Meet the incoming CBR Graduate Award Program (GAP) Cohort for 2024-25! Over the next year, these students will take part in exciting professional development activities alongside their research. Learn more about them and their research below:
Download the GAP 2024-25 Cohort PDF here!
Abbey Sugars-Keen, Conway Lab
My name is Abbey Sugars-Keen, and I am a first year Masters student in Dr. Ed Conway’s lab. My research is investigating the link between the blood coagulation and insulin resistance pathways in cases of obesity and type II diabetes. Through experimentation with tissue factor, an important blood coagulation factor, and CD248, another glycoprotein whose role in thrombosis is currently being unravelled, I will explore the roles of these proteins as possible mediators of the crosstalk between the two pathways.
Hobbies: I love playing the piano and violin, reading whatever I can get my hands on and acting.
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? It would probably be for race walking, a talent honed from years of rushing between classes.
Alex Pieters, Cheung Lab
My name is Alex Pieters and I am a 2nd year, MASc student in Dr. Karen Cheung’s lab. As part of a multi-institutional research project called Mend the Gap, I am developing and characterizing the mechanical properties of an injectable hydrogel for curing spinal cord injuries. With a rheometer, I am assessing the curing time of different hydrogel formulations as well as the stiffness of the 3D scaffolds after photo-crosslinking. I am also developing a mechanical indentation framework to assess the integration and degradation of the hydrogel within a rat spinal cord
Hobbies: I love practicing triathlon, backpacking, skiing, and cooking savory dishes.
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? Individual and mixed relay (biking portion) triathlon.
Bryce Roper, Kizhakkedathu Lab
My name is Bryce Roper and I’m a 2nd year PhD student in Dr. Jay Kizhakkedathu’s lab. My research seeks to address barriers to transplant success through genetic manipulation of surface properties of allograft vasculature. Our hope is that modifying the vascular endothelial surface will confer tolerant phenotypes to organ transplants and reduce the significant burden of immunosuppressive medications currently used to prevent transplant rejection.
Hobbies: When I’m not doing cell culture in the lab, I’m doing sourdough culture at home and consider myself an avid baker (CBR bake-off winner :)). During the summer months I love to garden in my backyard, too!
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? I like to think I’d do long-distance swimming since I grew up in the pool, but more realistically I might learn to row since team sports are more fun.
Jiaqi (Janet) Wu, McNagny Lab
My name is Janet Wu and I am a 2nd year, MSC student in Dr. Kelly McNagny’s Lab. My research encompasses mouse models, immunotherapeutics and antibody-drug conjugates.
Hobbies: I like to explore coffee and bubble tea shops in Vancouver
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? None, I don’t like exercise.
Katia Rosenflanz, Ma Lab
Hi, my name is Katia Rosenflanz and I am a MASc student in Dr. Hongshen Ma’s lab. My research focuses on developing a method to simultaneously obtain transcriptome, secretome, and surface marker data from single immune cells. I hope to apply my research to understand distinct subsets of a disease called Graft-versus-Host, which involves the attack of a transplant recipient’s tissues by donor immune cells.
Hobbies: I love to be active, through sports including triathlon & cross-country skiing. Since moving to BC, I’ve also discovered beach volleyball! Besides sports, I also love to read, listen to music, & knit.
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? I would compete in swimming as I’ve been swimming since I was little.
Poorna Murali, Brown Lab
My name is Poorna and I am a MSc student in Dr. Kelly Brown’s lab. My research focuses on types of vasculitis in children that affect medium-sized blood vessels & the role of a putative enzyme & growth factor called adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2) in maintaining normal blood vessel integrity. I will perform a comparative analysis of differentially regulated cellular & molecular pathways in vasculitis patients without & with pathogenic variants in the ADA2 gene. I hope that my results will provide new evidence on the mechanisms that drive vasculitis in children.
Hobbies: When not in lab, you can either find me curled up with a good crime fiction or out exploring all the beauty Vancouver has to offer.
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? I would love to race horses! I might not be the sportiest person you meet, but galloping on a horse through jumps and maneuvers sounds the perfect least-athletic blend of nature and adventure (only if it doesn’t kick me off first, obviously 😉).
Steven Jiang, Kim Lab
My name is Steven Jiang, I am a 3rd year PhD student in Dr. Hugh Kim’s lab! I study the platelet biochemistry. Platelets are blood cells responsible for blood clotting. Specifically, I study how cytoskeleton, the structural framework, inside platelets affect blood clotting and other diseases (e.g., asthma and inflammatory arthritis).
Hobbies: I like to play ice hockey, hike and play video games!
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? I’d play ice hockey, if I were actually good.
Tess Smith, Strynadka Lab
My name is Tess Smith, and I am a 3rd year PhD candidate in Dr. Natalie Strynadka’s lab. I use structural and functional approaches to better characterize the cytoplasmic components of the Type 3 Secretion System, a large nanomachine and common virulence mechanism in pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella. Using techniques such as cryogenic electron microscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, and in situ secretion assays, I hope to lay the groundwork to aid in the development of novel therapeutics.
Hobbies: I enjoy playing piano, crocheting in the winter, and hiking around beautiful BC in the summer. 🙂
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics? If I were to compete in an Olympic sport, it would most likely be table tennis.
About the CBR Graduate Award Program (GAP):
The CBR Graduate Award Program (GAP) is an educational development program available to MSc and PhD students. The program provides successful applicants with funding, as well as a chance to develop professional experience that is useful in and beyond academia.