Holly Barrett (L) and Daniel Lysak (supplied images)
Holly Barrett and Daniel Lysak recognized with Chair's Doctoral Medals
Published: August 25, 2026
Holly Barrett and Daniel Lysak have been recognized with Chair's Doctoral Medals by the department of chemistry in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science.
The medals recognize PhD graduates for outstanding research achievement and potential.
Barrett's doctoral research involved the development of novel approaches for identifying environmental contaminants that interact with important biological targets, including protein receptors involved in regulating health and disease. She began a position as assistant professor in U of T Scarborough's department of physical and environmental sciences on July 1.
"Receiving this award as I am preparing to begin my faculty position at UTSC makes it even more special," said Barrett. "It feels like a celebration of everything I learned and accomplished during my PhD, while also serving as a reminder of the responsibility and opportunity that come with training future scientists and leading my own research program."
Lysak's graduate work centred on using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study environmental stress at the molecular level, including studying the effects of toxins on Daphnia magna, commonly known as water fleas. He is now manager of the Environmental NMR Centre at U of T Scarborough.
"I am simply very grateful to receive the Chair’s Doctoral Medal," said Lysak, who previously earned an honours bachelor of science at U of T Scarborough, with a perfect GPA. "The department has so many excellent students who make meaningful impacts on the field – and the world as a whole – so it is honestly a privilege for me to receive this award."
Mark Lautens, University Professor and chair of the department of chemistry, noted that the Chair's Doctoral Medals are typically given to just one winner. "We had many outstanding nominations this year, but two individuals really stood out,” said Lautens. "Our selection committee kept landing on the same two people, virtually tied in every way no matter the rubric we used.
“Sometimes two is the right number.”
