What are your research interests?

How do intracellular signaling pathways regulate pre-mRNA processing? My work focuses on how the C. elegans DAF-2 (IGFR) and DAF-7 (TGFβ) pathways control alternative 3′ splice site selection across tissues.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

I’ve always been fascinated by how complex systems are constructed, and learning that living cells function through interactions of non-living molecular machinery made me want to understand them more deeply. After taking a class on cellular regulation taught by Dr. Michael Scheid, I joined his lab and found that I really enjoy the process of uncovering these mechanisms through experimentation, which led me to pursue research as a career.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

Outside of science, I like to keep exploring new topics to find new interests, and I really enjoy all kinds of sci-fi. I also like to spend time hiking (during the few weeks of good weather), woodworking, and have recently gotten into baking (please send me your favorite tips and recipes).

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I can put together computers that work...most of the time.

What are your research interests?

I am interested in understanding the mechanism of heterochromatin regulation in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, specifically focusing on histone readers and non-coding RNA-mediated chromatin regulation.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

I had lots of fun doing research in undergrad, so I decided to continue. I also really enjoy troubleshooting (although it is nice when I don’t have to), it’s like solving a mystery.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I like watching movies! I like sci-fi, horror, and Pixar films. When I have more time, I like going to museums, zoos, and hiking trails.

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I can pipette with both of my hands!

What are your research interests?

I’m interested in how chromosome conformation influences cell fate decisions during early development. Specifically, I’m exploring how transcription might serve as a mediator between chromosome organization and developmental outcomes.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

I’ve always been drawn to solving puzzles, inspired in part by fictional detectives like Adrian Monk. Like Monk, I enjoy the open-ended nature of investigative work. When I combined that fascination with my love of biology, research felt like the most natural path forward.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I love curling up with my cat, Bunny, and breezing through entire seasons of our favorite sitcoms (Superstore, Bob’s Burgers, King of the Hill, Never Have I Ever, to name a few). Bunny, of course, dozes off about five minutes in, but he keeps purring like a tiny engine all the way through! He’s the best. 

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I don’t spend much time in the kitchen, but when I do, I absolutely nail new recipes right off the bat. I also very much enjoy drawing and painting, although my art is strictly amateur hour.

What are your research interests?

My research interests center on how a multicellular animal can tailor the molecular signature of a single neuron— and I address this question through a developmental neurogenetics approach, exploring how combinations of RNA-binding proteins may contribute to PVD neuron development in C. elegans. I also aim to take a developmental transcriptomics approach in understanding how the PVD neurons develop relative to the entire nervous system.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

I had excellent biology teachers in high school who made clear to me that some elements of science could be intuitive and self-learned, which was a great motivation to me as someone who grew up with fewer resources than some. However, it wasn’t until my third year of undergrad that I seriously considered joining a lab to conduct experiments. What motivated me was a course I took called Extracellular Matrix Dynamics and Associated Pathologies, which stressed how the basics of biology can contribute to understanding how to target certain molecules for therapeutics. Also, it’s pretty cool to see observable phenotypes in mutants (which is my favourite part of biology)!

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I enjoy reading narrative non-fiction as a way of learning about the wider world (and to build my repository of fun facts/mostly useless information). I also really enjoy my share of prestige TV. And when I get a chance, I like to go back to my artistic roots to paint/draw.

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I’d say I cook and bake fairly well and if I haven’t hosted you, then you probably wouldn’t know about my interest in dreaming up and trying new recipes.

What are your research interests?

I am interested in identifying additional factors contributing to the disease progression and severity in CCM patients.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

I find it intriguing to dig into the possible causes and therapeutic targets of human diseases.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I love playing jigsaw puzzles and trying new dessert recipes.

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I was a ballet dancer for 15 years!

What are your research interests?

I am interested in investigating host-pathogen interactions using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and the ubiquitous parasite microsporidia. My current research project seeks to understand why Nematocidia parisii, a commonly occurring microsporidian species, can infect some Caenorhabditis species and not others.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

Since elementary school, I have always enjoyed science class. Ultimately, the lab courses that I took at U of T solidified my interest in research. I find it satisfying to piece together information and see how it all connects to form a clearer picture. 

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

To destress, I like to pick up an arts and crafts project to focus on. I’m currently trying to learn how to crochet. 

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I can play the piano and clarinet!

What are your research interests?

I’m broadly interested in the mechanisms by which speciation progresses at genetic, cellular and organismal levels. My research aims to identify and characterize reproductive barriers that drive Caenorhabditis speciation in order to help us understand patterns of divergence across the tree of life.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

It’s exciting to uncover answers about the history and future of life on Earth, and there’s no shortage of questions to be investigated!

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I like participating in volleyball intramurals to get active and meet new people. It’s great to play on a team since I spend lots of time working in the lab alone!

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

Not many of my colleagues know that I was an Irish dancer for 13 years, and I love playing the guitar and the fiddle!

What are your research interests?

I am interested in the operational principles of the nervous system and how it coordinate behaviors. I am studying  the neuro-muscular mechanisms underlying effective food transport in C. elegans. 

What are your research interests?

My research focuses on discovering new anthelmintics by investigating how C. elegans adapts to hyperosmotic conditions, taking advantage of its genetic similarities with parasitic helminths to explore potential disruptions in osmoregulation. 

What are your research interests?

My general research interests are in drug discovery and identification of their mechanisms.  

What are your research interests?

I am interested in molecular mechanisms underlying transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. In particular, I want to understand how the interplay of small non-coding and chromatin pathways safeguard germline immortality.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

Growing up, I was always curious about how things worked. There was a really popular science book series in China called One Hundred Thousand Whys that aimed to explain facts about everything – chemistry, meteorology, physics, you name it. I begged my mom to buy the whole series even though I didn’t really get through most of it, but I think that was my ‘Science 101’ and what got me thinking about science. I didn’t know much about research until I went to university. There, I got the chance to work at different labs over two summers, and in my fourth year, I took a full-term research project course, which led me to my current project. I would say my decision to pursue research is driven by curiosity but also by the serendipitous opportunities I landed on along the way.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I love making coffee, trying new coffee beans and discovering new brewing methods. I also like walking around the city with my headphones on, taking pictures of random and interesting things I see, and discovering new places. 

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I recently learned to pour simple latte art like a heart and a tulip.

What are your research interests?

I am interested in uncovering the molecular mechanisms of RNAi and sRNA biology and their roles in gene regulation. 

What are your research interests?

“Gene regulation” are the two words that sum it all up. Specifically, I am always intrigued by the regulation that happens at the level of RNA and all activities that RNA engages in, to contribute to regulation in a highly context dependent manner. I have great interest in Bioinformatics and exploring the power of computational tools in helping us identify the directions to pursue to get deeper insights into biology. However, the wet lab component makes me feel complete.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

I had my calling when I was in grade 6. I guess evolving course curriculums brought me up close to science and I could never derive as much joy from anything else than learning more of it every day.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I have a newfound interest in rock climbing and apart from that I enjoy playing sports like badminton, going biking or on the extreme opposite end I love being a couch potato and binge-watching anime.

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I call myself ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’ (although my parents, friends and partner beg to differ on that). I enjoy drawing and painting. Very few people (1-2) know I can sing, and I really enjoy Bollywood dancing.

What are your research interests?

I’m interested in understanding the conserved molecular mechanisms of development as they relate to human disease. During my PhD in the Derry Lab I investigated the function of the kinase MRCK-1 in biological tube formation and investigated its role in the pathobiology of the neurovascular condition Cerebral Cavernous Malformations.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

During my third year of undergrad at Queen’s University I took a Cell Biology course taught by Prof Sharon Regan, who placed a large focus of the course on the laboratory techniques used for research in cell and molecular biology. I was fascinated by the inner workings of a cell and I wanted to do experiments myself, instead of just reading about them, so I started volunteering in the Regan Lab. Now 11 years and 3 degrees later I still get the same thrill from a successful experiment as I did in undergrad (although failed experiments are much less devastating now).

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I love turning off my brain with some good (bad) reality tv, particularly RuPaul’s Drag Race and all of its spinoffs (Allstars, UK vs the world, Canada, to name a few). And of course I love a live drag show as well (especially RSCI’s Science is a Drag!!)

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

Last summer I co-starred in a short film called ‘Your Planet or Mine?’ where I played a green alien named Tangentia.

What are your research interests?

I’m interested in using the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to study the host factors required for microsporidia parasite cell invasion and how these factors influence parasite host specificity. 

What are your research interests?

I’m interested in the genetics of adaptation: understanding what genes help build the traits that organisms have evolved to adapt to their environments. Caenorhabditis is interesting because some species can be genetically very different from each other despite morphologically looking almost identical – I want to know if we can study their genomes in order to identify unique adaptations that species might have evolved. 

What made you decide to be a researcher?

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved learning about new things, especially nature (growing up, my parents bought me a ton of books about animals). Taking a couple of research courses during my undergrad helped me realize that I wanted a career where I could not only learn lots of cool stuff about the natural world, but also contribute to that knowledge. 

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

In my spare time I like to read about science, but when I want to completely detach I play video games. I play lots of different games, but I always find myself coming back to World of Warcraft – over the past 13 years I’ve played it for over 7000 hours! 

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I actually have a black belt in karate! I’m a little out of practice since I haven’t been to class in while, but I started taking lessons when I was around 8 years old.

What are your research interests?

I'm interested in how the nervous system wires together during development and how those connections work together to generate behaviors. Most of my time is spent doing volume electron microscopy and connectomics, so I spend a lot of time at the EM facility at SickKids.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

An undergraduate lab project using biochemistry to look at synapses in prion disease got me hooked. A postdoc in the lab at the time, Ayodeji Asuni, was very enthusiastic and a great mentor.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

I have a toddler who consumes most of my time out of the lab. After she goes to bed, perhaps a craft beer and a movie.

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I can cook. I can also play golf reasonably well.

What are your research interests?

I am interested in phase separated condensates, which  exist across all domains of life and a subset of these condensates, known as germ granules, are found across animal germlines. These granules have a variety of ties to sRNA pathways and fertility and unraveling these connections is my main interest.

What made you decide to be a researcher?

BIOL311 Principles of Genetics at UofC, at the time I was a general biology student and I remember after the first class I went over to student services and immediately transferred into microbiology. The fact that this microscopic world impacted everything we see was enough to convince me that I needed to know more.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

Some of my favorite ways include watching football (go colts!), working out, and playing video games. I just started playing lethal company with some friends and it’s absolutely hilarious.

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

I grew up helping out on my family farm in Colombia when I came to visit so I learned how to ride horses as a kid and still do any chance I get. I also got into cooking during the pandemic and have turned into a pretty good cook!

What are your research interests?

I’m interested in understanding how metabolism is regulated and the consequences of perturbing different branches of it, specifically how lifespan and other aspects of health might be affected.  

What made you decide to be a researcher?

I’ve always been fascinated by science, and I love puzzles and problem-solving. Research is a process where I can put together my pieces of data like a logic puzzle and try to understand how they fit into the broader narrative.

What are some ways that you detach from science/academia? Do you have a favourite example of this?

My favourite way to detach is going for a hike, but in the city my most regular escape is practicing yoga. It helps me clear my mind when my experiments fail or I’m feeling overwhelmed by the demands of grad school.

Do you have any special talents that few people in your academic life know about?

My lab definitely knows about this, but I’m a pretty decent baker. I like baking because it’s as if your experiments always worked as expected and everyone was excited about the results.