I am from Nanjing, a pretty city in China. I have studied in Canada since high school. I graduated from University of Toronto where I double majored in Cell & Molecular Biology, and Fundamental Genetics & its Application. During my undergraduate study, I developed my interest in stem cell research. In the Esseltine laboratory, my project is gap junction based stem cell communication which is a continuation of my journey in the field of stem cell studies.

I was born in Brazil but grew up in China before moving to Newfoundland to start my BSc in Biology at Memorial University. I started in the lab through a shadowing opportunity and was fascinated with the work being done, now I am currently completing my SURA program where I am researching about the TMEM43 protein which plays a great factor in a hereditary heart disease in Newfoundland.

Growing up in Tehran, Iran, I earned a Master’s in Genetics from Tehran Science and Research University, where I focused on signal transduction in colorectal cancer. After gaining valuable experience in medical genetics labs and teaching at the university level, I moved to Canada to pursue a second Master’s in Biomedical Sciences at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Now, I am thrilled to be a PhD student in Dr. Jessica Esseltine’s laboratory, where my research explores inherited cardiomyopathy in Newfoundland patients using patient-derived stem cells.

I was born and grew up in Sirjan, a small city in Iran, I completed my first Master’s in Human Genetics from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran, where I developed a strong foundation in genetic disorders. I then pursued a second Master’s in Biomedicine at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, focusing on iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs). Driven by a passion for translational stem cell research, I moved to Canada to join Dr. Jessica Esseltine’s laboratory as a PhD student. Currently, my research focuses on patient-derived iPSC-CMs carrying mutations in cTnT and cTnI, aiming to uncover mechanisms underlying inherited cardiomyopathy.

I have lived in Newfoundland my entire life, although you couldn't tell because I'm quite directionally impaired. I completed both an Honours and a Master's in analytical/ocean chemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland where I specialized in extracting protein-like structures from rivers and ocean waters. I made a full pivot into the biomedical field, and I am currently pursuing my graduate studies in the Esseltine Lab, where research is centred on heart arrhythmias linked to the "Newfoundland Curse." This condition is associated with a genetic variant in the TMEM43 gene, which can lead to sudden cardiac death in otherwise healthy young individuals.