Each year, the University of British Columbia Faculty of Science awards the Excellence in Service Awards to a maximum of six staff (including one Postdoctoral Fellow or Research Associate), two faculty members and two students in the entire student body. These awards recognize those who bring exceptional and positive contributions to their faculty and rewards their outstanding service. Congratulations to Dr. Erika Siren, a recent graduate from the Kizhakkedathu lab who received this prestigious award in late 2018! She’s now continuing her education as a Friedman Scholar at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Erika Siren was credited for going above and beyond to provide support within her interdisciplinary field of biomaterials chemistry, increasing its visibility and accessibility and collaborations within the university. Outside the lab, Erika was also actively involved in science outreach during her PhD through initiatives at Science World and Café Scientifique.

Many of Erika’s contributions were through the CBR, including the CBR Knowledge Translation Committee, of which she was a founding member. Erika worked as a science writer throughout her PhD; indeed, her articles were featured in Biotechnology Focus, the Vancouver Sun and the Financial Post. Reflecting on her time at the CBR, Erika notes that “the CBR provided a really unique graduate school experience where I was encouraged to contribute to science in more ways than research alone. Many of the initiatives I participated in during grad school could not have been done without the financial and administrative support from the CBR”.

To learn more about what Erika is studying, check out our new video series featuring exclusive interviews with our lab members on their current research projects: “CBR Member Series – Episode 1: Dr. Erika Siren”.

Congrats Erika!