Team:UFlorida/Team
Meet our team!
Julie Mallinger
Julie Mallinger, a returning member, will be serving as one of the team captains and the dry lab lead this year! She is a third year majoring in biomedical engineering on the pre-medical track. This is her second year on the UF iGEM team and wanted to continue because she is eager to contribute to the future of synthetic biology. Outside of iGEM, Julie enjoys playing sports, travelling and spending time with friends. Julie is pursuing a career in medicine to make a positive impact on others.
Sam Golden
Sam Golden, a returning iGEMer, is serving as the team manager this year! She’s a fourth year Health Education and Behaviors student with the future goal of earning her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies. Can’t find her in the library answering her 10,000 emails? That means it's either Bachelor Monday, or she is out playing volleyball with her friends. The aspect of iGEM Sam is most excited about is presenting the team’s research stating, “last year showed me what it is like at the Jamboree; this year i’m ready to come back and take the gold.” Here is a photo of her grinding coffee (her life line) beans in Africa from her volunteer trip!
Shivani Doshi
Shivani Doshi is a returning member on the UF iGEM team and will be serving as a one of the team captains and the human practices lead this year! She is a fourth year Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience major on the pre-medical track. Shivani looks forward to learning from experts to further the project’s goals and to looking at biology through a multifaceted lens. Ultimately, she hopes to understand how to utilize synthetic biology and derive tools to make a larger impact on the world. Research is like a jigsaw puzzle, it can be difficult at times, yet at the end there is no satisfaction like putting the pieces together.
Celeste Wilson
Celeste Wilson is a third year Biology major on the Pre-Med track and is a proud member of iGEM Team Florida for the first time this year. Passionate about the intersection of microbiology and the people it impacts, she will be working with Human Practices to make Team Florida’s project accessible to all and to empower underserved communities through our scientific progress. In her spare time, she loves hiking and dreams of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail in her lifetime! Her goal for this year is to win Team Florida a gold medal and, with the help of other iGEM teams, contribute to the rapidly advancing field of genetic engineering.
Ryanne Thelwell
Ryanne Thelwell is a first year Microbiology and Cell Sciences major considering a dual minor in Japanese and Bioinformatics on the Pre-Med track. This is her first year on the iGEM team and is excited to be a part of Human Practices to develop the public education and engagement of their project. In her free time, she enjoys baking and is often working on perfecting her French macarons. Ryanne is looking forward to collaborating with her teammates this year to create their best project yet!
Cole Ferguson
Cole Ferguson is a fourth year undergraduate pursuing a degree in Microbiology and Cell Science, with minors in French Studies and Bioinformatics, on the pre-medical track. Cole is originally from Canada, and had lived in Florida for 8 years before moving to Gainesville to study at the University of Florida. This is his first year as a member of the UF iGem team, and Cole has been working on the dry lab team through the summer. Cole loves to run, play tennis, and spend time with friends!
Jacob York
Jacob is a second year undergraduate student majoring in Sustainability and the Built Environment with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering. He is interested in biomaterials derived from genetically modified organisms and is a researcher in the SYnthetic Biological Optimization, Regulation, or Generation Systems (SYBORGS) Laboratory under Dr. Amor Menezes. Outside of research, Jacob is an aspiring novelist, novice graphic designer, and a general lover of all things montane. Jacob plans to pursue a career in Sustainable Urbanism and Biomimetic Design, working towards creating greener and more equitable urban environments. This is Jacob’s first year on the UF iGEM team and he is very excited to see what future projects it pursues!
Dani DuPuis
Danielle DuPuis is a second-year undergraduate pursuing a degree in Microbiology and Cell Sciences with a minor in Spanish and a certificate of Music in Medicine. This is her first year as part of the UF iGEM team and she is excited to contribute towards crucial public-education and advocacy aspects of research as a member of the Human Practices team. Danielle first discovered her love for the creative and problem-solving processes involved in conducting research in her freshman year as a research assistant in the Plant Molecular Systematics department at UF. Outside of class, you can find her playing the flute and ukulele for veterans at the VA medical center, writing for the Gator Premedical Guide, playing beach volleyball, or searching for the best coffee in Gainesville.
David Murcia
David Murcia Rincon is a biology:biotechnology 4th year with a minor in bioinformatics. From a young age, David has always been fascinated by the complex, enigmatic chemical world that is biology. David is originally from Colombia and has lived in the US for about 8 years. In his spare time, David likes reading about genetics, running, and spending as much time as he can with his beloved family. This year David makes part of the dry-lab and cannot wait to see what the world of synthetic biology brings to his ever increasing curiosity of the biological world.
Brandon Stone
Brandon Stone is a fourth year undergraduate pursuing a degree in Microbiology and Cell Science. He is from California/Connecticut and this is his first year as a member of the UF iGEM team. He is currently in a lab that focuses on CRISPR/Cas systems and is excited to be a part of the Web Design team. His hobbies include boxing, Best Buddies, child advocacy, and cooking.
Jordan Hanson
Jordan Hanson is a third year computer science major at UF. He is also a member of the design and technology team for Dance Marathon benefiting Shands hospital. He is from Miami, Florida and this is his first year as the head of the web design team. His hobbies include working out, nutrition, and coding.