Hello BRIGHT Run Family,
Happy December!
Every December, I get a feeling, a feeling that tells me that we moved ahead in time significantly, a feeling that tells me to take a few moments and reflect on what happened this year.
Interestingly, we often remember past times in terms of out-of-the ordinary events, first-time events, or unexpected events, whether they’re happy or sad.
My year began on a sad note. I lost one of my uncles to lymphoma at the start of this year. The diagnosis was made at a very advanced stage and there was limited opportunity to treat him.
Time rolled on. Sometime in summer, we met up with a friend we hadn’t seen in 14 years in Niagara. Incidentally, we left home for our PhDs in Canada right after his wedding in India. He is the proud father of a sixth grader now.
My first graduate student defended his thesis successfully in the late summer. This year, I had one of the busiest summers in terms of work. It made me happy.
Like every year, I wrote and edited computer codes, papers, grant proposals, ethics protocols, and presentations. I read a lot of research papers and some fiction and non-fiction in both English and Bengali. I published some research works in peer-reviewed journals and was awarded grants to continue some exciting work in breast cancer and AI. The seeds for these grants were planted mostly in the past few years.
Since 2021, BRIGHT Run has taken a unique role in my activities. My family and some friends have also become a part of the BRIGHT Run and eagerly wait for this event every year. This year BRIGHT Run exceeded the fundraising target by a remarkable margin. I couldn’t be happier as a researcher with this continued success of BRIGHT Run. Your enthusiasm, support, and hard work has been instrumental in carving out my research work at McMaster University.
With Season’s Greetings!
Best,
Ashirbani
Dr. Ashirbani Saha is the first holder of the BRIGHT Run Breast Cancer Learning Health System Chair, a permanent research position established by the BRIGHT Run in partnership with McMaster University.
