Personal adviser

Executive Team

President

Courtney van Ballegooie

Hello, I’m a PhD student in IOP working at the BC Cancer Agency. My research is on targeted drug delivery using liposomes and nanoparticles for cancer therapy. During my spare time, I love playing tennis, hiking, playing board games, volunteering, and exploring Vancouver.

VP, Communications

Jasmeet Singh

Hello! I am a second year Master’s Student in Mechanical Engineering at UBC. I work on mesh development. In layman language, that’s just breaking bigger things into smaller things so that further analysis or simulation becomes easier. Apart from work, I love to play any sport that I can get my hands on, including football, table tennis, and badminton. Presently, I am venturing into swimming. I manage communications for iGSN and love to be involved in the social events the team organizes. Come, join us for some fun during graduate studies!

VP, Communications

Ronak Gupta

PhD student in Mech Engg. and Applied Math. Also, part-time science writer and full-time film,TV & books nut. I love dinosaurs and have a half decent jump shot.

VP, Academics

Katerina Maria Othonos

I’m a fourth year PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. My work revolves around understanding how cis-regulatory elements (essentially small pieces of DNA) can control the expression of genes. When I’m not in the lab obsessing over keeping my cell cultures fat and happy and collecting virgins (fly virgins), I enjoy reading books, singing and arranging flowers (using the Japanese style of Ikebana).

VP, Academics

Connie Leung

Hi! I am Connie Leung, a 5th year Ph.D. candidate studying obesity and diabetes in the Cell and Developmental Biology Program. 

I use genetics to further understand the mechanisms behind these diseases. I love the interplay between basic science and translational medicine. Beyond the lab, I love yoga, music, and puppies. If you love puppies too and you see me, ask me about my rescue dog!

VP, Student Services

Madhurima Dutta

Hi, I am a first-year Ph.D. student in Craniofacial Oncology, Department of Dentistry. My research deals with identifying molecular biomarkers or screening tools which help detect oral precancers which are more likely to turn into cancer. Apart from the lab, I love going for hikes, simple walks on the beach and making the most of all the wonderful places Vancouver has to offer.

VP, Student Services

Apeksha Avinash

Hi, I’m Apeksha and I’m a second year MASc student in Electrical and Computer Engineering. My research work involves the da Vinci surgical system which is this massive robot that assists surgeons in performing surgeries. I enjoy alternative indie and rock music, occasionally get lost in the world of fantasy novels, and my latest interest is boxing. I handle all the social events for the iGSN, so if there is any fun activity in Vancouver that you would like to try (along with a bunch of like-minded grads), you know who to contact.😊

VP, Finance

Abhishek Dutta

Hey! I am a second year PhD student in the Department of Civil Engineering, specializing in Environmental Systems Engineering. My current work is in the Water-Energy nexus, dealing with the extraction of methane from wastewater and using it as a possible source of energy using membrane systems. Outside of work, I enjoy playing and watching tennis, hiking, playing board games, and dancing. I am also a huge theatre buff and have been part of several productions.

Allison Banville

I am a Masters student in the Interdisciplinary Oncology Program working at the Canada Michael Smith’s Genome Sciences Centre as part of the BC Cancer Research Agency. In my lab, I am working to develop a new Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy that will address the safety and efficacy problems of current CAR T cell therapies for leukemia and lymphomas, with the hope of ultimately applying this therapy to other tumor types including solid malignancies. I enjoy cycling, hiking, running, and pretty much any other type of exercise – especially if it can be done outdoors. I am excited to be a part of iGSN and work on providing services and designing events to support students of all disciplines.