Charles Hsu

is a sophomore studying biology at MIT. Charles decided to participate in iGEM because he felt it would be an excellent opportunity to explore the manipulation of fundamental principles of life to engineer innovative solutions to challenging problems. He hopes to use the leadership and technical skills he gains from iGEM to help him in his aspiration of becoming a clinical physician. Charles has previous lab experience from working at the National Yang-Ming Medical University Department of Physiology Clinical Medicine Core Lab. While there, he researched the effect of anti- inflammatory chemicals on the recovery rate of wounded alveolar epithelial cells and designed a new error-minimizing measurement technique utilizing basic geometry software. Outside the lab, Charles spends his free time leading the MIT Freshman Heavyweight Crew as a coxswain. Charles is also an Eagle Scout and current Emerson scholar studying the viola with Professor Marcus Thompson.

Jenny Cheng

is a recent graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology receiving her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in June of 2011. Jenny decided to join the iGEM team to gain further experience in synthetic biology after becoming interested in the subject while working as an undergraduate researcher in the Lab of Molecular Self-Assembly with Peter Carr. During her time working in this lab, she created the TraceData application, which generates a Microsoft Excel document from DNA sequencing files and analyzes the DNA sequence. She looks forward to being able to continue to combine her solid computer science skills, which include the ability to code in more than 5 languages, with her lab experience to solve biological problems through iGEM. In her free time, Jenny enjoys video game design and animation and has worked in the Singapore- MIT GAMBIT Game Lab where she was part of a team that created the game Phorm. She also likes to travel and is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese. Last summer, she taught computer science to students at Hebrew University in Israel as part of the Middle East Education through Technology (MEET) Program.

Michelle Dion

is a rising junior pursuing a degree in chemical-biological engineering with a minor in literature. Michelle decided to participate in iGEM because she felt it was an ideal opportunity to utilize her knowledge of engineering and of biology to design and implement an innovative synthetic biology project in a team environment. Her interest in iGEM and synthetic biology stems from her belief that, as an athlete and MIT student, no one should be kept from pursuing their passions by physical limitations, such as disease or disability. She hopes in the future to be able to pursue a career in either medicine or biological engineering in which she is able to use synthetic biology to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic diseases. Michelle also looks forward to gaining extensive experience in a lab environment through iGEM as well. When not in lab, Michelle is a starter for both the MIT Varsity Field Hockey and the MIT Varsity Softball teams, where she has been a two-time NEWMAC Academic All Conference selection. She also spends time volunteering in the greater Boston area as a tutor for Tutors for All, a program dedicated to providing one-on-one instruction to students in underserved urban schools.

Divya Arcot

is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering as a member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Class of 2014. Divya decided to participate in iGEM because she believed it would give her an unparalleled insight into the field of synthetic biology and the ways in which she could apply it to use in solving problems in immunology, an area in which she is extremely passionate about. Outside of biology, Divya’s interests include aerospace and space exploration. She is a member of the executive board of MIT Students for the Exploration and Development of Space where she serves as publicity chair. Divya also interned at the NASA Johnson Space Center where she created the infrastructure for an Asbestos Exposure Assessment Database, which compiles hazardous material exposure data into a well-organized format for NASA, OSHA, and the EPA. Divya was the 2010 National Winner of the National Center for Women and Information Technology Award for Aspirations in Computing and the Colorado State Winner and National Finalist for the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award.

Clara Park

is a rising sophomore pursuing a degree in Biological Engineering. Clara became interested in iGEM because she enjoys the way in which synthetic biology is a dynamic, interactive field with infinite potential to be able to solve global issues. She was also excited to join iGEM because she felt it was one of the very rare opportunities that she would get to build something out of her imagination with minimal restrictions. Clara hopes to use iGEM to gain skills to build a foundation for her future career in synthetic biology. Outside of iGEM, Clara’s research experience includes being a research assistant in OLED Research at Hongik University in Korea where she developed a theoretical model for view angle dependent emission pattern of OLEDs and was a second author of a thesis published in Journal of Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Materials Engineers (KIEEME). Clara also has a patent under examination in Korea for a travel carrier that resembles a drawer to facilitate the process of packing. Clara won the Kyungki State government Global Leadership Award and the Taiwan Ministry of Education International Intelligent Creativity Contest, both in 2009.

Jonathan Chien

is a rising sophomore at MIT, studying Biological Engineering. He’s participating in iGEM because he’s fascinated by the idea of manipulating and programming biological life as a system of circuits. Prevous to iGEM, he’s worked in a biochemistry laboratory, purifying enzymes and synthesizing deuterated RNA for structure analysis and has also had programming experience. In his free time, he serves as a Tour Guide, Treasurer for the MIT 2014 Class Council, and Vice-President of his fraternity. After graduation, he hopes to work at a local biotechnology company.

Grant Robinson

is a rising junior at MIT, studying Biological Engineering. He was a member of MIT’s 2010 iGEM team and is back because he really enjoyed the pairing of a group collaborative and friendly atmosphere with intense novel research last summer. As an iGEM alumnus, he has valuable synthetic biology and laboratory experience. Outside of iGEM, he assisted with running a synthetic biology class this year, and helps fellow students as a MedLink. After MIT, he hopes to continue his education as a graduate student, potentially studying modularity, control, and design in the field of biology.

Tyler Wagner

is a rising senior at MIT, majoring in Chemical Enginering. He hopes that through iGEM, he can complement his background with synthetic biology. Previous to iGEM, he has worked in both government and MIT labs and has prior programming experience. Last year, he published a report on a bomb facility and propellant burning for the government. Outside of iGEM, he’s a member of MIT’s Varsity Football Team. He is currently deciding whether to pursue a PhD or medical school after graduation, and he hopes that iGEM can help him decide which career path to choose.

Mariola Szenk

is a rising senior in the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, majoring in Biophysics and Economics. She’s especially interested by the emerging technological advancements in biology and is working on iGEM through the EBICS REU program to be on that frontier of development. She brings exhaustive lab experience to the team, having worked in studying genetic mutations, bioinformatics, and in programming software for biology. Outside of iGEM, she sings as President of her college’s choir and has studied abroad in both Italy and Poland. After graduation, she wishes to manufacture biological devices to help others and wants to pursue a PhD.

Semon Rezchikov

is a high school senior at Somerset Academy for Health and Medical Sciences. He’s extremely curious about the potential applications that the field of synthetic biology and bioengineering have, which is why he’s applied to be a part of the iGEM team. He brings an experienced programming background to the team and has an avid interest in mathematics beyond his high school curriculum. His current plan after college is to do research in an industry setting or to start his own biotechnology company.

Louis Lamia

is pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as a member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s class of 2014. Louis decided to participate in iGEM because he felt it was a unique opportunity to use his knowledge of computer science and programming to solve biological problems that could possibly lay the foundation for future technology in areas such as medicine and industry. He was also excited to further his research in the dynamic field of synthetic biology after having previously conducted research in the lab of MIT professor, Timothy Lu. When not in lab, Louis is kept busy with his involvement in his fraternity, Theta Delta Chi, where he is the recording secretary. He also enjoys acting in his free time and is a director for the Dramashop Theatre Ensemble. Louis also participates in a wide variety of volunteer activities such as going on the Saint Marcellin Society Service Trip to Peru in July of 2010 where he assisted in the construction of a local school.

Kenneth Hu

is a rising junior at MIT. His participation in iGEM came from the realization that synthetic and systems biology uses the elegant fundamentals of physics to solve the interesting problems of biology. He has extensive biochemical laboratory experience through working with Toxoplasma gondii, and has gained valuable experience in analyzing gene sequencing data, designing gene constructs for transgenic research, and fluorescence microscopy. Other skills include tissue hood protocol, RNA extraction, and microarray analysis. He has a paper published, titled “σE Stress Response in Mutagenesis.” During the semester, he is also a teaching assistant for MIT’s introductory biology course, teaching bi- weekly recitations and preparing course materials for around 20 hours of work per week. In addition to his research experience, he ranked top in the nation as a finalist for the three separate competitions National Physics, Chemistry, and Biology Olympiad. Upon graduation, he hopes to continue his research in synthetic and systems biology as a graduate student, and then continue his work as a postdoc and secure a position at some academic institution.

Tiffany Huang

is pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as a member of MIT’s class of 2013. From the cutting edge research and technology, to the infinite possibilities of working with the fabric of evolution, it was hard for Tiffany not to find synthetic biology interesting. She wanted to return to the lab to gain an appreciation for research and help pioneer an emerging field through this unique opportunity, although she anticipates devoting her future to programming and computer science. She has a strong command over Java and Python through years of experience in using the two languages, and has worked with front-end web design as well as back-end programming. Tiffany exercises her artistic side through web design, photography, drawing, and violin. She also enjoys teaching, having worked closely with high school students to teach a weekly three-hour Advanced Placement Physics class.