Three Siblings Revolutionize AI at University of Toronto

Published Date : 19/06/2025 

Three University of Toronto graduates, Rayan, Mouaid, and Mogtaba Alim, share their journey in harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to make a significant impact in various fields, from healthcare to data governance. 

Three University of Toronto degrees. Individual graduation ceremonies spanning five days. One shared belief in the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.

Rayan, Mouaid, and Mogtaba Alim each crossed the stage at Convocation Hall this month during three separate ceremonies (linked to their respective colleges) as they each graduate with honours bachelor’s degrees in computer science. Raised in Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, the three siblings were all accepted into medical school in the U.K. but were drawn to the transformative potential of AI – and to U of T, home to Nobel Prize-winner and “godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton, a University Professor emeritus.

Studying in the bioinformatics and computational biology specialist program, the trio has since conducted research into a range of AI applications – from cancer diagnosis to data governance – launched student groups, and even co-founded a startup, earning them each the University of Toronto Student Leadership Award, among other accolades.

Rayan Alim – St. Michael’s College

Honours bachelor of science – computer science (with a focus in human-computer interaction), major in quantitative biology, minor in statistics and Rotman certificate in business fundamentals

Rayan’s studies explored the intersection of AI, equity, and the public good. She credits U of T’s world-class scholarship across a wide array of subjects and interdisciplinary culture with enabling her work. “You could go from a machine-learning lab in the morning to a community roundtable in the evening,” she says. “That proximity to researchers, policymakers, activists, and founders – all within a few blocks – pushes you to stop thinking in silos and consider the bigger picture.”

That bigger picture led Rayan to conduct research on climate mobility and data governance at the Toronto Climate Observatory and, as an AI4Good Lab fellow, create a machine-learning tool that uses satellite and census data to project socioeconomic outcomes – work recognized by United Nations Development Programme specialists and validated using education and census data in Nigeria. She also applied her interest in ethical AI to health care, using bioinformatics and computational tools to examine racial disparities in schizophrenia diagnoses as a researcher at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. At the Vector Institute, Rayan led a capstone project using machine learning to quantify biases in health data, aiming to improve equity and accuracy in clinical decision-making systems.

She also founded the Black STEM Network and the Sudanese Student Union – and served three terms as equity director of the Black Students’ Association and four terms as a board director at the University of Toronto Students' Union. What was it like attending U of T with her two brothers? “We’re naturally very competitive people, so being in the same class sometimes would push us all to do better,” she says, “and when you have someone who shares your values and curiosity, it becomes a great support network.” Up next: A master’s in computer science at U of T, focusing on ethical AI and human-computer interaction.

Mouaid Alim – New College

Honours bachelor of science – specialist in bioinformatics and computational biology, double major in computer science and human biology and a Rotman certificate in business fundamentals

With a double major in computer science and human biology, Mouaid worked on several AI-related projects at Toronto General Hospital’s Ajmera Transplant Centre, part of the University Health Network (UHN). They include: a machine-learning dashboard to optimize liver transplant allocation; AI models to predict changes in the clinical state of potential liver transplant patients; and using large language models (LLMs) to assess patients’ risk of post-transplant injuries and organ rejection. This work has been published in scientific journals such as Gut, which belongs to the British Medical Journal family. At the Vector Institute, Mouaid completed a capstone project focused on identifying risk factors for heart failure.

“I don’t know what’s in the water or the air here, but I feel like U of T cultivates a culture of collaboration and an ecosystem where people support each other in their path to greatness,” says Mouaid, who served as vice-president of student life at the New College Student Council, a board director at the U of T Students’ Union, and president at the Multi-Organ Transplant Insight, Outreach, and Networking Student Chapter, among other roles. Like his sister, he says the three of them inspire one another. “If one of us achieves something, it’s like we all achieved it by extension,” he says. “If one of us gains a unique skill set, the others feel like they have it as well. We are constantly teaching and learning from each other.” Up next: Mouaid has been accepted to the MD program at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. He also has an offer from the University of Cambridge’s master’s program in health data science.

Mogtaba Alim – Trinity College

Honours bachelor of science – double specialist in computer science (with a focus in artificial intelligence) and bioinformatics and computational biology, and a Rotman certificate in business fundamentals

Mogtaba explored his combined passions for AI and health care through research projects at UHN. These included: developing databases to map gene regulatory networks in cancer at the Krembil Research Institute; and performing large-scale data extraction from computed tomography (CT) scans to support diagnostic and prognostic models at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Drawing on insights from his lab experience, Mogtaba launched LabGPT, a project that uses LLMs to streamline lab onboarding and operations. He also interned at Amazon Web Services, where he worked on automating data privacy, and at Amazon’s Artificial General Intelligence Lab, where he contributed to LLM development. Of course, he, too, has been an AI researcher at the Vector Institute, focusing on multi-agent reinforcement learning.

Mogtaba, who has served as both vice-president and later president of the U of T Computer Science Student Union, describes the experience of attending U of T with his siblings as “the closest thing to a superpower,” noting that their “intertwined but also independently diverse interests allowed us to learn so much from each other.” He sees a direct link between their international upbringing and their shared interdisciplinary mindset. “Growing up with a diversity of experiences – different cultures, beliefs, and ways of life – has translated into our diversity of thought,” he says. “This allowed us to think about how anything we do can be translated across borders and be used to break down barriers.” Up next: Mogtaba has an offer to return to Amazon – and is also collaborating with his siblings on a new business that uses AI voice agents to improve 911 calls and emergency response times. “We’re building a startup that addresses many of these issues, allowing us to help save lives.” 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What are the academic achievements of Rayan, Mouaid, and Mogtaba Alim?

A: Rayan, Mouaid, and Mogtaba Alim each graduated with honours bachelor’s degrees in computer science from the University of Toronto. They have conducted research in various AI applications, launched student groups, and earned the University of Toronto Student Leadership Award.

Q: What projects has Rayan Alim worked on?

A: Rayan has conducted research on climate mobility and data governance at the Toronto Climate Observatory, created a machine-learning tool using satellite and census data, and examined racial disparities in schizophrenia diagnoses at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She also led a capstone project at the Vector Institute to quantify biases in health data.

Q: What are Mouaid Alim's notable contributions?

A: Mouaid has worked on several AI-related projects at the Ajmera Transplant Centre, including a machine-learning dashboard for liver transplant allocation and models to predict patient outcomes. He also completed a capstone project on identifying risk factors for heart failure at the Vector Institute.

Q: What is LabGPT, and who created it?

A: LabGPT is a project created by Mogtaba Alim that uses large language models (LLMs) to streamline lab onboarding and operations. Mogtaba also interned at Amazon Web Services and Amazon’s Artificial General Intelligence Lab, and conducted research at the Vector Institute.

Q: What are the future plans of the Alim siblings?

A: Rayan is pursuing a master’s in computer science at U of T, focusing on ethical AI and human-computer interaction. Mouaid has been accepted to the MD program at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and has an offer from the University of Cambridge’s master’s program in health data science. Mogtaba has an offer to return to Amazon and is collaborating with his siblings on a new business that uses AI voice agents to improve 911 calls and emergency response times. 

More Related Topics :