Elliott Wong - 2023 Winning Essay
When I was 8 years-old, my mother passed away from stomach cancer. Growing up, I cared for my sister who has Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, is non-verbal and requires around-the-clock care. This gave rise to my desire to support her and better understand the causes underlying ill health and disabilities. Accordingly, I completed a BSc specializing in Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Western (3.99/4). I conducted research identifying novel candidate genes and potential biochemical targets for autism spectrum disorders. Beyond exposing me to the importance of diagnostic tools for treating multi-factorial diseases, it fueled my drive to care for affected individuals and develop tangible biomedical solutions that meet their unique needs.
To that end, I completed a Master of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto where I conducted research into developing a data-driven, deep brain microstimulation protocol for treating Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, I developed a novel image segmentation, tissue classification algorithm for an autofluorescence imaging device, to enhance wound monitoring and assist in non-invasive identification of cancerous skin lesions.
As a first-year medical student at the University of Toronto, I am developing a multi-platform software platform to decrease wait-times, enhance care for pregnant women and a clinical prediction model for managing under-resourced pediatric populations. Moving forward, I hope to emerge as a physician with expertise in developmental paediatrics and family medicine, who cares for underserved patient and special-needs populations, and continues developing medical technologies, software and machine learning algorithms that enhance diagnosis, prognosis, and quality of life.