Breanna Raymond

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry doctoral student in the Faculty of Science

I am a 23 year old PhD candidate passionate about Science and the outdoors. I love all things hiking, ecology, and molecular biology!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?

My research is focused on collecting snow algae samples from nearby mountains in Vancouver, BC. SFU is the perfect location in to study the global phenomenon of 'Watermelon Snow' on our local mountains in Canada.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH OR YOUR PROGRAM TO A FAMILY MEMBER?

Red snow is when blooms of micro-algae appear on Alpine and Polar snowfields worldwide. The algal cells red colouration decreases snow surface albedo and increases the amount of snow melt. My research is focussed on a dominant snow algal species, Sanguina, and is working on species identification using phylogentics and genomics.

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?

I am a member of the MBB graduate caucus and I enjoy the sense of community that SFU offers.

HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR-FUNDED AWARDS? IF SO, PLEASE TELL US WHICH ONES AND A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THE AWARDS HAVE IMPACTED YOUR STUDIES AND/OR RESEARCH.

NSERC CGS Masters Scholarship, I was honoured to receive this award and it has significantly helped me achieve my research goals and to stay in the graduate program.