Sammy Abdou receives the Gold Medal award for FEAS
Congratulations to Dr. Abdelrahman (Sammy) Abdou, who is this year’s Faculty of Engineering & Architectural Science’s (FEAS) Gold Medal Award recipient. One of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) highest student awards, the award recognizes a student from each faculty who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and contributions to their community.
Abdou is recognized for his outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service throughout his time at TMU, as well as his recent achievements in the PhD program in Biomedical Engineering. His doctoral research led to a patent-pending handheld infant heart-rate detector with life-saving potential, the creation of a unique neonatal dataset, and 15 peer-reviewed publications. Beyond research, Sammy enhanced TMU’s national visibility as a winner of the 3-Minute Thesis Competition, a Best Paper Award recipient, and an award-winning participant in TMU’s inaugural Lab2Market program. Outside of campus, he dedicated his time to supporting others, from working with Engineers Without Borders to coaching youth soccer.
“A dedicated teaching assistant and mentor, Sammy has inspired countless students through his passion and guidance. His community engagement further exemplifies his commitment to making a meaningful difference on campus and beyond.”
“I’ve known Sammy for 7 years since serving as his undergraduate Capstone project supervisor. Throughout his studies from undergrad to graduate, he has shown a true innovative spirit, evident from his numerous, tangible peer-reviewed recognitions.”
Three questions with Sammy Abdou
1. What experiences stand out from your PhD journey?
In 2020, I had the opportunity to do a research exchange in Brazil for four months, where I worked on research projects involving Parkinson's disease. This project was sponsored by the Canada-Brazil Awards – Joint Research Projects (CBJRP) for collaborative research. I also traveled again in 2024 to New Zealand as a visiting scholar to connect and collaborate with our international colleagues on projects in wearable technology and AI. Both trips left a lasting impact on my personal growth. I got to meet different people from around the world and share with others how our work makes an impact.
Abdou with PhD supervisor, Dr. Sri Krishnan, on an international research exchange.
Abdou hanging with lab mates, including Brazilian research exchange PhD students.
2. As part of your PhD research, you’ve developed a patent-pending solution with life-saving potential. Is there a particular memory you have working on the project?
The most memorable moment for me was the day that I tested and validated the device I had created in the clinical environment on a baby who was just born. I appreciated the parents who saw the value of our work and consented to test this new technology on their newborn. Throughout that first time testing the device, I felt the value of the work – I saw that the time, the effort and all the hurdles that we had crossed were not in vain. I was also grateful for our great clinical collaborators – without them this work would not have been possible.
Abdou presenting his “The First Minute of Life” project at TMU’s 3-Minute Thesis competition in 2025. Watch the award-winning presentation (external link) .
3. What does receiving the Gold Medal award mean to you?
Winning the Gold Medal award has been an honour and a testament to the high-caliber research work that FEAS produces. This award is not just for me but for everyone who helped my research work become a reality, from my PhD committee to the high-caliber clinicians who worked with us on this research across Ontario and beyond. I am truly grateful to every single one of them.
Also, this Gold Medal goes to my parents, who raised me to be the person I am today. I wouldn’t be here without them and their unwavering support. Lastly, this medal also goes to my supervisor and role model, who showed me that there is no such thing as impossible; it is possible when you put your mind to it.
Abdou at convocation with PhD supervisor, Dr. Sri Krishnan.
Abdou receiving the Gold Medal Award alongside his family, as well as president and vice-chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University, Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, and chancellor Donette Chin-Loy Chang.
Now a PhD graduate Abdou will be joining the AI in Mental Health program at St. Michael’s Hospital as a postdoctoral researcher, using AI to tackle mental health issues. He also plans to continue helping and mentoring engineering students with their studies, making them better-equipped engineers to face an increasingly complex world. Lastly, in his spare time, Abdou wants to share his experience with life sciences startups and companies to help them evolve their medical technologies and make Canada a world-class destination for technological innovation.