The Centre for New Immigrant Wellbeing (CNIW) is delighted to celebrate the achievements of three of our student team members—Arianna Ding, Keiran Gill, and Angela Xu—who are currently pursuing medical education in Canada and the United States.

While coming from different academic backgrounds and institutions, all three have been actively involved with CNIW through research, community service, and student leadership. Their achievements reflect not only their individual dedication and hard work, but also the important role that research and community engagement can play in the development of future healthcare professionals.

From CNIW to Medical School: Celebrating Our Student Success Stories-Centre for New Immigrant Well-Being (CNIW)

Keiran Gill
Medical Student, Memorial University of Newfoundland

From CNIW to Medical School: Celebrating Our Student Success Stories-Centre for New Immigrant Well-Being (CNIW)
Angela Xu
Medical Student, University of Toronto
From CNIW to Medical School: Celebrating Our Student Success Stories-Centre for New Immigrant Well-Being (CNIW)
Arianna Ding
Medical Student, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Keiran Gill

Keiran Gill is currently a medical student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), with an academic background in biology, psychology, public health, and health research. He graduated with distinction from Queen’s University with an Honours degree in Biology and Psychology in 2023 and subsequently completed a Master of Public Health at MUN, where he was named a Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies. He also completed a Master of Science in Medicine, with research exploring the intersection of discrimination and health among Chinese Canadians. Medical_School_2026

Keiran’s interests include health equity, public health medicine, and culturally responsive healthcare. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, contributing nearly 1,250 volunteer hours across seven organizations. As a Student Board Member at CNIW, Keiran brings experience in research, program development, and community engagement, with a particular interest in supporting youth and immigrant communities and translating evidence into meaningful programs and services. Medical_School_2026

Angela Xu

Angela Xu is currently a medical student at the University of Toronto. She graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Medical Sciences, achieving a 4.0 CGPA and receiving the Western Scholarship of Distinction. Medical_School_2026

Angela has a strong interest in public health, health equity, cognitive aging, and community-based health research. At CNIW, she has served as both a Research Support Officer and Research Associate, contributing to research, program development, and community health initiatives. Her work has included involvement in CNIW’s PHAC-funded vaccination project and the English in Medical Setting project, supporting culturally and linguistically appropriate health education and services for immigrant communities. Medical_School_2026

Her research experience also includes work with the Cognitive Aging Laboratory at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she contributed to a systematic review examining telemedicine experiences among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela has also been actively involved in community service, including volunteering in long-term care and supporting underrepresented youth through science and mathematics tutoring. As she pursues her medical training, she continues to integrate her interests in medicine, research, public health, and community engagement. Medical_School_2026

Arianna Ding

Arianna Ding is a medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in Health & Disease and Biology, where she was recognized as a Dean’s List Scholar. Medical_School_2026

Arianna has research experience spanning oncology, biomedical science, and public health. At Taiho Oncology Inc., she conducted research on zipalertinib, an investigational therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. At CNIW, she studied the relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19 outcomes and presented her findings at the AMMI Canada-CACMID Annual Conference. She also contributed to cancer-related research at Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine. Medical_School_2026

Arianna has co-authored peer-reviewed publications in Biomedicines and Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery. Her clinical and community experience includes volunteering at Casey House, an HIV specialty hospital in Toronto, and serving as the Student Representative on the CNIW Board of Directors. Her interests lie at the intersection of clinical medicine, biomedical research, and public health. Medical_School_2026

Celebrating Our Students

CNIW is proud to see Keiran, Angela, and Arianna continue their journeys in medicine. Their experiences demonstrate how students can combine academic training with research, community service, and engagement with immigrant communities.

Supporting student development is an important part of CNIW’s work. Through research projects, summer programs, community initiatives, conference participation, and leadership opportunities, CNIW provides students with opportunities to gain practical experience, contribute to meaningful research and community programs, and develop their research, communication, and leadership skills.

We congratulate Keiran, Angela, and Arianna on their achievements and wish them continued success in their medical education and future careers.