Meet our Team!
Marcos Vega-Hazas
Hi, I’m a final year Biochemistry student from Madrid, Spain. Yes, I reaaaally like the sun. And jamón and tortilla de patata. With the philosophy of “Think Global, Act Local”, I see iGEM as an opportunity to add value to the community around us. My hope is that both our university and other iGEM teams help us establish a platform where students can express their motivation, talent and curiosity for science.
Lux Step
Hey- I'm Lux, resident gender-binary-breaker! I've just finished my first year in Neuroscience. Originally I come from Lithuania but before coming to London I spent two years in Italy. This has led me to take on learning quite a few languages on my own, like English, Spanish, Russian and Italian. Apart from testing my own abilities, my goal for iGEM is to show that science is becoming more inclusive and progressive. With technology improving this fast, we can do anything!
Katarzyna Pleśniar
Hi, I’m a first year Neuroscience student from Poland. I’m very interested in developmental neurobiology and I’m so excited what the field of synthetic biology holds for neuroscience. Being part of KCL iGEM allows me to work with incredible people. My goal is to help change the perception of synthetic biology outside the scientific community with the hopes to raise awareness of its beneficial potential and ability to transform the world around us.
Maria Jose Ramos
Hi my name is Maria Jose and I am studying Molecular Genetics. I believe in the promise that synthetic biology will allow us to go beyond our limits with responsibility… and I believe that hundreds of contributions each year from iGEMers are the driving force behind it. As a student interested in the field of Genetics I am honoured to be part of this and make a contribution that helps to push this step further.
Maya Biswas-Whittaker
I’ve just finished 1st year Neuroscience. I do a lot of volunteering work in my spare time: I’ve raised money for the Albert Kennedy trust, and I’m a full time volunteer for Just Like Us. My goal for iGEM is helping to create a safe and diverse work environment. Also, I think it's super important for us to try and increase diversity in STEM through teaching and working with different communities!
João Gonçalves
My name is João, I am 20 years old and I’m from Lisbon, Portugal. I love travelling, sports and science. I like to use my free time to learn new things: I did the Open Water Diving course and a course about the Theory of Relativity.
Deeksha Raju
Hi I’m Deeksha! I’m a first year student from Salisbury (a quaint city boasting Stonehenge, the Magna Carta and Russian spy poisoning) and I'm studying Biochemistry. When not procrastinating work, I enjoy yoga and playing a round of golf with my Dad.