My name is Miriam Fenniri and I am a 4th year Ph.D. student in the Rosado and Castellarin Labs. My current research centers postharvest characterization and bioactivity profiling of phenolic compounds from wild berries. Berry phenolics have shown to exhibit numerous health benefits, including an elevated antioxidant activity, antidiabetic activity, and cardioprotective effects. While much …
Category Archives: TA Spotlight
TA Spotlight – Pablo Sandoval Acuña
I am Pablo (he/him) and my hometown is Quito, Ecuador. I did my undergrad in Biological Science there, and I recently finished my Master’s degree here at UBC in the Zoology department. I conducted my Master’s research in the Srivastava Community Ecology Lab, where I studied how different aspects of urbanization affect communities of aquatic …
TA Spotlight – Rain Xiong
Hello everyone, I am Rain (she/her) from Guangzhou, China! I came to Vancouver in 2016 for undergraduate study here at UBC where I majored in Biology. Now I am a 5th year PhD candidate in the Sugioka Lab, conducting studies using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans as the model system. My research interest is focusing on …
TA Spotlight – Nathaniel Moyes
I’m Nathaniel (he/him) and I’m a 2nd year MSc student in Dr. Katie Marshall’s lab.I grew up in Kingston ON, and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area before high school. I completed my undergraduate degree at a small liberal arts school in Minnesota called Macalester College, where I majored in Biology and minored in …
TA Spotlight – Elsa Cyr
Hello, I’m Elsa (she/her)! I am from Toronto, but moved to Vancouver for my undergraduate degree in Biology at UBC. I am currently finishing up my Master’s degree in the Department of Zoology. I am co-supervised by the (Ben) Matthews lab and the Gordon lab, working on characterizing the neurons involved in …
TA Spotlight – Ina Na
Hi! My name is Ina (she/her) and I am a fourth year PhD candidate in the Keeling Lab where I study the diversity and evolution of a widespread group of parasites called the apicomplexans that includes Plasmodium spp. (causative agent of malaria) and Toxoplasma gondii. I completed my undergraduate degree at UBC in Biology with …
TA Spotlight – Ilke Geladi
Hi, I’m Ilke! I am originally from Belgium but moved around South and North America growing up before finally settling in Canada. I did my undergrad at McGill University where I did a BSc in Biology. I then did an MSc in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems as part of the Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme (TROPIMUNDO). …
TA Spotlight – Magnus Macaulay
I’m Magnus from Nova Scotia on the East Coast of Canada! I began my studies at Dalhousie University where I did a BTECH in Environmental Landscape Horticulture and upon refining my interest of plants to plant molecular science, I did a BSc in Biology with Honors. Now, I’m in a MSc in Botany here at …
TA Spotlight – Zandra Santa Rita
Hi, I’m Zandra! I was born in the Philippines, immigrated to Canada in 2008 and lived in Saskatoon, SK (Treaty 6 Territory, the Homeland of the Metis) since. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Saskatchewan (Usask) where I received my BSc. Hons. in Biology with a minor in Archaeology. In my undergrad, …
TA Spotlight – Amy Kim
Hi! I’m Amy (she/her) and I am from Vancouver, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and sə̓lílwətaʔɬSelilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Biology and I am currently a PhD candidate in the Rieseberg lab located in …
TA Spotlight – Sophia Fan
I’m Sophia (she/her), a second year MSc student in the Tseng lab at UBC Zoology. I’m from Snuneymuxw land over on the island, a small city also known as Nanaimo. I moved out east to the University of Toronto for my undergraduate degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, where I lived on land home to …
TA Spotlight – Jessica Li
Hello! I’m Jessica (she/her) and I’m from the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 region, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III, now also known as the City of Calgary. I moved here in 2015 and got my BSc …
TA Spotlight – Sandra Emry
I’m currently a PhD student in Dr. Chris Harley’s lab in the Department of Zoology, where I study a large range of topics related to climate change impacts in intertidal systems. Prior to my PhD, I also did a Bachelor of Science here at UBC with a combined major in Biology and Oceanography. During my …
TA Spotlight – Nicole Bison
I’m a 2nd year MSc student in the UBC Physiological Ecology Lab. I’m originally from Kamloops, BC, where I completed my first two years of university before transferring to UBC to earn my BSc with a specialization in Ecology. At UBC, I completed an undergraduate thesis where I used mathematical models to evaluate key factors …
TA Spotlight – Tessa Blanchard
My name is Tessa Blanchard, and I am from a small town in southern Ontario – Welland! I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa where I received my BSc in Biology with specialization in animal physiology. I completed my MSc at the University of Guelph where I studied the respiratory system of …
TA Spotlight – Jessica Kowalski
My name is Jessica and I grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan. I did my undergrad at Western University in London, Ontario, and I actually have two undergrad degrees – a BSc in Food nutrition and a BSc in Environmental Science. I started off in the nutrition realm, found that it wasn’t for me, and then …
TA Spotlight – Kenzie Arnott
My name is Kenzie and my pronouns are she/they! I grew up all across North America, exploring the varied landscapes in both Canada and the US. In 2014, I moved to the UK and shortly after started my BSc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester. My head was turned quite quickly by a …
TA Spotlight – Gaurav Singh-Varma
My name is Gaurav and I’m originally from Princeton, New Jersey. I got my BSc undergraduate degree in Biology at UBC and I am currently a 2nd year Master’s student in the Department of Zoology. I’m working in the Claire Kremen lab, which is also known as the Working to Restore Connectivity and Sustainability (WoRCS) …
TA Spotlight – Sravya Paluri
I am from Bombay (Mumbai), India, and completed my undergraduate degree in Microbiology and Biochemisty at St. Xavier’s College in India and graduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Cologne in Germany. I am currently a PhD Candidate in the Auld lab in the Dept. of Zoology at UBC, where I’m studying the …
TA Spotlight – Maisie Musor
Hi! I’m Maisie and my pronouns are She/Her. I am from Maine, on the Northeast coast of the United States, and I completed my BS in Chemistry in 2020 at the University of Maine. As an undergraduate, I worked on a wide variety of research projects such as optimizing cellulose-based bioplastics, helping study anti-biotic resistance …
TA Spotlight – Jack Bacon
Jack is a PhD candidate in the Wyatt lab at the Vancouver Prostate Centre, a joint UBC/VCH research facility located on the Vancouver General Hospital campus. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of British Columbia and initially enrolled in the Master of Science program in the faculty of Genome Science and …
TA Spotlight – Shuang Liu
I’m currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Zoology, co-supervised by Dr. Eric Taylor and Dr. Jeffrey Richards. I study freshwater adaptation in a euryhaline fish, prickly sculpin, by focusing on ion regulation in fish from habitats that vary in the distance to the sea. I got my bachelor’s degree from Tianjin Agriculture University, …
TA Spotlight – Amy Liu
Hi, I’m Amy, a big fan of genetics, conservation, and fishy science! I graduated from University of Victoria with a B.Sc. in Biology in 2019. Currently, I’m a master’s student with Dr. Eric B. Taylor, working with the great team at the Taylor Lab. My research is on “Species and Speciation in Western North American …
TA Spotlight – Nelly Saber
I completed my Bachelor of Science at UBC in Cell Biology and Genetics. I am currently a PhD candidate in Dr. Timothy Kieffer’s lab in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, where I completed my Science Co-op placement as an undergraduate. My research involves studying different factors that affect the development of human embryonic …
TA Spotlight – Taryn Scarff
I completed my BSc in Applied Biology at UBC in 2020 after working as a research associate and completing an undergraduate thesis with Dr. Andrew Trites in the UBC Marine Mammal Research Unit. In September 2020, I began my MSc at UBC in the Marine Mammal Research Unit studying the presence and prey consumption of …
TA Spotlight – Julian Nguyen
I did my undergrad degree at UBC, and in my third year, I applied to be a volunteer in Dr. Nelly Pante’s lab, who later became my graduate supervisor. In 2018, I successfully defended my Ph.D. thesis proposal and transferred to the Ph.D. in Zoology program. Our lab is located at the Life Science center …
TA Spotlight – Sree Vappala
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Kizhakkedathu lab at the Centre for Blood Research. My research is on developing new therapeutics for thrombosis without the risk of bleeding. I have completed my integrated 5-year bachelor’s and master’s in biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata. At UBC, I have TAed …
TA Spotlight – Mary Fossey
Hello! My name is Mary Fossey and I am currently a TA for BIOL 204. I completed both my BSc (major in Biology and minor in Spanish) and my MSc in Kinesiology at UBC. This September, I started my PhD in Experimental Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Christopher West. Our lab is located at ICORD/VGH and investigates the effects of spinal cord injury on the heart and the lungs. My PhD is …
TA Spotlight – Wayne Zhao
Wayne Zhao is currently a PhD candidate in the Devine lab at the UBC Centre for Blood Research. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, specializing in immunology, then moved to Vancouver and earned a Master of Science degree at UBC in the Department of Experimental Medicine. Wayne’s research area is in …
TA Spotlight – Liam Coleman
I completed my BSc (major in biology, minor in ocean sciences) at the University of Victoria in 2014. One of the final semesters of my undergraduate studies was spent at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in Bamfield, British Columbia, where I took field-based marine biology and research courses. It was during this term that I …