Team

Erin Kelly

I am currently in grade 12 attending Catholic Central High School in Lethbridge. I am going to the University of Lethbridge next year, majoring in Biochemistry. Science has been the essence of most of my teenage life, while my childhood consisted of Harry Potter and sports. Contrary to my seemingly sweet and quiet demeanor, I love hard rock and some metal. Screamo is pushing it, but I will listen to everything from Rammstein to Panic! at the Disco. For me, iGEM is a way to pursue my dream of being a nerdy scientist earlier than I had anticipated and it has been a lot of fun. I plan to continue working with the team in university.

Elaine Bird

Hi, I am in the eleventh grade at Catholic Central High School. This is my first year being a member of the iGEM team and so far I am loving it. Prior to iGEM I didn't know very much about synthetic biology but now having spent time in the field I have learned it is something I am interested in. Hands down, the best field of study for me when I go into university is biology. Animals have always played a huge role in my life, I live on a ranch and in the picture is my pet sheep (more like my dog,) Flick. Any other spare time I have that the farm does not occupy, I enjoy being with friends and family, volunteering throughout Lethbridge, as well as playing a few different instruments.

Brianna Carrels

Hi, my name is Brianna Carrels and I am in grade 10 at Chinook High School. I love the sciences and IGEM gives me the opportunity to explore them in more depth. Outside of school I spend my time playing golf, tennis, volleyball and skiiing. Academics is my first priority and the concepts taught through IGEM have carried over into my regular school work. I also have a passion for volunteering and am actively involved in the community through groups such as NHS.

Yoyo Yao

Hi there! I'm Yoyo and I am currently in Grade 11 at Chinook High School. When I heard about the creation of the Lethbridge High School iGem team I jumped at the chance to join as I knew it was going to be a positive experience. So far I've learned more than I'd hope for in the world of synthetic biology. When I am outside of school and iGem - I enjoy art, multi-media photoshop, and skiing.

Natalia Mitura

Hi name is Natalia Mitura and I’m a senior at CCH. I can honestly say the sciences have always fascinated me, especially chemistry. But I also find the study of genetics to be very interesting, which is why iGEM was brought to my attention. I love the people that I’ve worked with throughout their project, it’s just awesome to be surrounded by people who are into the same things as you are. The one thing I love to do most is travel and see all the amazing things this world has to offer. Although I haven’t been as much of an active member of the team as I’d like to be, it’s great to have this as a learning experience for later on when I continue my studies in the sciences.

Cassandra Logue

Hi I'm Cassandra Logue and I joined the highschool iGEM team because I thought it would be an interesting, hands-on way to learn about biology. I am in grade 11 at LCI and I am finding iGEM very interesting and exciting. I also enjoy hanging out with friends, reading, and traveling.

Iain Sander

When I heard about iGEM, I knew immediately that it was an opportunity for me. It has been incredibly exciting to work alongside some of my most brilliant and creative peers as we continue our work on our project. Deciding to open the iGEM competition to high schools was an excellent idea, as I feel that we have been able to use our skills as engaged thinkers and to embrace the spirit of creativity and entrepreneurialism. iGEM is important to me, because I value the people that I get to work alongside.

Branden Black

Hello! My name is Branden, and this is the first year I’ve participated in iGem, and I’m really enjoying it. When I’m not in the iGem lab, or at school or work, I enjoy reading, playing video games, practicing Tae Kwon-Do and guitar and fly fishing.

Dax Law

Hi, I'm Dax Law, a student at LCI. This is my first year as a member of the high-school IGEM team, in addition this is also the first time I've worked in the field of synthetic biology. Aside from working in the lab enjoy painting, reading, and volunteering through the National Honor society.

Devan Carrier

Hi, my name is Devan Carrier. I am a grade 11 student attending school at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, or LCI. I have always been quite interested in genetic biology so when I was presented the opportunity to join the Lethbridge highschool iGem team I was very excited. This opportunity has opened many doors for my future and i very well may aspire to a career in genetics. When not at the labs, i enjoy hanging out with my friends, Badminton, cooking, reading, and listening to music.

Gerardo Karari Balderas Figueroa

Hey! I'm Gerardo, and I'm grade 11. My Favorite subject at school has always been math, for it is the one I've found the easiest, then tied for second place is Biology and Art. I have always had a big interest in medicine, for my mom is a vet and has taught me a lot of things as well as inspired me to do something relating medicine. Art-wise, I mostly do traditional media (Acryllics, Drawing, Pastels, and Watercolors), Digital Media, and some photography; most pieces, if not all are portraiture, for the human body is of great interest to me. My passion for Art has given my goal to be a doctor a twist and has convinced me to become a plastic surgeon, focusing mostly in cosmetic procedures. I hope I can one day do wonders with my artistic expertise and passion for medicine. Outside of school I have engaged in many activities such as Tae Kwon Do(wtf, not itf), Gymnastics, Diving, and Lifeguarding. My favorite sport is Tae Kwon Do, and not to brag, but Im kind of a black belt, so watch out!

Chris Isaac

Hi. My name is Chris Isaac- yes, I know. I've never met the guy nor am I named after him. But Speak of the Devil, in this Heart Shaped World no one is Forever Blue. Someday, I'd like to leave the Wicked Game behind with my San Francisco Days and Live In Australia.

At present, I'm a grade eleven student at Chinook High School. Apart from academics, I busy myself with playing in a Jazz Band, sports. video games and art. Most notably, after our pianist quit I took it upon myself to learn the piano on my own. My current repertoire includes pieces by Isaac Shepard and Nobuo Uematsu. However, my musical preference does not include modern pop music. Of course, every rule has an exception. In this case I've been bullied by one of my friends into liking One Direction. AKB48 is also pretty catchy- my exchange students caught me on to that stuff.

Anyways, iGEM has been a really interesting experience and I hope to participate in it again next year.

Orion Sehn

Hello I am Orion Sehn, I am currently a grade 10 student of Winston Churchill high school, I also have a part time job working at the Penny coffee house. This is my first year at iGEM and I'm having a great time, great to learn about synbio. I have always been interested in cellular biology since I was little and I'm so glad to have an opportunity to learn with an environment of friendliness. I like to play soccer, and read. (and yes I have got a haircut since this picture was taken :) )

Carissa Kirk

Hello there! I am Carissa Kirk and I am a grade ten student. This year I joined the first high school iGEM team in Canada and so far it has been stupendous! Other than bio I enjoy playing volleyball and doing art.

Alycia Amatto

Hi! My name is Alycia and I am currently a grade 11 student at Catholic Central High School. I heard about the iGem program through school and so far it has been an awesome experience. I am extremely interested in the sciences and am looking forward to pursuing a career in medicine later on in life. I feel that iGem gives me great insight into work in the lab and various research skills. Aside from my interest in the field of science, I love to play many different sports including soccer, basketball, track & field, volleyball and badminton.

Corbin Chenger

Hi my name is Corbin Chenger and I am a cat person. I mean I don't mind spending time with dogs; I just prefer cats. The reason why I am telling you this is because I joined the IGEM high highschool team because it was my beleif that we could make our very own glowing cats. Unfortunately due to technicalities this was out of the question. Despite this I have learnt a lot about synthetic biology and seeing as how I have yet to receive my acceptence letter for howgwarts, I will be looking forward to furthering my studies as a Bio Chem major at the U of L next year (it's close enough to potions class). Oh and hopefully one day I can engineer my own glowing cat.

Erin Kwan

Hi! I’m Erin a grade 12 student at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. Next year I am planning to pursue Engineering, and when I heard about the Lethbridge High School iGem team I was dying to be a part of it. In my free time I enjoy skiing (racing and coaching), swimming, reading, photography and spending time with my friends.

Janelle Veenendaal

Hi, my name is Janelle Veenendaal and I’m currently in grade 11 at Immanuel Christian High School in Lethbridge, Alberta. My strong point in school is science, particularly biology and physics. I joined iGEM because I think it is a great opportunity to learn more than what I can be taught in high school and it gives me a taste of what biology will be like in university. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, hiking, taekwon-do, and reading.

Alli Herauf

Hey! I’m Alli Herauf, and I am currently in grade 10 at Chinook High School. This is the first year that Lethbridge has had a high school level iGem team, so I find it pretty cool that I am able to be a part of it. I hope to go into the medical field once I graduate, and I have found that spending time in the lab has really heightened my interest in science, biology in particular. Outside of school and iGem, I love to read and write, as well as play rugby, volunteer and spend time with family and friends. I am a very busy girl, and I am glad to be able to include iGem in my schedule!

Riley Martens

Hi, my name is Riley Martens, I am currently a grade twelve student at Catholic Central High School. When I heard about iGEM i was immediately fascinated as it combined two of my favourite things; Biology and Chemistry. Being a part of the iGEM team has brought me valuable lab experience as well as allowed me to meet some very bright and talented individuals. Next Fall I will be attending the University of Lethbridge for a bachelors degree in biological sciences, with an overall objective of medical school at the University of Calgary.

Katelyn Harder

Hi, I am Katelyn Harder and am currently in grade 11 at Catholic Central. I am possibly looking to peruse a career in medicine and when I heard about the high school iGEM team I thought it would be a great opportunity to broaden my understanding of sciences and help prepare me for my future in the lab. Aside from iGEM I do cross-country running, curling and badminton for my school, I also love skiing and travelling.

Brooke Heatherington

My name is Brooke Heatherington. I am a grade 11 student at Catholic Central High School and a part of our schools French immersion program. Science has always been an interest of mine, I hope to one day be a doctor, so I jumped at the chance to take part in IGEM. So far, my experience has been awesome and I am so happy to have been given such an opportunity! I spend much of my free time reading and playing music (Guitar and Piano). I also enjoy hiking and hunting and I especially love rock climbing.

Trisha Bouma

My name is Trisha Bouma and I am a grade 11 student going to Immanuel Christian High School. I first became with iGEM when my friend invited me to come along to something at the university. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but when I heard about the project I knew that I really wanted to be a part of it. I love photography, science, math, reading, and painting. I hope to become a practitioner someday, after getting a degree in some sort of science (I haven’t decided exactly what that science will be yet). Hopefully I will have a better idea after this experience.

Shammamah Hossain

My name is Shammamah and I am currently in the eleventh grade at Winston Churchill High School. I have always been interested in biology; however, I had never really been aware of the existence of synthetic biology until I heard about iGEM. Needless to say, however, I find it to be an enthralling field and I have had an amazing time working in the lab with my peers, as well as learning about the amazing things one can do with the language of genetics.

Jared Sparkes

My name is Jared Sparkes and I currently attend Chinook High School in grade 11. I enjoy playing sports, mostly volleyball, badminton, and racquetball. I’ve played volleyball for Churchill, Chinook, and LVC and I’ve received a silver medal at provincials for racquetball. I enjoy music a lot and I play piano and drums. I listen to Metal and I am the singer in a local death metal band. I usually spend my time with friends or doing some physical activity. I love to be outside doing something and like to try new things. I have always found the sciences to be interesting. When I heard about iGem I signed up and have had a terrific time so far. iGem is very interesting and fun and has helped me become aware of a whole new field of science.

Wesley Mosimann

My name is Wesley Mosimann, I am 16 years old and I attend Chinook High School. I am very strong in math as well as all of my sciences and chose to join IGEM to broaden my understanding of synthetic biology. As for my interests, I watch hockey and the food network almost exclusively and I cook a lot, it is a large passion of mine. If I ever look to play any games, I usual look to play some League of Legends for online games or Rugby if I am in a sporting mood. honestly though, reading is my favorite activity of all, I have read the entirety of Wheel of Time, Artemis Fowl, David Eddings series', many of L.E. Modesitt's books, Of Mice and Men, etc...

Teddi Reynolds

Hi, my name is Teddi Reynolds and I am a High School student in grade 12 at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. Next year I am planning on attending the University of Lethbridge majoring in Neuroscience, hopefully leading towards a career in Neuroscience research. I am also very interested in Psychology and also Music. My hobbies include playing the trumpet, unicycling, hiking, camping, reading, annoying my sister, rock climbing, swimming, and generally enjoying Gods wonderful creation.

Marissa Guzzi

Working on this project has taught me a lot about biology, and it really has been something like this quote I've found. "The most exciting thing for me is crossing the bridge between something we know is real and something that is extraordinary." -J.J. Abrams. I have loved working with these amazing people over the past months and cannot wait to get to university and further my education on this wonderful subject!

Dawson Meyer

Hello my name is Dawson Meyer I'm a grade eleven student at Chinook High School. When school isn't in, I enjoy playing the saxophone in jazz band, volunteering at the hospital, playing rugby, and hanging out with my pals. I am also the bassist for Lucy For President (we are going to make it big) I am enjoying my first year at iGem, and I'm a big fan of learning about Synthetic Biology.

Marie Cooney

Hi! I'm Marie Cooney, also known as that one diabetic kid doesn't seem show up enough 'cause she's always sick! I joined up with the Lethbridge High School IGEM team because sythetic biology seems like the sickest thing since sliced bread, or like, insulin. I really love all musics and arts (except, like, art) and am a member of Catholic Central High School's concert choir and band, as well as participant in CCH's musical productions. I read so much that it is probably detrimental to my health, and sing until my throat is hoarse. I think iGEM has been a great experience for me because I might know how to manufacture my own insulin if the need ever presented itself and I was given the proper equipment and help! :D

Maya Many Grey Horses

Oki my name is Maya Many Grey Horses! I am excited to say I am a part of the Lethbridge iGEM team. So far I have enjoyed it to the max! I love Biology and being able to do something like this as an extracurricular activity has been great. Biology is something I would like to study further in my university career. After high school I plan on becoming a naturopathic doctor. I hope to be apart of iGEM throughout my high school years. I enjoy working with intelligent peers and using our creativity in something we all love. Besides iGEM and school I also like to volunteer around the city and working at Cheesecake Cafe.

Advisors

Sutherland Dube

I was part of the 2011 University of Lethbridge iGEM team, and am currently on the 2012 team in addition to being an advisor for the 2012 Lethbridge high school iGEM team. We have an excellent group of students this year and advising them has been great! I just finished my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, and will be starting my Master's degree in the Fall.

Alvin Lee

I am currently majoring in Biochemistry at the University of Lethbridge, and will be entering my second year in the fall. I joined the University of Lethbridge iGEM team as an opportunity to explore one of many avenues in biology, and to absorb knowledge from an invaluable resource; that is, like-minded, veteran iGEM members. It has certainly been a rewarding experience to assume an advisory position and offer such an aspiring group of students my own knowledge. When I'm not working in lab - either Ute Kothe's RNA lab or the iGEM lab - I enjoy volunteering, playing badminton, and hiking. By the way, the name's Alvin Lee.

Justin Luu

I am part of the 2012 University of Lethbridge iGEM team. I will be going into my second year of my Bachelor of Science majoring in Biochemistry. We have a great group of students this year. They are all intelligent and eager to learn and work. I really enjoyed being an advisor and hope to do it again soon. Other than iGEM I enjoy spending time with friends and family, board games and sports. Also being Legend...wait for it...dary.

Isaac Ward

Hello my name is Isaac and I am in my third year of my Bachelor of Science majoring in Neuroscience. This is my second year in the iGEM competition and my first year advising for the High school team. I have had a really inspiring time helping advise the high school team. I come to the High school program with experience from Coaching and teaching Cross country skiing and working as a camp counsellor. When I am not busy in the lab I enjoy skiing, Hiking, and Camping.

Ben Vuong

I was born and raised in Lethbridge. I have just finished up my second year at the University of Lethbridge currently majoring in Neuroscience. This is my second year participating in the iGEM collegiate division. I’m grateful for the opportunity to advise the eager group of students we have this year. I hope to help make this experience memorable for every member of the team. Teaching is one of my passions and this opportunity allows me to share my experience gained from iGEM, Dr. Tony Russell’s Lab and Dr. Steven Mosimann’s Lab.

Nathan Dawson

I’ve just finished my second year of university, and switched my major from neuroscience to biochemistry. I was on the 2011 University of Lethbridge iGEM team and the experience was amazing. As a member of the current University of Lethbridge iGEM team, the opportunity to introduce high school students to synthetic biology was too tempting to pass up. As a result I found myself awake “early” in the morning in high school classrooms explaining synthetic biology. The high school team is teeming with creativity and a desire to learn, and it’s always a pleasure to talk about science with them.

Leaders

Kim Orr

Hello! My name is Kim Orr and this is my first year with iGEM. Teaching is my passion, especially science education! My summer vacation will be spent traveling with my family, camping, reading and finishing my master’s degree.

Hans-Joachim Wieden

Originally from Germany I moved to Canada in 2005 to start a research group on the structure and function of the bacterial protein synthesis machinery, a cellular process targeted by over 50% of the known antibiotics. I am intrigued by the molecular design and function of this essential bio-nanomachine. I try to unravel the underlying design principles in order to enable the rational design and engineering of novel bio-nanomachines. I am essentially asking the question if such novel bio-machines can be constructed from simple and fundamental principles or are these assemblies just to complex. Well and that’s why it was extremely easy to rope me into doing iGEM.