MEET OUR ALUMNI
Samantha Mar"Hi! My name is Sam and I am an MSc student in the Lynn lab at BCCHR. In the lab, I study transcriptional mechanisms that regulate glucagon production in pancreatic alpha-cells. Outside of the lab, I tend to my vegetable/herb garden and cook/bake." |
Puja Biswas
"After completing my BSc and MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, I pursued a second MSc in Biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Now I am doing PhD at the Rideout Lab, studying sex difference in fat metabolism in Drosophila. |
Katie Clayworth"I completed my BSc. (Hons.) at McMaster University in the Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour program. I then joined the Auld lab at UBC (Zoology program) as a master’s student, before transferring to the Ph.D. stream. My project focuses on the role of the extracellular matrix in Drosophila glial cell development (huge glial nerd!). In my free time, I like to read, hike, and bird watch, so you may find me wandering around local beaches and parks rocking a pair of binoculars. |
Peter Overby |
Meghan Jelen, Executive Director
Gordon Lab CELL Program Hi CPhyGs community! I completed my BSc. with honours in Behavioural Neuroscience at Laurentian University, and my MSc. in Cell Biology at Western University. My master’s degree focused on the role of gap junctions and large-pore protein channels in the mammalian cardiovascular system. I am currently a PhD candidate in the Gordon lab, which studies taste. More specifically, I use Drosophila melanogaster as a model system to study the neuroscience behind the plasticity of taste circuits and feeding behaviour. In my free time, I enjoy training BJJ, hiking, and skiing. CPhyGs creates a great sense of community and a strong platform for networking amongst graduate students, and I’d like to help further this initiative. I hope to help integrate current and future CPS graduate students with diverse scientific backgrounds, furthering interdisciplinary communication and socialization! |
Samantha Yoon, Executive
Lynn Lab CELL Program I graduated from UBC as part of the 100th graduating class with my BSc in Biology, and now I am a PhD student in Cell and Developmental Biology. For the majority of my undergraduate degree, I worked in a diabetes lab on campus, where I studied how the satiety hormone leptin affected peripheral tissues. I decided to pursue graduate studies in another diabetes lab, the Lynn Lab at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, where I currently study how the transcription factors in the hypothalamus contribute to obesity, metabolism, and blood glucose regulation. When I am not in the lab staring at mouse brains, I volunteer with Geneskool to lead workshops for local secondary schools’ science classes. I also enjoy snowboarding and hunting down great places to eat and drink in the city. I wanted to join CPhyGS because I wanted to get involved in something other than research during my graduate school life, and I wanted to connect with other students from a variety of different backgrounds. CPhyGS seemed like a unique group that was inclusive, provided an opportunity for me to meet a range of different people, and most importantly, fostered a sense of community within our extremely interdisciplinary program. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year! |
Erin Bell, Executive
Roskelley Lab CELL Program Erin graduated from the University of Calgary with a double major in Cellular, Molecular, Microbial Biology (CMMB) and Zoology (BSc., Hons.). Her undergraduate research focused on molecular mechanisms Multiple Sclerosis an neurodegenerative diseases. Erin is now pursuing her PhD in the CELL program studying breast cancer invasion and metastasis in the Roskelley lab. Erin hopes that CPhyGS can provide a platform for allowing graduate students under the umbrella of CELL and CPS to develop and strong social and scientific community. In her free time Erin likes to hike, do yoga, and hangout at the beaches around Vancouver. |
Rory Long, Executive
Nabi/Jean Labs CELL Program I completed my BSc (Honours in Cell and Developmental Biology) at the University of British Columbia and have not moved very far since! During my BSc I studied a range of topics from the evolution of splicing in protist parasites with reduced genomes to protein interactions involved in autism using the model system, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I have since begun a Master’s in collaboration with the Nabi and Jean labs to determine the proteins behind Zika virus genomic replication and to discover drug candidates that inhibit this process. Currently, my interest lies in the field of infectious disease, which I hope to eventually pursue in the MD/PhD program here at UBC. When not trying to avoid being infected with deadly viruses I enjoy tennis, spending time outdoors, traveling, and recently martial arts such as kendo. I joined CPhyGS as I feel that communication between individuals in different areas of study is crucial to facilitate good research. More often than not research takes individuals into fields that they, and the members of their corresponding lab, are not familiar with. By providing individuals with the opportunity to interact with members of labs who study a completely different topic than oneself I hope that the journey into an unfamiliar area of research is not a dead end but a chance to learn something exciting and novel. It is the focus of CPhyGS to connect graduate students, among other goals, that make this organization so important here at UBC. |
Lianna Wat, Executive, Former Executive Director
Rideout Lab CELL Program Hi! I completed my BSc with honours in Biology & Psychology from McMaster University and am now in my MSc in Cell and Developmental Biology. I’m part of the Rideout Lab and I study sex differences in stress responses and fat metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster, better known as the common fruitfly! I joined CPhyGS in hopes of helping students from various labs, buildings, and programs to connect; I firmly believe that there is no point in doing science unless science can be shared. I aim to help CPhyGS continue to provide various opportunities for presenting scientific work and building a diverse network of friends. Since I’m new to Vancouver, my goal is to try every ramen place here! Despite this, I’m trying to become an avid runner and yogi… |
Jason Millington, Executive
Rideout Lab CELL Program I completed my BSc (Hons) in Genetics at the University of Nottingham in the UK. I first became interested in studying sex differences while working with poison dart frogs in the lab of Dr. Lauren O’Connell at Harvard University (since re-located to Stanford), where I was looking at sex differences in gene expression in the brains of males and females in different social states. This experience led me to pursue research in sex differences in complex traits in the fruit fly! I joined the Rideout lab in September 2015 and study the control of sex differences in body size by the sex determination gene transformer. Since moving to Canada, I took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu and, when I'm not in the lab, I love to train! I also love exploring Vancouver and eating all the food. |
Atefeh Samani, Executive and Treasurer
Underhill Lab CELL Program I completed my BSc with an honours specialization in Biology from Western University (formerly the University of Western Ontario) where I studied the effects of novel plant-derived antidiabetic therapeutics on mammalian cells in my honours thesis project. This experience piqued my interest in the field of pancreatic-related disease and led me to pursuing a graduate student position in the the Kopp lab at UBC. Currently, I study disease initiation and progression responses of cell-type specific genetic abberations which lead to pancreatic cancer. When I’m not worrying about my mice: mating, separating, weaning, and so on… I like to bask in the glory of the year-round above 0C weather by enjoying all the sites that Vancouver has to offer. I’m from the east coast where it sometimes gets colder than Mars. I joined CPhyGs to be build a stronger sense of community amongst students in our department. Our department is so dynamic not only in terms of the research that we do, but the students who are involved in the research. Having the opportunity to connect with each student and build a community where everyone can feel like they can voice their concerns, socialize, and network is what I have always wanted to be involved with. CPhyGS is the perfect platform that allows us to do this and I hope to build a stronger community so that we can offer more opportunities for everyone whether it’s careers, friendships, or networks within the department, university, and further. |
Mriga Das, Executive
Allan Lab Postdoc I finished high school in India and moved to bonnie Scotland in 2008 where I completed my BSc in Biomedical Sciences (with honours) at the University of Dundee. During my time in Dundee, I did my honours project in the lab of Dr. Arno Muller, where I carried out a genetic screen to identify genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and FGF signaling in the fruit fly embryo. I then joined the Auld lab at UBC where I recently completed my PhD. I am currently working as a Postdoctoral fellow in the Auld lab where I continue to work towards solving the mysteries of glial cell communication and adhesion in the peripheral nerve. In my spare time, I mostly dream about my future dog(s) but also like to contribute to the wonderful community here by volunteering for organisations such as the MS society and Sierra Club BC. Having been in graduate school not too long ago, I feel like I understand the struggles most graduate students face on a day to day basis. With our minds constantly saturated with thoughts about our projects it is easy to forget the importance of socializing/networking. In graduate school, CPhyGS helped me stay in touch with our community by providing a friendly and constructive environment to discuss science and other concerns. I joined CPhyGS to help support our community, mentor students and encourage them to take advantage of the existing opportunities provided by CPhyGS. |
Amanda Pisio, Executive
O'Conner and Allan Lab CELL Program I did an undergraduate and master’s degree at the University of Alberta. My undergraduate degree specialized in genetics and I worked in a number of different labs on a wide range of model organisms. My master’s degree focused on how non-muscle myosin contribute to the development of oocytes in C. elegans. I am currently working on a PhD looking at neurons in Drosophila. I am co-supervised between the O’Connor and Allan labs in the Life Sciences Centre. My scientific interests revolve around imaging and I am happiest visualizing the consequences of changes made at a molecular level. I believe that graduate school takes long enough that it is important to invest in the community around you. My hope is that CPhyGS continues to enrich, support and advocate for graduate students for many years to come. Outside the time spent on my research, I plan on continuing to organize events and advocate for increased support for graduate students. Outside of that, I enjoy most outdoor activities, yoga and a new found interest in sailing. |