Principal Investigator: Dr. Kyle Duncan
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Vancouver Island University
Adjunct Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria
PDF Uppsala University (Advisor Dr. Ingela Lanekoff)
PhD University of Victoria (Advisors Dr. Chris Gill, Dr. Erik Krogh, Dr. Tom Fyles)
Dr. Duncan specializes in custom ambient ionization mass spectrometry technology for imaging metabolites and bioactive lipids in tissue. He is one of a few groups in the world currently developing and applying nano-DESI, a highly versatile and powerful technique for spatial metabolomics. Current research areas include expanding metabolite coverage in MSI, and using custom ionization approaches for confident metabolite annotation with direct mass spectrometry.
Alora Keyowski
Alora is in her final year of her B.Sc. in chemistry and biology at VIU, and working on imaging oxidative stress metabolites in tissue using nano-DESI MSI. Alora aims to use mass spectrometry imaging to gain a better understanding of the localized metabolisms taking place within diverse tissues made up of many different cell types. She has always been amazed and interested in how complex our world is, which has driven her to study science.
Bailey Maltesen
Bailey is currently her fourth and final year at VIU where she is completing a B.Sc. with a double major in biology and chemistry. Currently, Bailey is using nano-DESI MSI to visualize the spatial distribution of methionine cycle intermediates within tissues. She has always been curious about the world, where science and research helps to satisfy her curiosity by providing tangible answers and explanations to real-world problems. Bailey loves problem-solving and hands-on experimentation, which makes science both rewarding and fun.
Kiera Nguyen
Keira recently graduated from VIU with a B.Sc. majoring in chemistry. Currently Kiera is working on developing direct mass spectrometric methods to differentiate prostaglandin isomers. Kiera loves science, as it fuels her curiosity. She is intrigued by the many different ways science plays a role in our lives. It helps us understand the world around us and offers endless opportunities to make a positive impact on society through innovative research and advancements.
Emily Mahony
Emily is a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Chemistry and Biology, and a minor in Psychology at VIU. She is working on a method for absolute quantification of metabolites from thin tissue sections. Emily is interested in pursuing science because it provides her with the opportunity to find the answers to questions she has about the world, and also challenges her to look for different ways to solve problems.
Maquinna Sloan
Maquinna just completed her first year of a B.Sc. at VIU, studying Chemistry and Biology. She is helping investigate metabolites that involved in mediating cellular oxidative stress in tumour tissues using nano-DESI imaging. Maquinna has been interested in holistic human and ecological health for most of her life, and is so grateful to be pursuing education in this field through classes and research opportunities at VIU. In the future, Maquinna plans on pursing a pharmD to become a pharmacist, and eventually a medical researcher.
Ember Westerhof