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Episode 55: Ella Chan, Sci Files YouTube Host & Student

April 11, 2019

Ella Chan joins host Danniele to talk about all sorts of topics, including starting university and the importance of balancing the A in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). She tells us about how she became interested in a career in STEAM and even what it's like behind the scenes of her YouTube channel, Sci-Files. Plus, she reveals the nerdy things she does in her spare time and gives great advice for those starting out in university. Fun fact: Ella was also a keynote speaker at Creating Connections 6.0 on May 4, 2019.

Guest: Ella Chan (YouTube)

Ella Chan is an 18-year-old student at the University of British Columbia. Ella's passion for science was ignited through her younger brother's diagnosis with Nephrotic Syndrome, a potentially debilitating kidney disease. Finding the lack of treatment options unacceptable, she hopes to enrol in UBC's Pharmacology program and enter the field of medical research to discover long-term treatment options for autoimmune conditions. 

Since the age of twelve, Ella has been running her YouTube channel, Sci-Files, where she shares unique science experiments and demonstrations of topics from binary code using Lego blocks to genetics explained with jelly beans. Her videos have been featured on platforms such as "The Kid Should See This" and the Chicago Field Museum's "The Brain Scoop." Her book, STEM Files, was written to empower and educate young children of careers and opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Ella is a recipient of the 2018 STEAM Horizon Award and attended the 2018 Prime Minister Science Fair for her work in STEAM outreach. She hopes to grow her channel to reach a larger audience and continue to inspire youth to get involved in STEAM.