Team:Florida/Team
Meet the Scribe Tribe
Nicole Kantor
Nicole is a fourth year undergraduate pursuing a degree in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience. Nicole was a part of the University of Florida’s iGEM team last year and decided to rejoin because she wants to be a part of the future in synthetic biology. Aside from iGEM, she enjoys doing yoga, working out, and playing the violin. Nicole is pursuing a career in medicine and would like to continue doing research as well. She is particularly interested in studying the impacts of the gut microbiome on physiological changes in the brain and, as a result, its impact on mental health.
Samantha Golden
Samantha is a third year undergraduate studying Health Education and Behavior. Samantha is involved with many other organizations around campus and currently works as a teacher’s assistant for Biology 2. Outside of iGEM, Samantha enjoys playing competitive volleyball, mountain climbing, and trying new restaurants. In the future, Samantha intends on earning a degree in Physician’s Assistant Studies, and working at a women’s health center. This is Samantha’s first year on the iGEM team and she cannot wait to see what is to come of the future.
Anil Patel
Anil is a fourth year undergraduate student studying Microbiology and Cell Science. This is his first time being a part of the IGEM team. He wanted to participate in IGEM because he enjoys research and working with others. As a career, Anil wants to pursue medicine and continue doing research in the field. Outside of academics, Anil enjoys working out, going to the movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Shivani Doshi
Shivani Doshi is a third year undergraduate majoring in Microbiology and Cell Science. This is her first year as part of the University of Florida’s iGEM team. Shivani joined iGEM in pursuit of furthering her love for research and understanding the foundations on which biological innovation is taking place. Shivani is currently on the pre-medical track and plans to pursue a career in medicine. Aside from academics, Shivani is involved in many volunteer organizations on campus and enjoys going on long runs, listening to podcasts and playing the flute.
Julie Mallinger
Julie Mallinger is a second year undergraduate majoring in Biomedical Engineering. This is Julie’s first year participating in iGEM and she cannot wait to see what the future for iGEM holds! Outside of the wet lab, Julie enjoys playing sports, traveling, and spending time with friends. In the coming years, Julie plans on pursuing a career in medicine to make a positive impact on others.
Alexandra Gaskins
Alexandra Gaskins is a fourth year Dual Mechanical and Aerospace Engineer. She joined iGEM this year to apply her mathematical skills by partaking in the coding and modeling portion of the project. Outside of iGEM, she is in various engineering organizations and enjoys spending her time volunteering at the humane society. She hopes to pursue a career that focuses on aircrafts and building them to be more efficient.
Nikila Ojili
Nikila is a fourth year undergraduate majoring in Microbiology and Cell Science. This is her second year participating in iGEM because she genuinely loves the prospects synthetic biology has for the future. Nikila wants to pursue a Masters in Business Management followed by an MBA because she enjoys leading, divergent thinking and bringing people’s diverse ideas together. Apart from iGEM she is the VP of Internal Development at Florida Women in Business where she supports young business women to be resilient without hindering their mental health. In her free time she enjoys watching stand up comedy with her friends, painting, travelling and working out.
Jessica Zheng
Jessica is a fourth year undergraduate majoring in Microbiology and Cell Science with minors in Health Disparities in Society and Digital Arts and Sciences. This is her first year apart of the University of Florida’s iGEM team, joining with the interest in expanding her experience in research, specifically synthetic biology. During her time at UF, Jessica volunteers at Shands, works as a NICAP improvement quality intern, and conducts research at the Emerging Pathogens Institute. She aspires to be a physician and address the needs of diverse communities through the lens of infectious diseases and public health. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, drawing/painting, and doing yoga.
Zack Zeller
Zack is a fourth year Botany and Sustainability Studies dual major. He intends to eventually pursue an MS and PhD in a STEM-related field. This is Zack's first year participating in iGEM although he has had an interest in synthetic biology for a long time. He hopes to learn more about the project as a whole, and work to communicate it well as the wiki designer. Outside of iGEM he does botanical and population genetics research at UF. In his free time, Zack likes listening to music, reading and writing, hiking, and learning languages.
