Vishu Karthik

Vishu was born in India and immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 7. He grew up in Burlington, Ontario where he attended Burlington Central High School. Growing up in a musical family, Vishu developed an interest in music at a young age and learned to play the guitar, saxophone and flute. He was also a member of the Burlington Teen Tour band, Canada’s largest marching band, and travelled internationally competing in both parades and field shows. In high school he was a member of his jazz and concert band. During this time Vishu began tutoring his peers in science, music and math. He graduated first in his class with subject awards in chemistry, biology and music and received the Rotary Medal for leadership.

He decided to pursue his interests at McMaster, enrolling into the health sciences program. During this time, he worked in several research labs, gaining both basic science and clinical experience, which led him to the field of medicine. After taking a year off to travel to Delhi as a Queen Elizabeth Scholar to conduct research in strengthening health systems, Vishu began medical school at the University of British Columbia. In his spare time, Vishu continues to pursue his interest in music and teaching. He has recently developed an interest in machine learning applications in healthcare and is conducting research with diabetic healthcare datasets.