Connell Lecture Series: Dr. Kristin Parent

December 20, 2018 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Written by Annoj Thavalingam On October 24th 2018, our Connell lecturer Dr. Kristin Parent arrived from Michigan State University to present her research on a novel mechanism of phage capsid stabilization. Transcripts decided to continue the conversation by meeting Kristin via Skype and discussing […]

Connell Lecture Series: Dr. Maria Jasin

September 24, 2018 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Written by Louis Ho Dr. Maria Jasin is a biomedical researcher at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. I asked her about her work, the field of DNA damage and the hurdles she encountered in her career as a female scientist. Dr. […]

A Brief History of the Connell Lectures

September 24, 2018 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Written by Andrew Zhai Each year, the Biochemistry department hosts the George Connell Lectures: a series of talks given by an invited researcher from outside the university about the cutting-edge research being done in their labs. We had the opportunity to chat with […]

Tunnel Vision

September 2, 2018 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Written by Annoj Thavalingam Image courtesy of Flickr Entry #1 – May 3rd 2033, 7:30 am I […]

Rotation Reflections

June 10, 2018 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Last fall, the Biochemistry Department introduced a major change in the graduate program regarding first year structure. All incoming students are now required to undergo three five-week rotations before choosing a permanent lab. The most obvious appeal of rotations is that it enables students to […]

Meet the Microbes!

January 23, 2018 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Written by Annoj Thavalingam Header image courtesy of NIH Just like people, microbes come in all varieties, too many to keep count. The eleven haikus below appreciate the far-reaching impact they exert upon human health, and remind us that regardless of our plight on Earth, […]

On the nature of the PhD and learning to be a scientist

December 18, 2017 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

written by Dr. Justin Nodwell illustration by Nikko Torres September, 1986. I am a rotation student visiting a lab in the. Medical Sciences Building here at the University of Toronto. Students are gathered around Dr. Rob Dunn who was inspecting a piece of X-ray film bearing the results of a DNA sequencing experiment carried out…

A Guide to Choosing the Right Lab

December 14, 2017 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

by Louis Ho Choosing the right lab can be a daunting task. Especially if you’re planning to stay for the long-haul. Whether you’re totally set or about to flip a coin. Here are some things to consider before you take that leap of faith. The People – One of the key features of a lab…

Using Physical Techniques To Solve Biological Problems: Professor Lewis Kay Wins the Gairdner

August 31, 2017 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Written by Anastassia Pogoutse Artwork by Nikko Torres The Canada Gairdner International Award is given yearly to five individuals for outstanding contributions to medical science. 84 of its 388 recipients have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. Dr. Lewis Kay, a Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, and Chemistry, received the Gairdner…

Is International CRISPR Regulation a Pipe Dream?

July 24, 2017 Andrew Zhai Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

Written by Shawn Xiong Edited by Manisha Talukdar Header image courtesy of Marie Ann Liebert At the dawn of recombinant DNA technology in the early 1970s, two conferences took place in Asilomar state beach in California, led by Stanford biochemist Paul Berg. From an outright prohibition during the first meeting in 1973 to tight regulation…

Author: Andrew Zhai