Andrew Smith

BEng, Chemical Engineering – Dalhousie University 

I am a 5th year student in Chemical Engineering at Dalhousie and will graduate in May of 2022. My current research is focused on designing, modeling, and fabricating a lung alveoli model using a combination of manufacturing techniques, including 3-D printing, soft lithography, and CNC milling. The goal of the model is to better mimic the mechanical stresses of the alveolar microenvironment. When I’m not busy with school or lab work, I enjoy surfing and skiing.

As a visiting graduate research student at Dalhousie University I am doing a 6 months research masters thesis.

As a part of my master’s program, I am doing research involving the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans at Dalhousie University. This fungus is commonly found in the oral microbiome of every human being as a harmless colonizer in the form of yeast. Nevertheless, it has been observed that this phenotype switches to a pathogenic fungal state in immunosuppressed patients (e.g., cancer, HIV). The aim of my project is to introduce C. albicans in the models that the lab is currently working on, to see what effects it has overall.

In my free time I like to explore Halifax and its surrounding nature by foot, and I also like to show people pictures of my beautiful cat Lotta.

I am studying my last year of Biotechnology and bioengineering at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv University, Ukraine. Since the summer of 2022, I have been doing a biomedical project in Brendan Leung’s lab. Our research topic is studying the relationship between adipose tissue hypoxia and maladaptive angiogenesis. There are three objectives for my research: The first one is focused on using an in-vitro device that models the hypoxia microenvironment; the second goal is developing a 3D spheroid model for blood vessel endothelial cells; the final goal is studying the blood vessel development in the adipose microenvironment. My favourite hobby is photography. Also, I enjoy dancing, long walking and practicing yoga.

Julia Tetford

Visiting experimental learning student, (Dalhousie University), B.Sc. student – Microbiology and Immunology

 

I am in my 3rd year majoring in Microbiology and Immunology and minoring in Environmental Science at Dalhousie. I will be gaining experience in the Leung lab through experiential learning regarding the oral epithelium and chemotherapeutic tissue-damage. Outside of school, I like to paint and hike.

Flora Machovsky Mendes Pinto

Visiting experimental learning student, (Dalhousie University), B.Sc. student – Microbiology and Immunology

 

I am in my 3rd year of Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie, completing both my experimental learning and honours thesis in the Leung Lab. My research focus on the use of T-SLICE model to recreate tumour microenvironments and help study tumour stemness, and drug response. When I am not busy with school I enjoy reading fantasy books, watching historical shows, or going on short adventures to places I’ve never been.