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Welcome –

Faculty

Welcome to Dr. Jaeok Park, our newest Faculty Member. Dr. Park started with us on July 1^st as an Assistant Professor. Welcome Dr. Park.

Students

We would like to welcome our new graduate students. Six students have started in the Fall 2019 semester:

• Zack Clancy, Masters student in Dr. Bertolo’s lab
• Kandeepan Karthigesu, Doctoral student in Dr. Brown and Dr. Bertolo’s labs
• Marzana Monefa, Masters student in Dr. Brown’s lab
• Marcus Payne, Masters student in Dr. Harding’s lab
• Simone Wilkins, Masters student in Dr. Brunton’s lab
• Spencer Wilkins, Masters student in Dr. Brunton’s lab

We hope you all enjoy your time in Biochemistry and wish you well with your studies.

Congratulations 

Congratulations to Nury Santisteban Vela (Dr. Booth) on successfully defending her PhD thesis.

Congratulations to Adrian Young (Dr. Mailloux) who has completed his Masters program.

Congratulations to the following students for recently transferring to the Doctoral program:

• Mrunal Dayma (Dr. Berry)
• Mahesha Asiriwardhana (Dr. Bertolo)

Congratulations to Chandani Dinesh who joined the Brunton/Bertolo lab as a Research Assistant.

Congratulations to the following students on receiving the Biochemistry Graduate Teaching Excellence Award:

• Erin O’Brien (Dr. Brown) Fall 2018
• Dalshini Kirupananthan (Dr. Brunton) Winter 2019

Congratulations to Olatunji Anthony Akerele (Dr. Cheema) who was awarded the R. L. Jacobs Graduate Research Award in Biochemistry. 

The following recipients received the Barrowman Biochemistry Graduate Travel Award 2019/2020:

• Robert Gill (Dr. Mailloux)
• Peter Isesele (Dr. Cheema)
• Raniru Randunu (Dr. Bertolo)
• Shreyasi Sarkar (Dr. Berry)
• Madhushika Silva (Dr. Heeley)

Biochemistry Symposium

This year’s 9^th annual summer symposium was held on August 15^th with approximately 75 people in attendance. A big thanks to Dr. Rene Jacobs, who was the guest speaker, the following students received awards:

Undergraduate Poster
1^st place - Eman Elbakry (Dr. Christian)
Tied Runners-up - Liam Gregory (Dr. Booth) and Reilly Smith (Dr. Christian)

MSc
L.M. Stead award for top oral presentation - Peter Isesele (Dr. Cheema)
Runner-up (sponsored by Janitha and Udaya Wanasundara) - Alex Tobin (Drs. Christian/Brown)

PhD
L.M. Stead award for top oral presentation - Shreyasi Sarkar (Dr. Berry)
Runner-up (sponsored by Janitha and Udaya Wanasundara) - Madhushika Silva (Dr. Heeley)

Faculty Achievements

Congratulations to Dr. Booth who has been named the recipient of the 2019 President's Award for Outstanding Graduate and Postgraduate Supervision.

Congratulations to Dr. Sean Brosnan whose nomination for Professor Emeritus designation has been approved!

Farewell –

After 5 years in the department Dr. Ryan Mailloux has tendered his resignation. Dr. Mailloux leaves with our best wishes for the future and thanks for his contributions to the department over the last 5 years.

Bimal Tennakoon, Research Assistant in the Brunton/Bertolo lab left in June to further his career. We wish Bimal continued success.