2023 Award Recipients
This award was established in 2008 to recognize exceptional students who have a record of academic achievement, demonstrate leadership, and make significant contributions to our community.
Dr. Melody Grohs
Doctor of Philosophy (Neuroscience), Doctor of Medicine
Melody Grohs demonstrated excellent academic achievement alongside leading change within the university and greater community. Her efforts improved the academic, professional, and social experiences of graduate students at ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½. She strengthened the university’s teaching and research capabilities while also improving the quality of life for children and their families in and around Calgary.
Grohs was a student representative on various university committees throughout her studies. Notably she was chair of the Leaders in Medicine Program (LiM). She served as a member of the LiM Symposium and social committees. Grohs developed a LiM Mentorship Program, as well as being a member of the P4 Medicine Course Committee, leading the development of a course on predictive, personalized, preventive, and participatory medicine. More recently she joined the ’s Student Advocacy and Wellness Hub (SAWH) Mental Health and Wellness Committee to help enhance supports for graduate students.
Grohs achieved a 4.0 GPA during her PhD and has carried impressive grades throughout her academic career. She has received many notable academic awards, including a Leaders in Medicine CIHR Award. She has 15 peer-reviewed publications to her credit, including six as first author and has presented her findings locally, nationally, and internationally. Grohs’s research focused on child neurodevelopment, including identifying therapies for children with neurodiversity. Some of her other work included prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), which provided the first evidence that prenatal exposure affects children’s brains and behaviour.
Grohs has a long history of community leadership and volunteerism. She established a mentorship program for students with disabilities and was an active volunteer with the , , and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Clinical Ethics Committee.
Grohs has been matched to the family medicine residency program at the ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½, with the goal of becoming a clinician-scientist in the field of palliative medicine.