Difference between revisions of "Team:Queens Canada/Interviews"

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<h1>Meet the Team!</h1>
−
<h1>Expert Interviews</h1>
+
<p>The Queen’s iGEM team consists of eighteen undergraduate students from a variety of different disciplines including biology, biochemistry, life sciences, engineering and computing. All of our team members share a passion for synthetic biology and a desire to participate in student-led research and expand their knowledge of the work done in this innovative field. Due to the multidisciplinary expertise of all our members, each student on the team has contributed their own unique experiences and skills to our 2018 research project.
−
<h3>Dr. Andrea Guerin <br>Department of Pediatrics, Queen’s University School of Medicine</h3>
+
</p>
−
<p><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/2/2f/T--Queens_Canada--Dr_Andrea_Guerin.jpeg" style="width:20%;height:20%;margin-right:15px;"/>
+
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/b/ba/T--Queens_Canada--2018TeamPhoto.jpg"/>
−
Dr. Andrea Guerin is a full time Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Medical Geneticist. She is the Year 2 Director at Queen’s University Medical School. Her work in Medical Genetics includes a consultation practice consisting of general genetics, prenatal genetics, cancer genetics and the care of patients with inborn errors of metabolism. Interviewing Dr. Guerin was a great opportunity to hear her thoughts on the pros, cons, and potential applications of using cortisol as a useful biomarker, including revelations on hypoglycemia, insulinemia, and early diagnosis of developmental disabilities. In terms of the pacifier model, she suggested potential use of a saliva collection device, which would work well as a non-invasive method of collecting DNA from infants to do genetic testing. As well, Dr. Guerin found value in the modular design of our ligand detection system and offered the potential of looking at glucose and bilirubin as other relevant metabolites in the pediatric field.</p><br><br><br><br><br>
+
 
 +
<div><h2>Students</h2></div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Elisha" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Elisha Krauss (Director)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <img class="left" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/4/4c/T--Queens_Canada--ElishaHS.jpg"/>
 +
  <p>Elisha is the current QGEM Director, and he just graduated from Life Sciences, specializing in Biomedical Sciences with a thesis in Neuroscience! He is starting his Masters at McGill University in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience, where he will develop novel viral vectors for optogenetics. He enjoys travelling (backpacking and road-trips) and dogs. He recently just got back from a three-week trip to Europe! He backpacked in London, Glasgow, Paris, Berlin, and Prague. In his free time this summer, he hopes to learn French and study for the GRE. He has a long-haired dachshund named Harley.</p></font>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Ellis" class="member memberright">
 +
  <h3><strong>Ellis Kelly (Wet-Lab Lead)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Ellis is in her fourth year of Biology. She has a particular interest in microbiology and molecular genetics; she was intrigued by synthetic biology and its potential applications for solving world problems. She joined QGEM not just for her interest in synthetic biology, but also for student-driven research. Some fun facts about Ellis include that she is training for her second Tough Mudder, loves reading mystery novels (Agatha Christie), likes watching sports (big TFC fan), and loves baking (she has a really good pie recipe that she’ll make for the team)!</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/9/96/T--Queens_Canada--EllisPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Maddison" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Maddison Gahagan (Outreach Lead)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Maddison is a fourth year Life Sciences student, specializing in Biomedical Discovery. She has always had a passion for microbiology and biochemistry, and thought QGEM would be an excellent opportunity for her to get more involved in student-led research that combines both of these interests. As the Outreach Lead and a wet-lab member this year, she hopes to gain hands-on lab experience while also informing and educating the public on the importance of synthetic biology applications. She hopes to pursue a career in pharmacy. Some fun facts: Maddison has a three-legged cat, she owns many orchids even though they always die, and she works at the on-campus Printing & Copying Centre!</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/0/03/T--Queens_Canada--MaddisonPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Eric" class="memberright">
 +
  <h3><strong>Eric Grewal (Dry Lab Co-Lead)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Eric is in fourth year of Mathematics and Engineering (“Apple Math”). His area
 +
of specialty is in computing and communications. He has always had a passion for
 +
problem solving, so studying math was a natural choice. Eric is originally from British
 +
Columbia, and he loves spending time outdoors. Eric joined QGEM to find a way to use
 +
the math skills he’s learned to solve real world problems.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/b/be/T--Queens_Canada--EricPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Abigael" class="memberright">
 +
  <h3><strong>Abigael Schonewille (Dry Lab Co-Lead)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Abigael is in her fourth year of Biomedical Computing. She is interested in genetics,  
 +
bioinformatics, and computer-assisted surgery. She hopes to go on to pursue a Master's
 +
degree and continue into research. She joined QGEM to gain experience in developing
 +
software and analyses for a genetic engineering project. She loves travelling and has
 +
lived in Austria and Canada. She was a speed skater for over 10 years and enjoys
 +
kayaking. She has her SCUBA license and has explored many of the wrecks in the St.
 +
Lawrence river! In her spare time she likes to read, spend time outdoors, and challenge
 +
her friends to board games.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/5/5e/T--Queens_Canada--AbigaelPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Julia" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Julia Grein (Volunteer Liaison)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Julia is in her final year of Biochemistry with a Certificate in Business. This is her fourth
 +
summer on the QGEM team! Julia’s passion lies in bridging the gaps between the
 +
bench and business, with a focus on collaboration and communication. As the Volunteer
 +
Liaison for a second year, she interacts with all members and helps the interdisciplinary
 +
QGEM team understand the various parts of the project to build an effective team!</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/f/f5/T--Queens_Canada--JuliaPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Janis" class="memberright">
 +
  <h3><strong>Janis Cheng (Logistics Director)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Janis is in her third year of Life Sciences, but currently transferring to Biotechnology.
 +
She prefers experimenting on new ideas instead of learning them from powerpoint
 +
slides, and she thought QGEM would be a good place to be doing that! Her primary
 +
interest is microbiology, specifically bacteria and viruses. When Janis is not organizing
 +
her notes and setting up tasks for the team, she can be found taking care of the 43
 +
plants in her house and rewatching Marvel movies.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/5/53/T--Queens_Canada--JanisPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Ruben" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Ruben Warkentin (Outreach Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Ruben is in his third year of Biochemistry and is returning for his second year with the  
 +
QGEM team. He has been interested in all things molecular biology, ever since he
 +
learned that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell – QGEM was a good
 +
opportunity to expand on that knowledge. With his sriracha shirt, he continues to bring
 +
fresh style and ideas to the QGEM Outreach team. If Ruben is not talking about
 +
synthetic/molecular biology, he can be found running western blots.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/b/b3/T--Queens_Canada--RubenPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Sara" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Sara Stickley (Outreach Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Sara is in her fourth year of Life Sciences and is returning for her second year with the
 +
QGEM team. Ever since first learning about synthetic biology she has been eager and
 +
excited to get involved and learn more about the fast-paced, innovative field! When not
 +
working hard with the outreach team this summer, you can find Sara trying to master the
 +
ukulele and spending time under the sun. Sara hopes to pursue a masters degree in
 +
genetics or biochemistry and can’t wait to work with the QGEM team for another
 +
summer.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/4/40/T--Queens_Canada--SaraPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Declan" class="memberright">
 +
  <h3><strong>Declan Rowett (Dry-Lab Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Declan is in his third year of Computer Engineering. He was a dry-lab volunteer last
 +
summer and is excited to improve upon some of his newly acquired skills assisting in
 +
the dry-lab again. While not studying anything remotely similar to the biological
 +
processes encountered in QGEM, he is interested in expanding his mental horizons and
 +
working with people with different passions to his own. Once sufficient knowledge is
 +
accumulated, he shall begin his takeover of the research industry with self-improving AI
 +
that will solve all of the world's problems, and *never* cause a robot uprising, or so he
 +
says.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/1/1a/T--Queens_Canada--DeclanPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Jimmy" class="memberright">
 +
  <h3><strong>Jimmy Chung (Website/Wiki Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Jimmy is a fourth year Computer Engineering student. Previously an Intern at Mount
 +
Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Jimmy is intrigued in the potential for technology to bring forth
 +
improvements in health care. Jimmy is focused on developing the QGEM website and
 +
wiki this summer while completing a Full Stack Web Developer Internship at Canada
 +
Create. Jimmy is interested in the tech start-up scene is getting ready to launch a new
 +
home rental platform, Rent Point. When not coding or happily messing around with
 +
technology, Jimmy can be found struggling on the golf course or enjoying some British
 +
High Tea!</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/b/be/T--Queens_Canada--JimmyPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Daniel" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Daniel Stret (Hardware Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Daniel is in his fourth year of Chemical Engineering in the Biochemical Specialization.
 +
He was drawn to QGEM, through Queen’s Biomedical Innovation Team (QBiT)
 +
through the potential use of using synthetic biology in biomedical applications. Always
 +
having an interest in the field of biology, he looks forward to exploring this exciting field
 +
and gaining insight into how he can bring engineering and biology together into a
 +
potential career. Outside of his interest in research and innovation, he is am a member
 +
of the Queen’s Varsity Rowing team and enjoys anything that involves being active and
 +
outdoors.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/9/96/T--Queens_Canada--DanielPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Emily" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Emily Rae (Hardware Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Emily is a newly graduated Electrical Engineering student, and is starting her MSc in  
 +
Medical Device Design abroad. She was a previous Design Lead for Queen's
 +
Biomedical Innovation Team (QBiT) and joined QGEM to provide support and continue
 +
QBiT's work on the hardware portion of this year's QBiT-QGEM project. When not
 +
working or at the lab, Emily can most likely be found baking cookies or binge watching
 +
The Office for the 10th time.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/3/3d/T--Queens_Canada--EmilyPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
 
 +
<div id="Thomas" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Thomas Kulin (Hardware Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Thomas is in his third year of Electrical Engineering. He really enjoys working on cool
 +
and innovate projects. He has designed and built an electric longboard with an Android
 +
app, several Tesla coils, two custom drones, and many other smaller projects. His
 +
interests include almost everything technology-related, mainly circuit design, robotics,
 +
computer programming, and high voltage electronics. Thomas is really excited to be on
 +
the QGEM team as he thinks his electronics experience can be put to good use in
 +
designing for hardware.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/f/f3/T--Queens_Canada--ThomasPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
  
−
<h3>Dr. Kate Harkness <br>Department of Psychology, Queen’s University</h3>
+
<div id="Alex" class="memberright">
−
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/4/4a/T--Queens_Canada--Dr_Harkness.jpeg" style="width:40%;height:40%;margin-right:15px;"/>
+
  <h3><strong>Alex Pipchuk (Outreach Volunteer)</strong></h3>
−
<p>Dr. Kate Harkness is Professor in the Department of Psychology and runs the Mood Research Lab at Queen’s University. She conducts research that primarily focuses on the correlation between stress and depression in adults and adolescents. Her studies focus on the effects of early childhood trauma on sensitizing the biological and psychological stress response in a manner that makes people more susceptible to psychopathology. She examines the changes in cortisol levels in response to stressors, and she pointed out several major factors that would contribute to the varying levels of cortisol in individuals raised in diverse settings. She suggested that our application should include a function to determine one’s personal cortisol baseline throughout different times of the day in order to give more meaning to the collected data. She believes our biosensor would be applicable to her line of research as it is a more time-efficient and non-disruptive method of monitoring cortisol levels in psychological studies.</p><br><br><br><br>
+
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Alex is in his third year of life sciences. He was excited by the prospect of a student-
 +
lead, competition-oriented project and was drawn to QGEM after hearing about it from a  
 +
friend and former team member. When not helping out in the lab or with the Outreach
 +
branch, Alex enjoys being tagged in science/doggo memes, and playing rugby.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/9/91/T--Queens_Canada--AlexPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
  
 +
<div id="Alice" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Alice Park (Outreach Volunteer)</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Alice is in her third year of Biochemistry, with a minor in World Languages. She wanted
 +
to join QGEM to get some experience in student-lead research. She is interested in the
 +
real-life applications of synthetic biology and is super excited to be working with QGEM
 +
this summer! Outside of school, she enjoys doing karate and dance. In the near future,
 +
she hopes to go on an exchange or work abroad for a year.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/d/d6/T--Queens_Canada--AlicePhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
  
−
<h3>Dr. Janet Menard <br>Department of Psychology, Queen’s University</h3>
+
<div id="James" class="memberright">
−
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/9/91/T--Queens_Canada--Dr_Menard.jpeg" style="width:40%;height:40%;margin-right:15px;"/>
+
  <h3><strong>James Colwell (Dry-Lab Volunteer)</strong></h3>
−
<p>Dr. Janet Menard is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and runs the Neurobiology of Anxiety Lab at Queen’s University. Dr. Menard provided our team with lots of feedback on our project design and raised potential concerns that we must be aware of when designing our biosensor technology and the associated smartphone technology. She discussed the hyporesponsive stress period that occurs during the first year of one’s life, which provided an emphasis on the need to be able to effectively measure and determine a cortisol baseline for the app to work accurately for each user. She also discussed some of the concerns she had with the use of a genetically engineered protein being incorporated into the device. The appropriate safety testing and educational information must be readily accessible to all potential consumers to avoid any health and safety concerns. Our interview with Dr. Menard was very insightful and highlighted areas that our technology may be most useful for, with an emphasis on research and clinical settings. She believes the scientific community could benefit greatly from a cortisol-reading device that is fast, affordable and exceeds the accuracy of current devices on the market.</p><br><br>
+
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>James is entering his third year of Biochemical Engineering. Hoping to supplement his
 +
academic education with hands-on applications of synthetic biology, James is excited
 +
and honoured to be a part of this year’s QGEM team! When he is not busy determining
 +
the feasibility of improvements to the toothpaste manufacturing processes, James
 +
enjoys cooking, eating copious amounts of the food he cooked, and passing out
 +
immediately after. James is also the incoming Academic Co-President of the Chemical
 +
Engineering Chemistry Student Executive.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/b/b4/T--Queens_Canada--JamesPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
 +
</div>
 +
<div><h2>Advisors</h2></div>
  
−
<h3>Dr. David Saleh <br>Department of Pediatrics, Queen’s University School of Medicine</h3>
+
<div id="Walker" class="member">
−
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/b/b7/T--Queens_Canada--Dr_David_Saleh.jpeg" style="width:40%;height:40%;margin-right:15px;"/>
+
  <h3><strong>Dr. Virginia Walker</strong></h3>
−
<p>Dr. David Saleh is a full time Assistant Professor in Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism for the Queen’s School of Medicine. His work at Hotel Dieu Hospital includes the full range of consultation in pediatric endocrinology including diabetes, growth/thyroid disorders, adrenal disorders and osteoporosis. Dr. Saleh was able to provide our team with extensive background knowledge on different metabolic disorders associated with adrenal insufficiency, as well as the current diagnostic procedures and treatments involved with these disorders. Based on personal experiences from Dr. Saleh’s line of work, he sees the need for non-invasive diagnostic systems for hormone-related disorders. As well, he suggested the use of our biosensor technology for use in monitoring the efficacy of various treatments, and to better track how the therapies or supplements are metabolized in an individual. Dr. Saleh was also able to provide our team with valuable information about the Ontario Newborn Screening process, and the endocrine-related disorders that are currently tested for -- offering insight into a potential future role for our technology as a less invasive screening method for newborns with metabolic disorders.</p><br>
+
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Dr. Virginia Walker is a professor and Queen’s Research Chair in the Biology
 +
Department at Queen’s University. She is known for both her teaching style and her
 +
research, as she has won TVO’s Best Lecturer Award (2010) and the Prize for  
 +
Excellence in Research (2016). Her research interests include antifreeze proteins,  
 +
stress genes, and the molecular basis of resistance. Dr. Walker has proudly advised
 +
QGEM before. She recently returned from a field work expedition to Gjoa Haven,  
 +
Nunavut.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/4/43/T--Queens_Canada--DrWalkerPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
  
−
<h3>Dr. Kimberly Dow <br>Department of Pediatrics, Queen’s University School of Medicine</h3>
+
<div id="Campbell" class="member">
−
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/f/fc/T--Queens_Canada--Dr_Kimberly_Dow.jpeg" style="width:40%;height:40%;margin-right:15px;"/>
+
  <h3><strong>Dr. Robert L. Campbell</strong></h3>
−
<p>Dr. Kimberly Dow is a full time Professor of Pediatrics for the Queen’s School of Medicine and a neonatologist at Kingston General Hospital. She serves on both the Canadian Neonatal Network and Evidence Based Practice for Improving Quality (EPIQ) Steering Committees and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Pediatric Society. During our interview with Dr. Dow, we were able to gain valuable knowledge about daily procedures and processes that take place in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). By evaluating current practices involved in the maintenance of neonate well-being and pain-mitigation during different procedures, we were able to better understand how our project design could be implemented and beneficial in this setting. One of the specific applications that were elaborated on during our time with Dr. Dow was the use of our technology to aid in Newborn Abstinence Syndrome treatment plans and morphine dosage determination. The other application we discussed was the possibility of aiding with the use of sucrose as an analgesic for neonates, and determining the efficacy of this pain-reducing method that is currently employed. By creating a device that can quantify cortisol, stress and pain affecting non-verbal individuals can be better understood and managed to prevent detrimental developmental effects.</p><br><br><br>
+
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Dr. Robert L. Campbell is an Assistant Professor in the Biochemistry and Health
 +
Science programs at Queen’s University. He has been a recipient of numerous teaching
 +
awards, including being voted “Favourite Lecturer” by BCHM 310/315 students. His
 +
collaborative research focuses on calpains and ice-binding proteins, using X-ray
 +
crystallography and molecular modelling to study these dynamic proteins. Dr. Campbell
 +
has been involved with a handful of QGEM projects as our Protein Modelling Guru. He’s
 +
fond of sailing and cycling in his free time.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/d/d6/T--Queens_Canada--DrCampbellPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
  
 +
<div id="Petkovich" class="member">
 +
  <h3><strong>Dr. Martin Petkovich</strong></h3>
 +
  <div class="popover-content">
 +
  <font color="black">
 +
  <p>Dr. Martin Petkovich is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular
 +
Sciences at Queen’s University. He studies vitamin signalling and metabolism in
 +
physiological processes. He is an expert in steroid receptors and Vitamin D
 +
therapeutics. However, you may recognize him from classes such as BCHM 218 and
 +
DDHT 459, where he would give out extra marks for sending him a haiku about
 +
transcription factors.</p></font>
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/5/51/T--Queens_Canada--DrPetkovichPhoto.jpg"/>
 +
  </div>
 +
</div>
  
−
<h3>Dr. Harriet Feilotter <br>Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University</h3>
+
<div id="Allingham" class="member">
−
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/0/03/T--Queens_Canada--Dr_Harriet_Feilotter.jpeg" style="width:20%;height:20%;margin-right:15px;"/>
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  <h3><strong>Dr. John Allingham</strong></h3>
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<p>Dr. Harriet Feilotter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on the development of biomarkers to be used in the screening, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases in clinical settings. Our meeting with Dr. Feilotter was very informative and provided a lot of insight into what research is required to validate our biosensor technology and demonstrate its effectiveness and clinical utility. She provided information pertaining to important parameters that must be evaluated when working with biomarkers, including analytic and clinical specificity and sensitivity values, negative and positive predictive values, the concentration range our technology can measure, the saturation point of our assay and cross-reactivity that might occur with molecules resembling cortisol. Dr. Feilotter was also very knowledgeable about the safety testing and potential experiments that may be useful in demonstrating the validity and safety of our device.</p><br>
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  <p>Dr. John Allingham is an Associate Professor in the Biochemistry and Health Science
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Biology, but he also plays a structural role in holding the QGEM Team together year
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after year! His research goals are to understand and re-engineer mechanisms of
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biomolecules, and his QGEM goals are to promote synthetic biology and student-led
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Revision as of 20:35, 8 August 2018

Meet the Team!

The Queen’s iGEM team consists of eighteen undergraduate students from a variety of different disciplines including biology, biochemistry, life sciences, engineering and computing. All of our team members share a passion for synthetic biology and a desire to participate in student-led research and expand their knowledge of the work done in this innovative field. Due to the multidisciplinary expertise of all our members, each student on the team has contributed their own unique experiences and skills to our 2018 research project.

Students

Elisha Krauss (Director)

Elisha is the current QGEM Director, and he just graduated from Life Sciences, specializing in Biomedical Sciences with a thesis in Neuroscience! He is starting his Masters at McGill University in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience, where he will develop novel viral vectors for optogenetics. He enjoys travelling (backpacking and road-trips) and dogs. He recently just got back from a three-week trip to Europe! He backpacked in London, Glasgow, Paris, Berlin, and Prague. In his free time this summer, he hopes to learn French and study for the GRE. He has a long-haired dachshund named Harley.

Ellis Kelly (Wet-Lab Lead)

Ellis is in her fourth year of Biology. She has a particular interest in microbiology and molecular genetics; she was intrigued by synthetic biology and its potential applications for solving world problems. She joined QGEM not just for her interest in synthetic biology, but also for student-driven research. Some fun facts about Ellis include that she is training for her second Tough Mudder, loves reading mystery novels (Agatha Christie), likes watching sports (big TFC fan), and loves baking (she has a really good pie recipe that she’ll make for the team)!

Maddison Gahagan (Outreach Lead)

Maddison is a fourth year Life Sciences student, specializing in Biomedical Discovery. She has always had a passion for microbiology and biochemistry, and thought QGEM would be an excellent opportunity for her to get more involved in student-led research that combines both of these interests. As the Outreach Lead and a wet-lab member this year, she hopes to gain hands-on lab experience while also informing and educating the public on the importance of synthetic biology applications. She hopes to pursue a career in pharmacy. Some fun facts: Maddison has a three-legged cat, she owns many orchids even though they always die, and she works at the on-campus Printing & Copying Centre!

Eric Grewal (Dry Lab Co-Lead)

Eric is in fourth year of Mathematics and Engineering (“Apple Math”). His area of specialty is in computing and communications. He has always had a passion for problem solving, so studying math was a natural choice. Eric is originally from British Columbia, and he loves spending time outdoors. Eric joined QGEM to find a way to use the math skills he’s learned to solve real world problems.

Abigael Schonewille (Dry Lab Co-Lead)

Abigael is in her fourth year of Biomedical Computing. She is interested in genetics, bioinformatics, and computer-assisted surgery. She hopes to go on to pursue a Master's degree and continue into research. She joined QGEM to gain experience in developing software and analyses for a genetic engineering project. She loves travelling and has lived in Austria and Canada. She was a speed skater for over 10 years and enjoys kayaking. She has her SCUBA license and has explored many of the wrecks in the St. Lawrence river! In her spare time she likes to read, spend time outdoors, and challenge her friends to board games.

Julia Grein (Volunteer Liaison)

Julia is in her final year of Biochemistry with a Certificate in Business. This is her fourth summer on the QGEM team! Julia’s passion lies in bridging the gaps between the bench and business, with a focus on collaboration and communication. As the Volunteer Liaison for a second year, she interacts with all members and helps the interdisciplinary QGEM team understand the various parts of the project to build an effective team!

Janis Cheng (Logistics Director)

Janis is in her third year of Life Sciences, but currently transferring to Biotechnology. She prefers experimenting on new ideas instead of learning them from powerpoint slides, and she thought QGEM would be a good place to be doing that! Her primary interest is microbiology, specifically bacteria and viruses. When Janis is not organizing her notes and setting up tasks for the team, she can be found taking care of the 43 plants in her house and rewatching Marvel movies.

Ruben Warkentin (Outreach Volunteer)

Ruben is in his third year of Biochemistry and is returning for his second year with the QGEM team. He has been interested in all things molecular biology, ever since he learned that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell – QGEM was a good opportunity to expand on that knowledge. With his sriracha shirt, he continues to bring fresh style and ideas to the QGEM Outreach team. If Ruben is not talking about synthetic/molecular biology, he can be found running western blots.

Sara Stickley (Outreach Volunteer)

Sara is in her fourth year of Life Sciences and is returning for her second year with the QGEM team. Ever since first learning about synthetic biology she has been eager and excited to get involved and learn more about the fast-paced, innovative field! When not working hard with the outreach team this summer, you can find Sara trying to master the ukulele and spending time under the sun. Sara hopes to pursue a masters degree in genetics or biochemistry and can’t wait to work with the QGEM team for another summer.

Declan Rowett (Dry-Lab Volunteer)

Declan is in his third year of Computer Engineering. He was a dry-lab volunteer last summer and is excited to improve upon some of his newly acquired skills assisting in the dry-lab again. While not studying anything remotely similar to the biological processes encountered in QGEM, he is interested in expanding his mental horizons and working with people with different passions to his own. Once sufficient knowledge is accumulated, he shall begin his takeover of the research industry with self-improving AI that will solve all of the world's problems, and *never* cause a robot uprising, or so he says.

Jimmy Chung (Website/Wiki Volunteer)

Jimmy is a fourth year Computer Engineering student. Previously an Intern at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Jimmy is intrigued in the potential for technology to bring forth improvements in health care. Jimmy is focused on developing the QGEM website and wiki this summer while completing a Full Stack Web Developer Internship at Canada Create. Jimmy is interested in the tech start-up scene is getting ready to launch a new home rental platform, Rent Point. When not coding or happily messing around with technology, Jimmy can be found struggling on the golf course or enjoying some British High Tea!

Daniel Stret (Hardware Volunteer)

Daniel is in his fourth year of Chemical Engineering in the Biochemical Specialization. He was drawn to QGEM, through Queen’s Biomedical Innovation Team (QBiT) through the potential use of using synthetic biology in biomedical applications. Always having an interest in the field of biology, he looks forward to exploring this exciting field and gaining insight into how he can bring engineering and biology together into a potential career. Outside of his interest in research and innovation, he is am a member of the Queen’s Varsity Rowing team and enjoys anything that involves being active and outdoors.

Emily Rae (Hardware Volunteer)

Emily is a newly graduated Electrical Engineering student, and is starting her MSc in Medical Device Design abroad. She was a previous Design Lead for Queen's Biomedical Innovation Team (QBiT) and joined QGEM to provide support and continue QBiT's work on the hardware portion of this year's QBiT-QGEM project. When not working or at the lab, Emily can most likely be found baking cookies or binge watching The Office for the 10th time.

Thomas Kulin (Hardware Volunteer)

Thomas is in his third year of Electrical Engineering. He really enjoys working on cool and innovate projects. He has designed and built an electric longboard with an Android app, several Tesla coils, two custom drones, and many other smaller projects. His interests include almost everything technology-related, mainly circuit design, robotics, computer programming, and high voltage electronics. Thomas is really excited to be on the QGEM team as he thinks his electronics experience can be put to good use in designing for hardware.

Alex Pipchuk (Outreach Volunteer)

Alex is in his third year of life sciences. He was excited by the prospect of a student- lead, competition-oriented project and was drawn to QGEM after hearing about it from a friend and former team member. When not helping out in the lab or with the Outreach branch, Alex enjoys being tagged in science/doggo memes, and playing rugby.

Alice Park (Outreach Volunteer)

Alice is in her third year of Biochemistry, with a minor in World Languages. She wanted to join QGEM to get some experience in student-lead research. She is interested in the real-life applications of synthetic biology and is super excited to be working with QGEM this summer! Outside of school, she enjoys doing karate and dance. In the near future, she hopes to go on an exchange or work abroad for a year.

James Colwell (Dry-Lab Volunteer)

James is entering his third year of Biochemical Engineering. Hoping to supplement his academic education with hands-on applications of synthetic biology, James is excited and honoured to be a part of this year’s QGEM team! When he is not busy determining the feasibility of improvements to the toothpaste manufacturing processes, James enjoys cooking, eating copious amounts of the food he cooked, and passing out immediately after. James is also the incoming Academic Co-President of the Chemical Engineering Chemistry Student Executive.

Advisors

Dr. Virginia Walker

Dr. Virginia Walker is a professor and Queen’s Research Chair in the Biology Department at Queen’s University. She is known for both her teaching style and her research, as she has won TVO’s Best Lecturer Award (2010) and the Prize for Excellence in Research (2016). Her research interests include antifreeze proteins, stress genes, and the molecular basis of resistance. Dr. Walker has proudly advised QGEM before. She recently returned from a field work expedition to Gjoa Haven, Nunavut.

Dr. Robert L. Campbell

Dr. Robert L. Campbell is an Assistant Professor in the Biochemistry and Health Science programs at Queen’s University. He has been a recipient of numerous teaching awards, including being voted “Favourite Lecturer” by BCHM 310/315 students. His collaborative research focuses on calpains and ice-binding proteins, using X-ray crystallography and molecular modelling to study these dynamic proteins. Dr. Campbell has been involved with a handful of QGEM projects as our Protein Modelling Guru. He’s fond of sailing and cycling in his free time.

Dr. Martin Petkovich

Dr. Martin Petkovich is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen’s University. He studies vitamin signalling and metabolism in physiological processes. He is an expert in steroid receptors and Vitamin D therapeutics. However, you may recognize him from classes such as BCHM 218 and DDHT 459, where he would give out extra marks for sending him a haiku about transcription factors.

Dr. John Allingham

Dr. John Allingham is an Associate Professor in the Biochemistry and Health Science programs at Queen’s University. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Structural Biology, but he also plays a structural role in holding the QGEM Team together year after year! His research goals are to understand and re-engineer mechanisms of biomolecules, and his QGEM goals are to promote synthetic biology and student-led research.