Dr. Heather Wiebe
Principal Investigator
Heather obtained her B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of the Fraser Valley in 2011. She then moved to Simon Fraser University, where she received her Ph.D. under the co-supervision of Prof. Michael Eikerling and Prof. Noham Weinberg in 2018. Prior to joining Vancouver Island Unversity in 2020, Heather spent 2 and a half years as a postdoctoral research associate in Prof. Graeme Ackland’s group at the University of Edinburgh, studying quantum phase changes in hydrogen under extreme high pressure. Heather’s area of expertise lies in computational chemistry and modelling, with a focus on the response of complex systems to applied pressure. She is particularly interested in studying the effect of pressure on biological systems such as proteins and lipid membranes, and how these systems have adapted to high pressure in deep-sea organisms. Outside of research, Heather enjoys playing tabletop games – the more dice the better!
Graduate Students
We are actively recruiting M.Sc and Ph.D. students. Please get in touch via the contact information located at the bottom of the page if you are interested!
Savannah Mercer, BSc in Chemistry & Biology
Savannah obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry with a minor in Biology at Vancouver Island University in 2024. Savannah’s current work involves examining the biological activity of carfentanil analogs. This includes using molecular modeling to study the interactions between the analogs and the µ-opioid receptor, which is responsible for inducing both the physiological and toxic side effects of opioids. Savannah has also worked on researching the physico-chemical mechanism of pressure-resistance in deep-sea proteins using free energy calculations. Outside of research, Savannah enjoys running and reading.
Research Assistant
Simon Maguire, BSc in Chemistry
Simon obtained their BSc in Chemistry in 2024 at Vancouver Island University. Simon is comparing the volume of lactate dehydrogenase between a deep-water fish, Coryphaenoides armatus, and a shallow fish, Gadus morhua, to see if amino acid substitutions are creating a stabilizing effect under pressure. They are also working with the Applied Environmental Research Labs (AERL) to elucidate the physical properties of 6-PPD Quinone and its analogs to better understand their environmental outlook. Outside of their work in Chemistry, Simon enjoys reading and rock climbing.
Undergraduate Students
Rosie Munro, BSc in Chemistry
Rosie is a fourth year chemistry student at Vancouver Island University. She is the Co-President of the VIU Chemistry Club and is planning to graduate this Spring 2025! Rosie’s work involves the investigation of the plausibility of molecular machines computationally. This area is really exciting for Rosie as she loves the play and creativity involved in the project. She wants to create devices that are meaningful and impactful to society. In her spare time, Rosie enjoys playing video games, writing with her collection of fountain pens, going for car rides, and spending time with her friends!
Jae Chung, BSc in Chemistry
Jae is a fourth-year chemistry student at Vancouver Island University (VIU), currently pursuing his second degree. He previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in South Korea, where he developed a strong foundation in computational thinking. In 2024, Jae’s interest in inorganic chemistry led him to Germany, where he took a summer internship position at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). There, he worked on the research on the oxidation of Zintl clusters; as this field is unexplored, he witnessed how computational chemistry played an important role. Jae is enthusiastic about exploring how these computational methods can be applied to solve complex problems in chemical research.
Gabe Aniello, BSc in Chemistry
David Anderson, BSc in Chemistry
Matthew Debolt, BSc in Chemistry
Previous Team Members
Ander Harris, BSc in Astronomy & Physics
Ander is entering their second year obtaining a B.Sc. in combined Astronomy and Physics. They are currently modeling the behaviour of hydrogen under extreme pressure, with the goal of better understanding the Raman shift that occurs. In their spare time, Ander loves spending time with dogs and horses, watching rocket launches, and working on their 3D printer.
Jordan Davis, BSc in Biology & Chemistry
Jordan originally started on a bachelor of arts intending to major in English, but realized the science courses he was taking as electives were far more appealing to him and switched to a BSc. He is a massive movie buff and a serial hobbyist who loves taking on personal projects. Jordan is using simulations to compare the difference in volume between lactase dehydrogenase of Gadus Morhua in its functional and denatured states to that of a deep sea fish. A smaller change in volume may be one of the factors contributing to the high pressure resistance of proteins in deep sea fish.
Diego Franco, BSc in Psychology
Diego is originally from Brazil and has lived in Canada for the last eight years. He is obtaining his B.Sc. in Psychology at Vancouver Island University. He is moving to Vancouver in the upcoming fall, where he will attend the Boucher Naturopathic Medicine Institute. Before joining Vancouver Island University in 2019, Diego lived in Vancouver, where he worked in the financial industry in the currency exchange market. Alongside Dr. Heather Wiebe and Dr. Kyle Duncan, Diego runs quantum mechanics calculations on the fragmentation of the molecule prostaglandin L and E; their goal is to determine if these isomers are distinguishable in mass spectrometry. Outside of research, Diego enjoys spending time with his children and friends.
Serena Jiang, BSc in Biology
Serena received her BSc from VIU in 2021. In 2020, she worked on a 491 project looking for the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes in the bacteria residing on the soils found on produce, specifically bok choy. Currently, Serena is investigating the actin of deep sea fish and how it differs from that of fish that live in lower pressure. Aside from research, Serena enjoys harassing her cat for cuddles and making dioramas and Lego.
Joshua Jai, BSc in Chemistry
Josh is a graduate from Vancouver Island University (VIU) in 2023. He has previously worked in the Applied Environmental Research Lab (AERL) at VIU, where he researched the thermodynamics and kinetics of emerging pollutants such as 6PPDQ and naphthenic acids. This year, Josh has transitioned into the computational chemistry lab where he will be continuing Diego’s work on the prostagladin isomer project in collaboration with Dr. Kyle Duncan. In his spare time, Josh enjoys rock climbing and basketball.
Andrea Krabbe, Bsc in Biology
Andrea is attending VIU to pursue a BSc in Biology. She is working on a computational chemistry project that is looking at the impact of TMAO on the denaturation of proteins in deep sea fish at high pressures. Before attending VIU, Andrea attended Glendon University for a BA in Linguistics. She moved to British Columbia in 2015 and worked as an EMR. She is an avid gardener and has a passion for deep sea science.