zeynep kahramanoglu

Zeynep is currently a Scientific Communications Specialist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. She received her BSc (Honours) at the University of Guelph, specializing in Molecular Biology and Genetics. Later, she earned her MSc in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine with a collaborative degree in Developmental Biology from Western University. Her master’s thesis focused on the effects of chemotherapy on late-stage ovarian cancer tumour cells and surrounding tumour blood vessels. Her experience as a cancer researcher and communicator developed through studying several different cancers in a variety of institutions, including the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Princess Margaret Cancer Research Centre. Zeynep was also a member of the London RIOT team during her master’s studies. She is a passionate writer and enjoys writing about scientific concepts, research and discoveries. Zeynep is a firm believer in open access between researchers and the general public, and as such, greatly values the RIOT initiative for community outreach. In her spare time, she enjoys kickboxing, windsurfing and reviewing restaurants (as a completely unqualified food expert).

Mack Hancock

I am currently a student at Dalhousie University, studying neuroscience. I am originally from Kingston, Ontario, but prior to beginning school at Dalhousie, spent a couple of years playing junior hockey in Alberta. A fun fact about me is that I am a twin! I have a twin brother as well as a younger sister. This summer my interest in research grew, as I was fortunate enough to be a summer research student at Toronto Western Hospital. In this role I completed a study on the link between head trauma and normal pressure hydrocephalus. 

Michal Syonov

I am currently a 3rd year direct entry PhD student at the University of Toronto with the department of Physiology. I study proteins from the liver and muscle and their effects on developmental central nervous system angiogenesis. I am passionate about communicating complex scientific concepts to a lay audience since misinformation about important scientific concepts have the power to divide the world. I also enjoy volunteering in organizations that increase access to resources for marginalized communities including organizations like Science+ and The Youth Connection.