UBC iGEM Team Blog

I am the principal faculty advisor for this year’s inaugural UBC iGEM team.  I am proud to be a part of this effort, and am impressed by the enterprising and hardworking nature of all the students involved.  My role has been to secure space and funding for the team.  We are fortunate to have received funding from UBC’s Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund as well as support from the BC Transplant training programme.  Multiple vendors have also come to our aid, providing wonderful assistance with pricing, free products, and assistance using their products.

My interest in iGEM arose from a talk I heard at the Institute for Systems Biology by Drew Endy, one of the main iGEM founders.  When I floated the idea here on campus, I was inundated with interest from many students in departments all across campus, as well as faculty (including some from departments as varied as English and Botany).  My own research isn’t in synthetic biology, but the tools and parts being developed will serve everyone in the years to come.

My own interests lie in developing integrated microfluidic systems for disease detection.  You can see my lab’s website here.  When I’m not writing grants, I can be found cooking, running, designing electronics, or refinishing wood furniture.