Team:Calgary/Team/Biographies

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Undergraduates

Chelsea Leishman

I just finished my fourth year of Biological Sciences specializing in Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology at the University of Calgary. I have research experience related to the phytoremediation of the oil sands and as such, I hope I will be able to apply some of that knowledge to this project. I have never been involved in iGEM before, but I am very excited to be participating in the wet lab portion of it this year. I am positive that iGEM will be a great opportunity to learn about synthetic biology and to develop my independent research skills. Some of my interests outside of academia include playing competitive soccer, riding my bike and traveling.

Ellen Widdup

Biography here

Emily Hicks

Biography of Emily Hicks

Felix Chung

I'm a third year student in Chemical Engineering with a specialization in Biomedical Engineering. I take an avid interest in both engineering and biology, and I hope to be involved in both wet lab and dry lab aspects of this project. As this is my first year being involved with iGEM, I hope to make an impact by bridging the gap between the computational and wet lab requirements of synthetic biology research. Specific research interests before my involvement in iGEM include stem cell growth reactors, tissue engineering, and chemical process optimization. In my free time, I enjoy playing the violin, tinkering with computers, and riding my bike.

Niko Hornbruch

I’m in my third year of Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Biomedical Engineering. In the little spare time I have I like to read fantasy books and play rugby. In the past three years my team has won three city championships and two provincial championships. iGEM is the first summer research I am involved in. While I don’t have prior knowledge in biology, I am looking to learn more about it this summer. My job in the team is to develop software applications to support the wet-lab work and to think of possible applications of our bacteria.

Patrick Wu

I'm currently in my third year in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program (Bioinformatics stream) at the University of Calgary. This is my second year in iGEM and I am very excited to be a part of the team again. I believe that iGEM offers an amazing and rare opportunity for undergrads from multiple disciplines to come together and learn about synthetic biology first-hand. This year I'm responsible for helping out with both wetlab and drylab components, as well as other odd jobs as needed. In my spare time I enjoy karate, writing, doodling, and sleeping.

Peter Qi

I am a Bachelor of Health Sciences student, majoring in biomedical sciences, going into my third year of undergraduate studies. I am a “molecular biologist”. Before iGEM, my research interests are in obesity and type II diabetes mellitus. I am super excited to be part of the iGEM project this year. I am working towards finding genetic elements that acts as a specific and sensitive sensor for the environmental toxin, naphthenic acids. In my spare time, I like to play basketball, the clarinet, or watch movies.

Robert Mayall

Hey, I'm Robert, and I'm in my third year of Biomedical Science at the U of C. I play a guitar in my spare time and chillax with friends whenever anyone is free. I've never done any kind of research work before so I'm excited to help out with the sensor system and have fun and create some mutants. The best part of this job is that there's a Timmies (Tim Horton's - a donut store) on the walk here, so I'm full of energy by the time I get to the lab. The summer will be awesome, working with some cool dudes and playing with science!

Photobucket

Saeed Mohammed

I am a third year student at the University of Calgary studying Biomedical Sciences. In Junior High, I memorized the entire Qur'an, and became class Valedictorian in high school. I have an avid interest in both medicine and in Islamic Law and hope to pursue both these career paths. This is my first year in iGEM and will contribute primarily to the wet lab portion of the research, specifically in identifying a suitable reporter for the naphthenic acids biosensor. I hope to gain valuable research experience from working iGEM this summer and to work towards creating a solutions to naphthenic toxicity in Alberta's oil sands.

Stephen Dixon

Hi! I'm a third year student in Software Engineering with a Biomedical Specialization. In high school, I was the silver medallist at the Provincial Debate Championships, and Bronze at Europeans. In my spare time, I am an avid programmer and am working on solving mathematical puzzles at Project Euler. I also judge at debate tournaments, and participate in badminton and swing dancing. I am very excited about iGEM this semester - it promises to be a very mind-expanding activity.

Story Chung

Story's biography

Advisors

Margaret Renaud-Young

I am in the third year of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program in the Southern Alberta Cancer Biology Research Group at the University of Calgary. The focus of my studies is the cellular response to obstructed DNA replication, and how disturbances to this process contribute to genome instability using the budding yeast model system. This is the first year that I have worked with iGEM but I am excited to be part of such an enthusiastic group with a fresh approach to biological study.