People

Jae grew up in Incheon, South Korea.

After moving to Canada, where some of his friends affectionately call him J-OK, he did his undergraduate studies in the Arts & Science Programme and his doctoral studies in Biochemistry at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Jae had a long postdoctoral tenure at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. His favourite French phrase from this time was "apportez votre vin".

Jae started his independent research as an assistant professor in 2019 at Memorial University. Moving to Newfoundland has revived in him a long lost passion--fishing.

Jae's other hobbies include movies (watching) and sports (playing).

Sean's friends describe him as a "jack of all trades, master of none." He has worked a broad assortment of jobs such as dishwasher, waiter, mover, bartender, sales, bouncer, manager, business owner, project manager, software trainer, and so on. He has also obtained two technology-based college diplomas. In his grumpy old age, Sean grew annoyed with his status as "master of none" and decided to become a Master of Science.

Sean is a self-proclaimed "old school nerd" who enjoys fantasy, sci-fi, comics, and video games. He also enjoys hiking, fishing, and watching MMA.

Vishal grew up in the West part of India, where he obtained an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and a postgraduate degree in Life Sciences.

In pursuit of his master's degree in Engineering, Vishal moved to sunny Australia and studied at Deakin University. He acquired not only his masters but also some mates who nicknamed him "Vish." After soaking up a decent amount of sunlight (and therefore, vitamin D), he decided to move to Newfoundland, Canada, to get his PhD. Now the question is if he has what it takes to survive the famous Canadian winters.

Vishal's hobbies include hiking, volleyball, travelling, photography and watching movies. Please visit Vishal's personal website for more information.

Naomi grew up in sunny Accra, Ghana. She later moved to Canada for high school in Ontario and undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences in Albert. After bouncing provinces, she decided to pursue her masters in Biochemistry in St. John's, Newfoundland to experience the true East Coast.

In her free time, Naomi enjoys engaging in the arts through poetry, reading, movies, and music. In addition, she enjoys staying active, watching and playing soccer.

Arefeh grew up navigating the lively chaos of Tehran, Iran, where honking is a love language and there's always a new corner of the city buzzing with life. She earned her bachelor's degree in biotechnology before trading dry heat for damp fog in Newfoundland and Labrador, where she's currently pursuing her master's in biochemistry at the Park lab.

Arefeh loves exploring and discovering new cultures. She's constantly on the hunt for scenic trails and just the right angle for her next photo. She is always in for something new, but when the sun comes out, you'll probably find her outside soaking up the sun; she just can't resist it!