I am currently in the second year of my Ph.D. at the University of Waterloo. I hold an M.Sc. in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto and a B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences also from the University of Waterloo.
I am carrying out my studies in the laboratory of Trevor Charles where I am currently working on human gut functional metagenomics. I am cloning DNA from the microbes that live in the human GI tract to make metagenomic libraries. I am also starting to apply functional screens to these libraries, to look for interesting functions in gut microbial genomes. In my spare time (?), I am hoping to learn some programming in an attempt to handle the craziness that is today’s DNA sequencing-driven field of Biology, particularly true of Metagenomics.
When I am not working in the laboratory, extracting DNA from poo samples and making poo-related jokes with my co-workers, I am usually reading, writing, or spending time with family, friends, and my significant other. I also like to do yoga, go camping, make art, oil paint, volunteer, take long strolls, and ponder the meaning of life.
