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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.