Connecting Young Minds (CYM) 2023 Undergraduate Research Conference: 5-Minute Scientific Research Presentations

Connecting Young Minds (CYM) is a bilingual research conference created and run by students at the University of Ottawa. Our mission is to enrich the undergraduate experiences of STEM students by providing a vessel to inspire interest in research, paving the way for brighter futures and innovative minds. The conference allows students to present or propose their research to an audience and a panel of judges, to gain experience drafting scientific literature, and the chance to network with industry professionals and past valedictorians from the University of Ottawa. Each year, CYM hosts an undergraduate-level research competition in which participants submit an abstract or a proposal on their research. Top candidates are selected by a panel of professional scientists to further compete at the conference, where they are given five minutes to present their research followed by a Question & Answer period. Oral presentations are also judged by professional scientists and three grand winners are selected on the conference day. Additionally, the CYM Conference engages the interests of students in STEM programs through presentations and networking sessions held by keynote speakers. Abstracts in this booklet were submitted by participants on a volunteer basis.