Meghan Pepler (M.Sc. candidate)
Meghan joined us in September of 2018 for her 4th year thesis, after having completed her first co-op position at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. She continued her work with us as part of an eight month co-op term, followed by a four month project. After considering her graduate school options, we were delighted that
she opted to continue on in the lab as an M.Sc. student! (supported by an Ontario Graduate Scholarship no less!). Her work in the lab to this point has spanned many areas, including examining the microbiome of fish eggs, and probing the anti-microbial properties of 'gland extracts' from the fathers (not as disgusting as it sounds...depending on who you talk to...), in
collaboration with Sigal Balshine's group in PNB. Her graduate work is more focussed on the molecular genetics of 'wild' (uncharacterized)
Streptomyces isolates, and their production of antibiotics and other natural products.
Meghan is a hot yoga aficionado (which Marie appreciates but doesn't understand) and an avid cyclist. She is also an enthusiastic chef, and a keeper of bees (who produce amazing honey!). Meghan and Evan have been very positive additions to the lab's 'trivia team', giving them their
first 'top three' finish in years! Meghan is also the driver (and designer!) of our first ever 'lab swag' - spectacular hoodies with an 'Elliot lab' logo on them!
Evan Shepherdson (Ph.D. candidate)
Evan joined our group in September 2018, after having completed his BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Waterloo (following in the footsteps of Dave, Henry and Matt M., who were all Waterloo graduates). And he was so excited about his work, that he transferred to the Ph.D. program a year early, in Sept 2019, and then passed his comprehensive exam in 2020 (also early!), with TOP marks! Evan's NSERC and Ontario Graduate Scholarship-supported work is forging new directions in understanding the environmental, genetic and metabolic
aspects underlying
Streptomyces exploratory growth. Evan has proven to be a trivia master, pun-maker extraordinare, and together with Meghan, has launched the lab trivia team into prize winning territory for the first time in ages. Like many others in the lab, he has his food quirks, which include a worrying taste in cereals (who doesn't like Shreddies?!?!) but impeccable taste in chocolate (Coffee Crisp is indeed the best Halloween treat), and he is a sports enthusiast, cheering for the Panthers (NFL, not NHL), playing squash, and organizing volleyball teams (and then excelling while playing on them!).
Matt Zambri (Ph.D. candidate)
Matt started his M.Sc. with us in September 2017, before transferring to the Ph.D. program in May 2019 (and acing his comprehensive exam in 2020!). He is making impressive progress on understanding the structural and environmental factors that contribute to
Streptomyces exploration, and in recognition of his research excellence to date, Matt was recently awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2020-2021)! Matt graduated with his B.Sc. from the University of Ottawa, where he gained extensive molecular biology experience courtesy of his co-op placements in microbiology labs associated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Matt carries on a long-standing lab tradition of being an opponent of cherry tomatoes (not sure what the problem is - these are tasty little things!), as well as a staunch supporter of both the Blue Jays (Matt also plays high-level baseball), and the Maple Leafs (who periodically flirt with being a team worth supporting!?). In addition to his athletic and academic skills, Matt is proving to be a serious culinary innovator, creating
saga-worthy dishes for multiple lab dinners (he may well never buy an eggplant again...).
Xiafei Zhang (Ph.D. candidate)
Xiafei started her M.Sc. in the lab in September 2016, having completed her undergraduate degree at Sichuan Normal University in China. She transferred to the Ph.D. program in 2018, in what was a glorious transfer defense. Fei has made outstanding progress so far, and in recognition of her research productivity and promise, she has been awarded an 'International Excellence Award', along with
the only 'Ontario Graduate Scholarship' awarded to international students
in the Faculty of Science. Fei is focusing her attention on understanding the function of a key regulator of antibiotic production in
Streptomyces. Fei has actively embraced the natural wonders of the Hamilton area and has rapidly become the
'waterfall expert' in the lab. In true Canadian fashion, Fei arrived in the country and promptly learned to skate (under the expert guidance of Savannah, a former graduate student and provincial skating champion)! Xiafei has recently taken up squash and tennis, and like others in the lab, she adores food; although she is (unfairly) anti-broccoli, solely due to its 'little tree' appearance...