By MYRON LOVE Fifth year University of Manitoba Faculty of Sciences Microbiology student Eryn Kirshenbaum is this year’s recipient of the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Student Award in recognition of her excellence in research under the supervision of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba and Principle Investigator in Women’s Heart Health Research at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre.

When asked for her reaction to learning she was the 2025 recipient of the student award, Kirshenbaum says “I was so honoured, humbled and excited to have been nominated and then chosen as the recipient out of many well deserving students.”

Rabinovich-Nikitin, Kirshenbaum’s mentor, says “This is Eryn’s third year working in my lab and I am incredibly proud of her for winning the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Research Award.” She adds: “It is a truly deserved honour.  Since joining my laboratory in 2023, Eryn has shown an exceptional combination of technical skill, intellectual curiosity, and professional maturity, becoming an integral contributor to our research on women’s heart health, an area of growing scientific importance that demands both rigorous methodology and a strong understanding of sex-based differences in heart disease.
“Not only has Eryn provided invaluable experimental support, but she has also taken on a leadership role in training new students and has demonstrated a strong commitment to collaboration and mentorship.”

In return, Kirshenbaum notes that she has “learned a lot from Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin. She is a great mentor and I look forward to learning and growing even more under her leadership”.

The T. Edward Cuddy Award is one of 12 awards presented annually by the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in partnership with the University of Manitoba.

The 27th Annual Institute of Cardiovascular Naranjan Dhalla Awards were held on December 2nd and 3rd as part of a two-day conference comprised of a scientific forum and awards ceremony. The awards celebrate the leadership of individuals who have profoundly influenced the advancement of cardiovascular research, medicine and health education, including, in previous years, Nobel Prize winners and Gairdner Award Scholars. The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences Gold Medal was awarded to Dr. Stanley Nattel, Director of the Montreal Heart Institute for his outstanding contributions to advancements in cardiac arrythmias and patient care.

Eryn Kirshenbaum, the daughter of Barry and Kim Kirshenbaum, says she was always interested in understanding the functioning’s of the human body, in particular the heart, which has fit with her desire to pursue a career in medicine and possibly continued heart health research.  

A graduate of the Hebrew Bilingual program at Brock Corydon Elementary School, Ecole River Heights, and Kelvin High School French Immersion, Eryn says that she has always been interested in science, particularly cardiology. She reports that she has assisted as co-author on 5 research papers, including one where she was the primary author, focusing on women’s heart health and how heart disease affects women differently than men. That paper also investigated the connection between disrupted circadian rhythms and heart disease, specifically related to individuals with irregular sleep patterns, such as shift workers. 
Eryn notes that, in addition to her university studies and research activities, she works part time as a Medical First Responder with St. John Ambulance – an activity which complements her medical research. “With St. John Ambulance, I have had calls dealing with the early stages of heart attacks and strokes as well as basic first aid,” she notes.

Readers might also run into Eryn at many Jewish celebrations such as Yom Ha’atzmaut, where she helps her dad with the family entertainment business.
While her ultimate goal, she says, is to practice medicine, she adds that she is really enjoying doing research.

By MYRON LOVE From a very young age, Noah Palansky has demonstrated initiative and leadership.  I first met and interviewed Palansky in 2011 at a low point in his life.  His mother, Naomi Palansky, had sadly passed away at a young age.  The then 12-year-old channeled his mourning into action.  With his younger sister, Lexi, by his side – and the support of his father, Bruce – the preteen entered a team in the annual CancerCare Manitoba Foundation Challenge for Life. For the next few years, Palansky’s teams – under the banner, “Kids Count” – raised thousands of dollars for cancer researched.
Fast forward to 2019.  Palansky was by then a young adult with a new initiative. The year before, he and a couple of friends had entered a potential business proposal in a competition sponsored by Winnipeg-based North Forge, Canada’s only start up incubator and fabrication lab, and won the top prize. 
In that 2019 story, the young entrepreneur recalled how he came up with idea for his new business – TAIV (the AI stands for artificial intelligence). In the spring of 2018, he recounted,  at the height of the Winnipeg Jets playoff  run, he and his girlfriend were watching the game on a big screen while having drinks in a restaurant when an ad appeared onscreen promoting a rival restaurant and advertising the same drink he was imbibing – at a lower price.
“That ad gave me the germ of an idea,” he said in  that earlier interview. “I immediately spoke to the restaurant manager and asked how he felt about the ad,” he recalls.  “He was not pleased.”
That germ of an idea has developed into a highly successful new business venture. The idea that was put into practice has landed Palansky and his partner, Jordan Davis, on Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in the Marketing and Advertising category.   The duo are the first Winnipeg-based entrepreneurs to have received this honour.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Palansky responds.  “We had no advance notice that we were even being considered for this recognition.”
Since TAIV officially launched in 2021, the company – still based in Winnipeg – has grown to a workforce of about 80 – most of whom are based here.  Palansky notes that TAIV also has sales offices in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.   
In the past four years, TAIV has built a presence in nearly 5,000 venues across the United States. The company works with brands like Coke, Pepsi, Netflix, T-Mobile, FanDuel, Fox, and United Airlines. 

“The way this works,” Palansky explained to this writer in 2019, “ is that if you are in Boston Pizza, for example, watching a Jets game and a commercial comes on, our software will switch the commercial to an ad for Boston Pizza.
“We make a little box that sits between your cable box and the TV.  Our box can detect when a commercial is coming on and switch the ad out for one promoting the restaurant or store the box is in.”
For larger enterprises, Palansky notes,  TAIV produces a web app that allows the company to switch its own in-house ads for the ads that would be appearing on screen.  

In a statement by North Force celebrating Palansky and Davis’ achievement, Palansky is quoted as saying that “the Forbes achievement offered a rare moment to pause and reflect.

“There are very few moments where a third party reaches out and says, ‘We’ve noticed what you did, and we think it’s awesome.’ This felt like one of those rare moments.” 

The North Forge report also sees the recognition as a win for the community.

“I wish we had more Winnipeg entrepreneurs on the global stage because it’s really good for the local ecosystem,” Palansky is quoted as saying. “I’m trying to do what I can to help others get off the ground.” 
 
Palansky and Davis are looking forward to going to Phoenix in April for the official presentation.

He adds that TAIV continues expanding across North America, strengthening partnerships, and onboarding advertisers as the network grows. For local venues or businesses interested in installing TAIV or exploring advertising opportunities, the company welcomes inquiries at hello@taiv.tv.

By MYRON LOVE Ofir Smadar is easy to like.  He projects an old-world charm. He is warm and friendly, and the Vickar Auto Group’s newest Sales and Lease Executive seems to have all the skills needed to succeed in his new position.
And, although the Israeli-born and raised Ofir has only been in Winnipeg for two years, he has already become a familiar face in our Jewish community.  He notes that for the past year, he has been a volunteer at the Shaarey Zedek – including serving on the catering committee.
“I have really been made to feel welcome at the Shaarey Zedek,” he says.  “People there have been very friendly.  I am looking forward to my acting role in the Shaarey Zedek’s upcoming Purim Shpiel.  It is going to be a musical with a Motown theme. We are starting rehearsals soon.”
Offir adds that he is also participating in Jewish Federation and Congregation Etz Chayim young adult programs.
It wasn’t the attractions of our Jewish community and the opportunity to sell cars, though, that brought Ofir to Winnipeg.  It was rather his ambition to train to be a pilot.
“I had always wanted to become a pilot,” says the Israel Defence Forces veteran, who grew up in Netanya in western-central Israel.  “In my mid-40s, I decided it was time to give it a try.  I researched aviation schools in Europe, the United States and Canada and settled on a course at St. Andrews Airport (which is just north of Winnipeg off McPhillips Street).”
Ofir had already had a few previous careers in Israel.  For many years, he was a DJ and a photographer, arranging special events in and around Netanya. He also worked as a substitute teacher and sold cars.
“About eight years ago, I was hired by a Skoda dealer,” he recounts.  The Czech-made auto, he points out, is a branch of Volkswagen.
“I had always loved cars and working with people,” he says.  “Just after I bought a car from the dealership, they offered me a job.  I was really successful, I had become the top-selling sales rep – but had to quit about six years ago to look after my parents full time.”
Both of his parents had been diagnosed with cancer.  While his father did pass away, his mother recovered.  Ofir was able to resume his working life and decided to finally realize his ambition to be a pilot.
“I did some research into aviation programs in Europe, the United States and Canada,” he notes.  “I came across this Israel Facebook group discussing pilot training at St. Andrews Airport.”  
The course, he reports, was scheduled to take 12-18 months. He was one of 30 Israelis who were enrolled.
“I was in the program long enough to almost earn my private pilot’s license,” he points out, “but I had to drop out before getting my private license because the funds I brought with me from Israel were running out and I had to find a job here.”
That is when Larry Vickar enters the picture.  Smadar notes that he met Larry and Tova Vickar at the Shaarey Zedek. “Larry is amazing – and Tova reminds me of my mother,” Ofir says.  “We became good friends.”
Ofir began working for the Vickar Auto Group at the end of October.  He is based at the Vickar Financial Services office at 1501 Dugald Road, next door to the Vickar Auto Group head office.
“Everyone at the office has been so kind and helpful,” he reports.
Ofir observes that selling cars in Winnipeg is quite a bit different than selling cars in Israel.  The biggest difference: In Israel, you never get to test-drive the model you want to buy, and you have to wait several months for your order to arrive.
“Here, the customer can drive the car home on the same day,” he continues.
Ofir is looking forward to deepening the roots that he has already put down here, and, perhaps one day soon, he is hoping to start a family.