John Foster Atta-Doku, Shuo Yang and Moses Kalamuzi
John Foster Atta-Doku, Shuo Yang and Moses Kalamuzi

SPH students accepted to the LifTING And Sepsis Canada Program

Congratulations to John Foster Atta-Doku, Moses Kalamuzi and Shuo Yang on their acceptance into the LifTING & Sepsis Canada Health Research Training Platform!

By Tyson Brown

The LiFTING & Sepsis Canada Health Research Training Platform is a free, fully-funded, two-year virtual training program supported by CIHR.  The program is dedicated to advancing health research in life-threatening illnesses and sepsis and is recommended for early career researchers.  This year two SPH students have been accepted into its 2026-28 cohort.   John Foster Atta-Doku is a Masters of Public Health student currently completing his MPH Practicum.  Moses Kalamuzi is also aMasters of Public Health student currently completing his MPH Practicum.  Shuo Yang is a PhD student in the Epidemiology program within SPH.  We caught up with John-Foster, Moses and Shuo to get more information about  their interest in and application to the program.

John Foster says:

How did you hear about the program? Were you aware of the LifTING & Sepsis Canada program before the information about it was circulated to you by SPH? 

Before the School of Public Health circulated the opportunity, I wasn’t aware of the LifTING & Sepsis Canada Health Research Training Platform. After learning more about the program, I saw how well it aligned with my interests in public health research, health services research, and improving health outcomes through evidence-informed practice, which motivated me to apply.

How does this fit into your career and life plans as you move forward?

This opportunity fits very well with my long-term career goals. I hope to build a career in health research, contribute to improving healthcare systems and population health, and pursue doctoral studies in the future. The program provides an excellent environment to further develop my research skills, learn from leading researchers, and collaborate with trainees across Canada.

What advice would you give to others who might be thinking of applying for this program?

My advice to anyone considering applying would be to take the opportunity seriously, put together a thoughtful application that reflects their genuine interests and experiences, and not hesitate to apply, even if they are unsure of the outcome. It is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in growing as a health researcher.

Shuo Yang says:

How did you hear about the program? Were you aware of the LifTING & Sepsis Canada program before the information about it was circulated to you by SPH?

I first learned about this program through an email from [the School] on March 31. Prior to receiving that email, I had not heard of the LifTING & Sepsis Canada program.

Was this an area of interest for you already? Or did it become one after you looked more deeply into the program?

When I received the email, I felt that the program's focus resonated with my medical background. Before starting my PhD, I worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist and had experience caring for both neonatal and adult patients with sepsis. Although sepsis is not the focus of my current research, this clinical experience sparked my interest in learning more about the program.

How does this fit into your career and life plans as you move forward?

After learning more about the program, I saw it as a potential opportunity to explore clinical research collaborations. While I am not sure what specific opportunities may arise, I was particularly interested in the possibility of working on data analysis projects related to neonatal sepsis and machine learning. My doctoral research focuses on HPV-related cancer screening. Although HPV-related cancers and sepsis are very different clinical conditions, they share common methodological challenges in disease prediction, risk stratification, and model development. For this reason, I felt that the program could provide a valuable opportunity to apply and further strengthen the quantitative skills I am developing during my PhD while exploring clinically meaningful research questions.

What advice would you give to others who might be thinking of applying for this program?

I would encourage them to have a research interest that can be meaningfully connected to the program. It is important to clearly explain this connection in the application package and to demonstrate how their experiences and strengths would allow them to contribute to the program while benefiting from it.
I would also recommend seeking feedback on application materials whenever possible. In my case, both Dr. Michael Szafron and Dr. Holly McKenzie provided so many thoughtful advice and suggestions on my application package. Their guidance was tremendously helpful in strengthening my application and clarifying my goals.
Moses Kalamuzi says:
How did you hear about the program? Were you aware of the LifTING & Sepsis Canada program before the information about it was circulated to you by SPH? 
I became aware of the LifTING & Sepsis Canada Health Research Training Platform through an announcement shared by the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. Before this, I did not know about the program, and it was through this communication that I was first introduced to it. Following the announcement, I took the time to research the platform further, reviewing its mandate around research training and knowledge translation as well as the broader public health burden of sepsis. Through this process, I gained a genuine interest in sepsis as a research area, particularly its links to health systems performance and pandemic preparedness, and I found this aligned closely with my own interests in vaccines and pandemic response. This realization is what prompted me to apply.
How does this fit into your career and life plans as you move forward?
This training platform aligns closely with my long-term career objectives. I am currently pursuing a master's in public health at the University of Saskatchewan, with a particular interest in vaccine science and its role in strengthening pandemic preparedness and response. I view the LifTING & Sepsis Canada platform as a valuable opportunity to build rigorous research skills, gain mentorship from experienced investigators, and deepen my understanding of how research evidence is translated into effective public health action. 
Beyond my MPH, I intend to pursue doctoral studies in epidemiology, and I see this platform as an important step in that direction. Participation in the LifTING & Sepsis Canada platform will provide the structured research training, mentorship, and hands-on experience necessary to strengthen my capacity as an independent researcher. It has also deepened my interest in sepsis specifically—a condition linked to an estimated 21.4 million deaths globally in 2021, accounting for roughly 31.5% of all global deaths according to the World Health Organization—yet one I had not previously had the opportunity to study in depth. Through this program, I hope to build a stronger understanding of its underlying mechanisms, risk factors, and the systemic gaps that contribute to poor outcomes, with the broader goal of contributing to research that improves early recognition, treatment, and ultimately, prevention of sepsis-related mortality. 
 
What advice would you give to others who might be thinking of applying for this program?
 
I would encourage prospective applicants to apply even if their research interests do not center specifically on sepsis, as the platform's core value lies in its emphasis on research methodology, mentorship, and knowledge translation, all of which are broadly applicable across public health disciplines. I would also recommend connecting with current or past trainees to better understand the program's expectations and carefully considering how the time commitment fits within one's existing academic and professional responsibilities before applying. 
Congratulations to all three of of you, and we look forward to hearing more about this program as you move through it.