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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.