This year, Fellows were invited to design a sticker that reflects what CanNRT means to them.
Three submissions brought our community to life through images, stories, and personal reflections. Fellows voted, and the winning design was announced at this year’s Summer School. All three designs will be printed and shared.
Winner: Mishel Alexandrovsky
Mishel’s design took the top spot in this year’s vote, offering a clear and compelling reflection of CanNRT’s interdisciplinary nature:
"This sticker represents the multifaceted and collaborative spirit of the CanNRT Fellowship. By bringing together fellows from a wide range of disciplines — neuroscientific, computational, behavioural, clinical, participatory, as well as both quantitative and qualitative approaches — the fellowship fosters an amalgamation of perspectives that enrich and inform one another. This interdisciplinary approach encourages theoretical innovation and empirical rigor. CanNRT’s emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration not only broadens the scope of inquiry but also deepens the relevance and impact of the research being conducted. In uniting these varied approaches, the Fellowship cultivates a space where complex problems can be addressed more holistically, and where Fellows are supported in bridging traditional divides between methods, paradigms, and communities.”
Mishel’s design captures the spirit of CanNRT while also highlighting the possibilities it creates for collaboration and innovation.
Runner-up: Enav Zusman
Enav’s butterfly design resonated strongly with voters, offering a vibrant and hopeful representation of neurodiversity:
“The butterfly in my sticker is inspired by its meaning within the neurodiverse community, symbolizing growth and the beauty of neurodiversity. The rainbow colors reflect the diversity of minds, strengths, and lived experiences within the community. The green background represents hope, renewal, and new beginnings. As I embark on my journey with the CanNRT Fellowship, this design expresses my excitement to join a community that values inclusion, collaboration, and the celebration of diverse perspectives and experiences. I look forward to learning, evolving, and contributing to a future where neurodiversity is understood, valued, and embraced.”
Her design brings to life the sense of welcome and purpose many Fellows feel when they join CanNRT.
Honourable mention: Clara Olivia Levesque
Clara’s submission stood out for its depth and artistic vision. Clara is an Indian-Québécois artist and CanNRT community member who blends nature, storytelling, and science in her work:
“I wanted to incorporate nature, science, and a reconnection to our humanity through this [sticker]. I believe deeply in the importance of co-creation in research and considering how disciplines intersect and overlap in complex ways. With a greater need for accessible, engaging ways of communicating science and advocacy for the populations we aim to help, I felt it was fitting to incorporate a more imaginative and story-like quality. Storytelling and finding beauty in the everyday are powerful in creating meaning and connection, as well as fostering hope for those engaging with the art. While the [sticker] isn’t completely self-explanatory, it is meant to create wonder and entice the public, straying away from ivory tower representations. Through enticement and storytelling, people feel more actively part of these processes… Science is a constantly evolving story with intertwined beings that is within everyone’s reach.” As I embark on my journey with the CanNRT Fellowship, this design expresses my excitement to join a community that values inclusion, collaboration, and the celebration of diverse perspectives and experiences. I look forward to learning, evolving, and contributing to a future where neurodiversity is understood, valued, and embraced.”
Clara’s work reminds us that creativity can be a bridge between people, disciplines, and ideas.
This contest was never just about choosing a sticker. It created space for Fellows to express what the platform means to them in their own words and through their own lenses.
Through research or art, what brings this community together is a shared commitment to thinking differently, working together, and shaping a space where everyone belongs.
These stickers will travel with us, whether on laptops, notebooks, or water bottles, as small but meaningful symbols of a community that continues to grow, imagine, and inspire.
Thank you to everyone who participated and voted, and a special congratulations to Mishel, Enav, and Clara for sharing your creativity and insight with us.