Our 2026 Executive Team
NATHALIE LONGAKIT
CO-PRESIDENT
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue in academia.
Random Trait: I like horse riding, reading, and playing tennis
“Horses can grow mustaches”
SARA CRISTIANO
CO-PRESIDENT
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Work in genetic diagnostics as a clinical laboratory geneticist, as well as continuing to pursue research
Random Trait: I can do a back flip 🙂
MICHAEL KE
SENIOR RESEARCH DAY CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue research in academia in the neurodevelopment space, do a Post-doc outside of Canada!
Random Trait: One day I want to have my own workshop and garage for my projects
“If you are cutting a lot of garlic and the smell is stuck on your fingers, rub your hands on something stainless steel; the chromium in the steel oxidizes the compounds that give garlic its characteristic smell!“
KEVIN WANG
JUNIOR RESEARCH DAY CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue in academia! Transition to PhD and do a post-doc (somewhere) and potentially start my own lab!
Random Trait: I’m a coherent simultaneous manifestation of both chaotic good and lawful evil.
“An ant can lift up to 30x their own bodyweight.“
ESTELLE ZHANG
SENIOR SEPTEMBER WELCOME CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue in academia/industry
Random Trait: The birthmark on my mouth is a tilted heart-shape
“The world’s oldest dog lived to 29.5 years old.“
MAIAH WALTERS
JUNIOR SEPTEMBER WELCOME CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue in research
Random Trait: I once played Skyrim for 15 hours straight 
“Wombat poop is cube-shaped so it doesn’t roll away and helps mark territory.”
MARTIN WONG
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS – EMAIL
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Clinician scientist
Random Trait: Running, cycling, swimming and tennis
“Literal Chinese meaning of my name is King Horseman”
RACHEL JIANG
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS – GRAPHICS
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue in academia, maybe teaching
Random Trait: I lived in Argentina for 3 months without knowing enough Spanish to form a cohesive sentence
“Snails poop on their head.”
JASMIN LEE
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS – SOCIAL MEDIA
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue research!
Random Trait: My secondary goal in life is to become a GoodReads influencer…
“Cows have bffs!”
ANNIKA SYBERSMA
EVENTS CO-CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Travel and do awesome science!
Random Trait: I like to play soccer and not get injured 🙂
“Most horses have never even seen the inside of a Burger King”
GRACE LO
EVENTS CO-CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue in academia or industry
Random Trait: I taught myself to sew and I make miniature clothes for my stuffed animals. I’ve rewatched Criminal Minds over 10 times and can recognize most episodes instantly.
“Rabbits can’t vomit because of how their digestive system is built, they physically aren’t able to throw up.”
ALI SALEHI
EVENTS CO-CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: To make some cool discoveries.
Random Trait: I can hold my breath for more than five minutes.
“Myxococcus xanthus is a social bacterium that forms coordinated ‘wolf-pack’ swarms to hunt other bacteria.”
RYAN CAMPBELL
SENIOR FINANCE CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue as a researcher in academia or industry.
Random Trait: I like soccer, gaming, and baking sourdough bread
“There is around 1 vending machine for every 23 people in Japan, the highest ratio in the world.”
CHRIS TENG
JUNIOR FINANCE CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Continue as a researcher in academia or industry.
Random Trait: I enjoy trying new recipes. I’ve most recently tried making gravlax (salmon cured with salt, sugar, and dill) with a mustard-dill gel and oat crisps
“Cauliflower, Kale, and Cabbage originate from the same plant family”
KATE BOGERT
YEAR 2 GENETIC COUNSELLING REPS
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Practice genetic counselling clinically and continue research
Random Trait: I love hiking and swimming
“There are more than double the amount of sheep in Iceland than people”
MIYA MATZ
YEAR 2 GENETIC COUNSELLING REPS
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Practice genetic counselling perhaps in the prenatal or pediatric space.
Random Trait: I love Star Wars so much I paid to build my own lightsaber at Disneyland.
CRYSTAL YU
YEAR 1 GENETIC COUNSELLING REP
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Practice clinic genetic counselling and pursue research opportunities
Random Trait: Americano aficionado
“The bingturong, aka the bearcat, smells like popcorn”
CAT ZHANG
ANNIVERSARY EVENT CHAIR
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Work on cancer medication development (industry/academia).
Random Trait: I like playing guitar, collecting perfume and making cocktails.
“The first item sold by McDonald’s was a hot dog instead of a burger”
SARA GUNDERSON
GRADUATE STUDENT SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVE
Post-Graduate Aspiration: Potentially pursue a PhD and/or work in public health
Random Trait: I can name most Taylor Swift songs from the first second of the song
“The world’s heaviest bird species was the extinct elephant bird that was 3 metres tall and weighed over 1000 lbs”
Past Members
STEVEN CHUANG
GLAFIRA ERMAKOVA
HANNA BOURGET
MARIE JOHNS
RAMLOGAN SOWAMBER
SHELBY THORTON
CLAUDIA PFEIFER
Medical Genetics Graduate Student Association 