I completed a cooperative undergraduate degree in Biology, which gave me the opportunity to work in industry, academia and government. I found that I genuinely appreciated work terms that involved basic scientific research. This cooperative experience inspired me to pursue research as a career. Being able to contribute to scientific knowledge and expose the elegance of natural processes has driven me ever since. There is a feeling of accomplishment after answering a scientific question and having peers read, cite and use your work to meet their own research goals.

I subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology where I studied how the transport of L-arginine changes in the vasculature of an animal model of heart disease. Finally, I completed my PhD studying the effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated mutations on the folding and stability of superoxide dismutase. At this time, I realized that I needed atomic level pictures of the proteins I was studying to precisely understand how they function. Thus, I decided to pursue post-doctoral training in structural biology at the University of Toronto and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Structural biology is a field of science where atomic-level depictions of proteins are used to reveal their molecular mechanisms of action. Because changes in protein structure underlie myriad disease states, resolving structures of proteins with mutations linked to disease can help us understand why the protein is dysfunctional and provide novel treatment strategies. During my post-doctoral training, I also gained an appreciation for the universality of calcium signaling, which underlies all cellular processes that help us grow and maintain our health, as well as lead to disease.