Team:Waterloo/Members
Our Team
Waterloo iGEM 2019
At the University of waterloo we have an administative team and 3 subteams who work on the annual project. The Lab and Deisgn team, Math and Modelling team, and Human Practices team.
Our team video! We hope you like it, if it is not loading you can also find it here
Sebastien Carman (he/him)
Admin/other
Science: 3B, Biotechnology & Economics
"What the heck?"
Fun fact about you?
I have a titanium plate and six titanium screws in my left ankle.
Gurlin Chudha (she/her)
Admin/other
Science: 4A, Honours Biotech/CPA with Coop
"Dw I can reconcile that!" and "Excel saved my life"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Im scared of heights, more specifically cliff edges.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Hanging out with the team
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
HCl so i can watch the world burn a little faster
Fun fact about you?
I travelled Around Hong Kong for 4 months on an exchange term this year
Anya Forestell (she/her)
Admin/other
Science: 4A, Honours Co-operative Physics and Astronomy
"Anything else?? No?? Meeting adjourned!!"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Administrative coordinator duties keep you very busy (but love it)
Fun fact about you?
I let one of my childhood friends believe my name was actually Onion for a few months
Kristelle Canlas (she/her)
Human Practices
Engineering: 2B, Nanotechnology Engineering
Most valuable thing you learned this year
That educating people about synbio is important because not a lot of people even know what it is!!
Jessie Christie (she/her)
Human Practices
Engineering: 2B, Nanotechnology Engineering
Most valuable thing you learned this year
The value of community engagement and direct communication -when we went out to speak in person with relevant stakeholders, we received answers to questions we hadn't even known to ask yet!
Shakir Elliott-Mohamed
Human Practices
Science: 3B, Materials and Nanoscience
"Call me the iGEM Spokesperson"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Saying 'bacterially enhanced' to the general public is apparently less terrifying than 'GMOs'
Fun fact about you?
I am the iGEM Spokesperson
Ana Fernandez Galliano (she/her)
Human Practices
Science: 2A, Biochemistry
Random Harry Potter quotes
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Encouraging open dialogue on topics that may have a negative public opinion is an effective tool for providing people with correct information and helping them form a more educated opinion.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Counting down to hitting 200 responses on one of our surveys since I promised the Human Practices subteam I'd bake a cake to celebrate.
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Goggles. Gotta stay safe in and out of the lab, especially if there are zombies running around.
Fun fact about you?
There is a wasp species named after me :)
Simon Frew
Human Practices
Engineering: 2B, Nanotechnology Engineering
"Shoot eh"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Molecules have tons of scary regulations and figuring out toxicity is way harder than reading an SDS sheet.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
A combination of running SHAD and talking through public views of herbicides and education during meetings!
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Never underestimate the value of an Eppendorf pipette. Or safety glasses.
Rajan Grewal
Human Practices
Applied Heath Sciences: 3A, Health Studies
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Working with the all sub teams on the SHAD workshop
Fun fact about you?
Growing up I thought mayonnaise was lettuce and vice versa
Joshua Hanneson (he/him)
Human Practices
Engineering: 2A, Nanotechnology Engineering
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Look for new opportunities because that is the best way to help the team and to have fun!
Christine Johnston (she/her)
Human Practices
Science: 4A, Biomedical Sciences
"Okay, team!"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Given the opportunity, people can surprise you with how much they can do.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
The Jamboree has been incredible! So many awesome teams doing awesome things
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Bunsen burner. Hopefully I can keep enough of an aseptic environment that the infectious microbe and its zombie friends leave me alone
Fun fact about you?
Oof idk I can knit? Also an up and coming soccer mom
Clare Reid (she/her)
Human Practices
Science: 3A, Biochemistry
"Neat!"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Just because you are in a STEM program/field, it does not mean you have not been effected by media/community bias in regards to the public opinion and knowledge surrounding a controversial issue.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Organizing and running a three day workshop for the SHAD Valley students. Not only was a great way to test how our project would be received by the future minds of synthetic biology, but also a fun break from the regular iGEM goings on.
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Leah Fulton, she isn't a "thing" but she is always in the lab and I think we'd make a pretty good zombie fighting duo.
Fun fact about you?
I spend half my Friday nights working on my research project in a crystallography lab and the other half playing D&D with folks across North America!.
Christian Singh (he/him)
Human Practices
Science: 3A, Biomedical Sciences
"what that field do tho?"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
The most valuable thing that I learned this year was /effective/ teamwork. Especially within the HP sub-subteams that were created (regulation, risk and performance) we’ve really learned how to rely on each other and we all trust each other so much! When our schedules get hectic, which they're bound to be at one point or another, the Regulations team is always so accommodating towards one another and that has really created an amazing environment to be in. #regulationNATION
Kingsley Wong (he/him)
Human Practices
Engineering: 3B, Nanotechnology Engineering
"I am not garbage"
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Getting to know our awesome HP team and working with them on all of our projects
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Agar because you can eat gels...right?
Fun fact about you?
In my spare time (and not working on iGEM), I really enjoy learning new musical instruments.
Andrea Alexei (she/her)
Lab and Design
Science: 3B, Honours Biology
"I completely forgot that happened."
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Sticky notes are not a valid lab book.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Designing our own experiment! Not all the hard stuff that comes with it, but that also built character.
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Yeast extract - it's basically vegan cheese, and it would hide my human scent.
Fun fact about you?
I'm apparently "chaotic".
Alina Arvisais (she/her)
Lab and Design
Science: 2B, Biochemistry
"That's upsetting"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
iGEM rocks!
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Working with and speaking to people with such diverse ideas and perspectives. It's been rad to hear about the awesome ideas everyone has and things they're passionate about.
Morgan Cordell (he/him)
Lab and Design
Science: 2B, Medicinal Chemistry
"I'm a fool"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Stop codons are important
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Seeing things we've designed work (and mostly not work).
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
The 70% Ethanol...it has many uses ;)
Fun fact about you?
I'm the jellyfish guy
Clara Fikry
Lab and Design
Applied Heath Sciences: 4A, Health Studies & Biology Joint Honours
"wham bam"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Always be skeptical of your results, even (or maybe especially) if they seem promising.
Fun fact about you?
Archaea don't get as much attention as they deserve so here's a random archaea fact: CRISPR systems are much more common in archaea than in bacteria.
Jeriann Hsiao
Lab and Design
Engineering: 2A, Nanotechnology Engineering
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Don't be afraid to ask questions!
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Jamming to Alina's music while doing PCR
Fun fact about you?
I love architecture (hence the photo of me at the Amiens Cathedral)!
Amanda Kuang
Lab and Design
Science: 3A, Honours Science
Michael Lam (he/him)
Lab and Design
Engineering: 2A, Biomedical Engineering
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Autoclave tape is not masking tape with lines of permanent marker.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Typing meeting notes last minute only to have it not show up.
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Bleach to end myself the zombie virus.
Fun fact about you?
I experience seasonal allergies every season.
Dylan Perera (he/him)
Lab and Design
Science: 3B, Honours Biochemistry
"It’s ok, it will all be over in November."
Nicki Shaw (she/her)
Lab and Design
Science: 2B Biochemistry
"fun and fresh"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Not to make the team page at the last minute.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Sitting on the floor of Kingsley's room at 11:59pm on the night of wiki freeze with bloodshot eyes and a burrito.
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be?
25uL of GelRed
Fun fact about you?
I love fungi :D
Leah Fulton (she/her)
Admin/other
program
“good good", "Big boy" and "Good good big boy"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
How to make a good zach efron meme
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Max Reid and his love for Mr Panino's
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
Claire Murphy in a pair of combat boots
Fun fact about you?
I am specializing in plant biology but all my plants are dead
Matthew Schmitz (he/him)
Lab and Design
Science: 4A, Honours Biomedical Sciences
Most valuable thing you learned this year
I learned how rewarding science can be. Through iGEM and other research experiences, I have seen, first-hand, how exciting it is to pursue scientific questions.
Katherine Walker (she/her)
Lab and Design
Science: 3B, Honours Biology
Kristian Young (he/him)
Lab and Design
Science: 3B, Biochemistry
"Kinda wack"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
How to design primers
Fun fact about you?
I own one cardboard Beyonce cutout
Michael Astwood (he/him)
Math and Modelling
Science: 3B, Mathematical Physics
"Cheers bro, I'll drink to that"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
The finite element method! It's a very useful technique in applied mathematics and will be super important in anything computational I do later!
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
Meeting great new people to insert new knowledge directly into my brain
Cecilia Cancellara (she/her)
Math and Modelling
Engineering: 2A, Nanotechnology Engineering
Anant Maheshwari
Math and Modelling
Math: 3A, Computer Science
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Clustering stuff is fun. Also was super cool getting a feel for what synthetic biology research is like :)
Advait Maybhate (he/him)
Math and Modelling
Math: 2A, Computer Science
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Synthetic biology is insanely cool!
Fun fact about you?
I've attended 10 different elementary schools in 4 countries!
Atmn Patel (he/him)
Math and Modelling
Math: 3A, Computer Science
Claire Murphy
Math and Modelling and Lab Summer Co-op
Engineering: 2A, Nanotechnology Engineering
"Parry this you fricking casual" under her breath while bleaching containers
Most valuable thing you learned this year
How to balance having a frozen stock, two test tubes and a media bottle in one hand while holding a pipette and two caps in the other.
Favorite experience in iGEM so far?
The last week of summer when 10+ people would come into the lab and the chaotic energy rivalled that of a yorkie on crack
If you could have only one thing from the lab in a zombie apocalypse what would it be and why?
I would bring the entire biohazardous waste bin so I could make my own zombies and make a zombie fight club
Fun fact about you?
I run a mildly successful meme page
Just for you Claire
Favourite quote: "I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% that beech"
Francois-Guillaume Lemesre
Math and Modelling
Science: Mathematical Physics 3A
"That's Fair"
Most valuable thing you learned this year
Blood caffeine concentration is inversely proportional to the time left before a deadline.