The Donnelly Centre announces the 2026 Dorrington Graduate Research Award winners

Three exemplary graduate researchers working in the Donnelly Centre have received the 2026 Dorrington Graduate Research Award.

Funding students since its inception in 2007, the $2,000 prize is an annual tribute to the memory of ovarian physiology researcher and former Banting and Best professor Jennifer Dorrington. This year, Ali Fathi, Jacob Fine, and Levon Tokmakjian join the growing list of graduate students supported by the Dorrington family during their studies. 

“On behalf of the award committee, I would like to extend a congratulations to the winners,” says Gary Bader, PI at the Donnelly Centre and chair of the selection committee. “Jacob Fine, Levon Tokmajian, and Ali Fathi are at the forefront of biological research and demonstrate the collaborative spirit that is a core value at the Donnelly.”

ALI FATHI || Fourth-year PhD student in Molecular Genetics, working in the Hughes Lab, supervised by Tim Hughes. 

With an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and a master's in computer science, Ali Fathi has followed an interesting road to studying computational biology. 

“At some point, I found myself wanting to explore more fundamental questions about how nature works,” Fathi explains. “Biology—especially genomics—stood out to me because there are still so many open questions, many of which directly affect everyday life.” 

Fathi’s thesis, “Exploring Mechanisms and Representations of Transcription Factor Sequence Specificity,” is building on a multi-year project in the Hughes Lab that mapped the genomic binding sites of key regulator proteins known as transcription factors (TFs).  

During the first three years of his PhD, Fathi analyzed the lab’s binding information dataset of over 300 human transcription factors, to identify the reoccurring patterns of DNA sequences that the TFs reliably target. His recent focus has looked at a group of transcription factors within what the Hughes Lab and collaborators have termed “Dark TFs”—which are associated with the non-functional DNA. 

“For me, the most rewarding moments in research are when I get to share my work with others,” Fathi says. “It’s really motivating when people get excited about the results and start suggesting new ideas or directions. Those moments make the work feel meaningful.” 

LEVON TOKMAKJIAN || PhD in Pharmacology & Toxicology, with the Roy Lab supervised by Peter Roy. 

The roundworm C. elegans is not the first system model Levon Tokmakjian has worked with. Specializing in pharmacology in his undergraduate years, Tokmakjian worked with fruit fly D. melanogaster and yeast C. albicans. in drug discovery studies. 

“I loved that kind of work,” says Tokmakjian. “When I learned that Dr. Roy’s lab was applying pharmacology and drug-metabolism questions to C. elegans, it immediately stood out as a great fit for graduate school.” 

Tokmakjian describes his dissertation work with the roundworm C. elegans as a largely “serendipitous” path of discovery. 

“I continued a project from another graduate student in the Roy Lab, who was exploring whether a group of drugs could be repurposed to treat a rare liver disease,” explains Tokmakjian. “As I investigated how those compounds worked, I ended up uncovering a previously unknown drug-metabolism system in the worm.” 

Tokmakjian discovered a novel drug metabolism pathway that responds to a broad classification of drugs known as CADs (cationic amphiphilic drugs). His dissertation characterized the C. elegans CAD defense system and identified new roles for two nuclear hormone receptors that are necessary for detoxification. 

Now that Tokmakjian has defended, he looks back on his time at the Donnelly and recalls the people that helped him reach his goals. 

“Grad school can be tough, but being surrounded by wonderful individuals—both in my lab and across the floor—made it far smoother,” says Tokmakjian. “To current graduate students, enjoy the time you’re in grad school. Push your experiments and think critically. Your time will fly by, so make the most of it.” 

The Donnelly Centre is proud to recognize young researchers with prizes like the Dorrington Award and will continue to support the next generation of scientists.