Christine Leung
Christine Leung is a 4th-year Biology student at UBC. Her passion for biology sparked from curiosity to know more about the physiology of life and the unknown animals that lie in the deep sea. She is fascinated by all kinds of marine life from sea turtles, fishes, sea stars, to corals and comb jellies. Born in the summer, she cannot bear the cold, so her happy place is always under the sun and by the ocean. Outside of school, she is a huge fan of sci-fi tv shows and loves anything to do with fashion and the media.
Jessica Li
Jessica is a third year student in the Honours Biology program at UBC with a strong interest in physiology. She loves all animals, but has a special appreciation for local marine wildlife after growing up so close to the ocean in BC (and a soft spot for all odd-looking creatures). In her free time, she can often be found cooking/baking, taking photos of cute animals she sees, or cross stitching.
Jennifer Liu
Jennifer Liu is a third-year biology student at UBC. She was interested in biology because she wanted to understand physiological processes and how organisms interact with each other and their environment. After learning about marine invertebrates, she began to appreciate the wonderful creatures of the sea (especially Scyphozoa). You can catch Jennifer hiking, practicing instruments, or reading.
Nate Walker
Nate is a 4th year student looking to get a Bachelor’s degree in General Biology at UBC Vancouver. He garnered his interest in marine life and all things natural through his access and exploration to the rocky intertidal zones and temperate rainforests of Washington State growing up; he has always had a great interest in Octopi and reptiles. In his spare time you’ll usually find Nate playing the guitar/piano, making music, and skiing. It has also been a lifelong dream of his to hug an octopus.
Rachel Brownrigg
Rachel Brownrigg is a 4th year student in the Biology Program at UBC. She developed a love for the ocean while growing up as a competitive swimmer and sailing around the gulf islands. Rachel has a strong appreciation for aquatic life and is in the process of getting her open water dive license and holds the ambition of wanting to, one-day, sail across the Pacific Ocean.
Luke Enns
Luke Enns is a 5th year biology student studying at the University of British Columbia. He loves nature and wildlife, finding himself hours down the YouTube rabbit hole watching videos of animals interacting with people in their natural habitat. He doesn’t have a single favourite animal as he can’t seem to choose from all the amazing creatures that make up this world and is excited to learn even more about him as he continues his studies.
Tess McRae
Tess is a fourth-year biology student at UBC with a focus in marine ecology. She has a particular love for marine predatory mammals and fish; however, after taking an introductory invertebrate class, she has grown an appreciation for just how fascinating invertebrates can be. Her favourite marine invertebrates are nudibranchs and sea stars. When Tess is not by the ocean, you can find her on the soccer pitch as she’s a member of the UBC varsity soccer team.
Kelsey Chorney
Kelsey is a 5th year undergraduate student majoring in Biology. She has dedicated most of her time playing varsity rugby for UBC. She is from Saskatchewan and just this past summer on Vancouver Island she got to see for her first-time starfish of all colors, green anemones, and a yellow sea slug! She loves to travel and hopes to explore more of the world and will hopefully see more invertebrates along the way! During her spare time, you can find her in the mountains or playing video games from her video game collection.
Queenie Su
Queenie is currently a 4th-year Biology major at UBC. The vast biodiversity of the oceans never ceases to amaze her, but she has a soft spot for jellyfish and cetaceans. As majestic as the oceans are, they are also vulnerable, so she is on a mission to help protect them. She is interested in studying the intricacies of marine life, particularly its physiology and ecology, and the impact that climate change has on it. Outside of school, Queenie enjoys hiking, camping, and watching hockey.
Danja Currie-Olsen
I am a fourth/fifth year student majoring in marine biology. I love learning about marine ecosystems and energy flow and understanding how even the smallest invertebrates contribute to the life cycle of large marine mammals like whales. I enjoy escaping to the mountains for some skiing and hiking when I need to de-stress. I am very excited to learn more about invertebrates and experimental design.
Kelly Matthews
Kelly is a 4th year Biology major at the University of British Columbia. Prior to university, she studied and performed contemporary dance for 5 years in Vancouver and Toronto. Kelly enjoys learning anything and everything about animal physiology and also has a soft spot for plants, evidenced by the ever-growing collection of house plants in her apartment. Kelly’s favourite things include hiking, reading, petting dogs, and swimming in the ocean.
Hau-Li Fan
Hau-Li Fan is a fifth year undergraduate student who is completing a major in Biology and a minor in English. Outside of classes you can find him training at the UBC Aquatic Centre as he prepares to try and qualify for the 2021Tokyo Olympics.
Colton Van Der Minne
Colton is a third-year student in marine biology. He was first interested in marine mammals, but through his studies at UBC he has also gained a better appreciation for invertebrates and fishes. Outside of school, Colton can be found wandering around tidal pools, re-watching Star Wars for the 1000th time, or with his nose in a book (tea in hand). He has also taken up diving as of late to better appreciate the creatures that fascinate him, although he is still very new at it!
Ryan Ju
Ryan is a 3rd year student studying marine biology at UBC. He is particularly interested in invertebrates, as well as ecological interactions between organisms. Outside of school, Ryan enjoys mountain biking and playing bass guitar.
Jordie Lefebvre
Jordie is a third year student studying Marine Biology at UBC. Her love for water, marine life and nature landed her on the West coast, offering her many opportunities to delve into these interests. In her free time she enjoys getting outside and exploring Vancouver, baking cookies and listening to music.
Ariel Shatsky
Ariel is a fourth year Biology student focusing in Marine Biology. Like Ariel the mermaid, she is fascinated by the ocean and passionate about conserving marine life. She is excited about invertebrates, particularly corals, starfish, anemones, & octopuses. Ariel is currently working on a directed studies research project investigating the effect of temperature on the heart rate of killifish embryos and the role of cardiac genes throughout development. In the future she hopes to continue her education through marine research and study the effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on invertebrates!
Kellan Woo
Kellan is a 4th year Biology student at UBC. Ever since he was young, he and his parents would visit every aquarium whenever they could. From there he has nurtured his passion for marine biology and in his free time takes care of a vast array of aquariums. He enrolled in BIOL 326 because what is there not to love?
James Jung
James is a fourth year student majoring in Biology at UBC. His interests lay mostly in terrestrial vertebrates, but also has always been fascinated by the ocean and its immense biodiversity. James is an adrenaline junkie despite his lack of energy. In his spare time, you can find him daydreaming about skydiving or playing games.
Fiona Lamb
Fiona is a fourth-year Biology student at UBC. She is passionate about the health of animals and people! She is currently working at a referral and emergency animal hospital and researching about shelter dogs at UBC. During her free time, she enjoys listening to audiobooks, creating music, and exploring new restaurants.
Sasha Mohsenian
Hi, I’m Sasha, a 4th year biology student at UBC. I love learning about all the crazy and cool adaptations that animals have to inhabit the diverse settings in British Columbia. I’m excited to learn all about the local ecosystems and invertebrates we will explore in BIOL 326. In my free time, I enjoy listening to and playing music (from jazz to heavy metal, it’s all good!) and volunteering at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
Erez Buyuyilmaz
Erez is a fourth year student studying Marine Biology at UBC. He loves all marine invertebrates, but sea urchins and molluscs, especially gastropod snails and cephalopods hold a special place in his heart. When he is not underwater, searching for and photographing marine critters, you can find him in a sailboat where he is on the lookout for good diving spots.
Jessica Nguyen
Hi everyone, I’m Jessica, a 3rd year undergraduate at UBC. I am fascinated by the animals and critters
we share the earth with, particularly their anatomy. It was my dad’s love of nature that inspired me to
pursue a degree in biology, and I’m looking forward to the opportunities Biol 326 will bring for studying
the creatures I’ve learnt about in class, out into the field. I enjoy scenic hikes and a good book, but at the
end of a long week, I tend to destress with a loud and chaotic game night with my friends (over Discord
of course, we follow physical distancing rules around here!).
Lucy Wang
Lucy is currently a fourth-year Biology student at UBC. She is particularly interested in animal physiology, environmental science and paleontology. While travelling, she likes to visit local museums, zoos, and aquariums to know the local species and fossils. She is fascinated by prehistoric life, including invertebrates, and wants to discover more about modern species. She also likes playing badminton, practicing piano and guitar, and developing German and Japanese language skills.
Jennifer Ngo
Hi everyone, I’m Jennifer! I’m finishing up my final semester at UBC as a biology major. I love learning about the behaviour and physiology of plants and animals (favouring animals just a little bit more). I have always been interested in vertebrates more, but during my time studying at UBC, invertebrates are definitely growing on me which is why I decided to take BIOL 326! During my free time, you can either find me hiking, baking some cookies or reading a good book!
Rozhin Ressideh
Rozhin is in her 5th and final year of her undergraduate degree, majoring in Biology at UBC. Growing up in North Vancouver, she has spent the majority of her upbringing exploring the mountains, forests, and ocean of the beautiful North Shore. Though she has a great interest in human physiology, her recent work experience at the Vancouver Aquarium has sparked a strong curiosity for marine wildlife, especially those on the coast of BC. During her spare time, Rozhin enjoys exploring new hikes, practicing yoga, trying new restaurants, and playing with her puppy.
BIOL 326: Experimental biology of invertebrates 