Announcing: 2026 Signals that Move Us Image Competition Winners

Research often uncovers incredible visual beauty alongside data and discovery.

This year, our community highlighted that intersection through the Signals That Move Us
Image Competition. We received 12 entries from our trainees, each offering a unique look at the signals, structures, and cellular dynamics driving our research. With so many strong entries, selecting the top spots was a difficult task for the committee. We want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who took the time to submit their work and share their microscopy and scientific
imaging with the community.

Meet the Winners

1st Place: Madison Garibotti
PhD Candidate, York University
Supervised by Dr. Christopher Perry

Image Title: You Can Find Happiness in the Oddest Places!


2nd Place: Dr. Tatiana Koike
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CHU Sainte Justine and Université de Montréal
Supervised by Dr. Nicolas Dumont

Image Title: The Neuromuscular Junction as a Living Rose

The Neuromuscular Junction as a Living Rose. 2nd Place Prize Winning Image by Dr. Tatiana Koike, Postdoc, Research Center of CHU Sainte-Justine/ Université de Montréal, Nicolas Dumont for The Neuromuscular Junction as a Living Rose


3rd Place: Alexa Derksen
PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa and CHEO Research Institute
Supervised by Dr. Hanns Lochmuller

Image Title: 3D iPSC derived Neuromuscular Organoid

3rd Place, Alexa Derksen - 2026 NMD4C-BSTC Image Competition Winner


 

Image Competition Art Gallery now live!

In addition to the top three winners, we received many outstanding submissions from neuromuscular trainees across Canada. The full exhibition is now live. Our online art gallery showcases all 12 submitted images, including the top three, featuring work that ranges from cellular staining to complex structural patterns.

Explore the Art Gallery


Planning for Next Year competition

To all of our trainees: as you collect your data over the coming months, keep an eye out for
striking visuals. Whether you are working with confocal microscopy, western blots, or
computational models, we encourage you to save your best shots. We look forward to seeing your submissions for next year’s competition. Congratulations again to our winners, and thank you to everyone who participated.

2026 Signals That Move Us Image Competition - Winners

Read next...

NMD4C Talent Pool

Discover Neuromuscular Talent Across Canada

The NMD4C Neuromuscular Talent Pool is now live with new trainees! We invite supervisors and research groups to explore the Talent Pool to identify candidates whose skills, experience, and interests align with your work and upcoming positions. Trainees interested in being included in the Neuromuscular Talent Pool can register by completing the short form, uploading a CV and brief personal statement outlining their experience, interests, and career goals. For more information and to access the Talent Pool, please visit our website.

2026 NMD4C Annual Meeting Registration is Open

Join Us at the 2026 NMD4C Annual Meeting on 25 September

The 2026 NMD4C Annual Meeting will take place in Calgary on Friday, September 25, 2026. The agenda will feature a brief network update, trainee and early-career recognitions, flash talks, a health economics research showcase, and a series of cross‑disciplinary and parallel clinical/pre‑clinical discussion sessions to explore key topics, including advocacy and therapy access, strategies to sustain and strengthen pre-clinical programs, and network sustainability and strategic planning.

BSTC Icon - Light Background

Introducing Our New SOP on Skeletal Muscle Fiber Typing

We are excited to announce the release of our latest Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) titled “Skeletal Muscle Fiber Typing & Cross-Sectional Area Analysis using Immunofluorescence Staining for Mice,” developed by from our Basic Science Trainee Committee (BSTC) member Shatha Atieh, Phd Student at uOttawa. This SOP aims to provide a comprehensive, step-by-step protocol for staining and analyzing skeletal muscle fibers from any muscle group in various mouse models. This new SOP provides detailed methods for immunofluorescence‑based fiber typing using MyHC‑I, MyHC‑IIA, MyHC‑IIB, and laminin, enabling accurate assessment of fiber‑type composition and cross‑sectional area (CSA).