplines, data and lived experiences, or technology and patient care.

“My growth towards this career hasn’t been defined by a single project, but by a trajectory of working with increasingly complex data to answer clinically meaningful questions.”

This trajectory, according to Postill, has also been shaped by mentors, including Prof. Mark Daley, Dr. Eric Benchimol, Prof. Laura Rosella, Dr. Barbara Haas, and Dr. Avery Nathens, who have all had a hand in getting her to where she is now.

“This award feels like recognition not only of my efforts, but of the ecosystems of mentorship, partnership, and patient-centred thinking that have made this work possible.”

As Postill moves forward in her career, this award has emboldened her with a renewed sense of responsibility to continue her impactful work as a clinician-scientist. Ultimately, she aspires to not only create AI models and tools to assist in patient recovery, but to help ensure they are equitable, trustworthy, and are implemented with patients and providers in mind.