Lia Huo received her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from McGill University in 2018 and then proceeded to enter the MD/PhD program at the University of Toronto the same year. After completing 2 years of medical school, Lia is currently in her 3rd year of the PhD, working on hydrogels as drug delivery vehicles to the retina in Dr. Molly Shoichet’s lab. Since starting her PhD, Lia has presented at 12 national and international conferences, at 3 of which she has been recognized with a first place oral or poster presentation award. Lia has been awarded the Vision Science Research Program Award, Jennifer Dorrington Award, and 2023 UofT Award of Excellence just this year.

Beyond her research and medical pursuits, Lia actively advocates for women's economic prosperity in STEM. Since 2011, Lia has been involved with Build A Dream, a non-profit organization that hopes to end underrepresentation of women in STEM and has met with stakeholders like the Minister of Labour and Status of Women to provide women with the necessary resources to succeed in STEM.

To share her passion for research with peers in medical school, Lia served as the National Officer of Research of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS). She created a Research in Medicine Podcast Series with her team to highlight the variety of ways in which research can enrich a clinical career.

As an advocate for academic success, Lia is the Director of Pharmacology You See (PYS), a UofT-based non-profit organization that publishes pharmacology textbooks written by students for students. Much of PYS’ profits are in turn donated to UofT student groups whose vision aligns with PYS’, which is to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment.

Lastly, as a Junior Fellow at Massey College, Lia hopes to foster a space for intellectual curiosity, personal growth, career exploration, and academic discovery.

Lia strives to be a leader in her community, dedicated to making a positive impact beyond academia and medicine. In her spare time, Lia loves the outdoors, acrylic pour painting, and organizes German meetups in Toronto to reconnect with her German culture and roots.