why we science

We do science to ask the hard questions.

If you’ve been doing this a while, you’ll know that science can feel incremental and difficult. Thinking about difficult problems, designing creative solutions, and really understanding biological problems is what motivates us.

We encourage every member of our team to feel empowered here. Be eager, be creative, be supportive, and have fun. Everything we do is team-based and goal-oriented, whether that’s solving a technical experimental problem, implementing a computational pipeline, or digging deep into biological mechanisms of disease.

Science is hard. But when we work together, it gets a little easier and a lot more fun.

mentoring philosophy

We have a moral obligation to communicate and educate. This is the very essence of being a great scientist. Inextricably tied to this philosophy is the promotion of diversity and inclusion. Diverse teams create a vibrant and open space for discussion and more importantly support truly revolutionary ideas.

I was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in the former Soviet Union. My family immigrated to Canada in 1994 in search of stability and opportunity. As a six-year-old with no English skills, I will be forever grateful to the teachers, social workers, and support networks that helped me prosper. It was a difficult experience that reinforced the value of systemic support, the value of education, and the power of empathy. I strive to pay this forward.

I believe that strong mentorship is the most important part of building a great research group. It is also a practical method for promoting equity and inclusion in science. Strong mentors directly support and elevate students bridging societal and economic gaps. I have been incredibly fortunate to have supportive mentors throughout my career. This extends to my direct supervisors, colleagues, collaborators, committee members, and other senior researchers who have been willing and able to take the time to steer and elevate my research.

Everyone is unique in the kind of support and supervision they require. My guiding principle is to be available and empathetic. I seek to identify what success means to my mentees and work towards supporting them in that endeavor. In the past, this has varied from getting accepted into graduate school or medical school to finding an industry-level research position or a scientific writing job. At the end of the day, their success is my success. My only goal as a mentor to help you achieve that.