(BSci, Spc. Honors Biology; MSc Biology)

Marina’s teaching is focused on inspiring a life-long love of learning and deeper engagement with the beautiful world around us. She aims to show that science is relevant to our everyday lives by using current research and popular media. She also incorporates her passions for drawing and science communication to help students engage with class material in non-traditional formats.

Marina once worked in the the lab of Dr. J. M. Rommens at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, where she investigated human genetic diseases caused by inherited mutations that impact the ribosome. She learned firsthand about the need for researchers to better communicate their findings, particularly to patients and their advocates, in an accessible, compassionate way.

Questions that she hopes to answer in collaboration with students and colleagues include: How can plant defences be enhanced to improve crop yields? How can we use mathematics and computers to understand patterns in genomes? Why do people with the same disease-causing mutation manifest different symptoms?

When Marina takes off her science hat, she divides her time between reading novels, satisfying her foodie cravings, hiking up mountains and watching “terrible” movies.