Shayen worked as a summer researcher in the Wilson Tox Lab but also volunteered last year as an undergraduate researcher.  He continues in the Wilson Tox Lab as a thesis student this year.  I think you can tell that we like having Shayen around.  In his own words, Shayen describes his summer and ongoing thesis research:

“I am entering my fourth year in the Honours Biology (Physiology Specialization) program and will be completing my undergraduate thesis in the lab. I have worked with Lake Whitefish, understanding the development and embryology of this species as well as studying the effects of environmental stressors from industrial processes on developmental physiology. I am also interested in understanding the effects of ionizing radiation and exposure of morpholine, a chemical present in effluents, on Great Lake fish species. I will be using a fish cell line to study effects at a cellular level as well as lake whitefish embryos for whole organism effects. My end points of interest include survival and growth, embryo morphology, the occurrence of apoptosis and chromosome damage.

Outside of the lab I am actively involved in various extra-curricular clubs on campus and volunteer commitments.”