NAME: Alexandra Muhametsafina Contact email: amuhametsafina@yahoo.com Degree: M.Sc. Biology Title of Thesis: The effects of season and temperature on sensitivity of larval sea lamprey to the chemical 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) Institution and Advisor: Wilfrid Laurier University, supervised by Dr. Michael Wilkie Graduation Date: May 2016 Career Goals: to complete my Masters, continue my career in the environmental field and ultimately become a research biologist or environmental scientist Connection with Laurentian SETAC: I have been a member with Laurentian SETAC since June 2014 and I have attended several Pub Nights Accomplishment I am most proud of: I am very proud of being recognized for my scientific achievements with the Laurier Women in Science Research and Leadership Award Big cheese I would most like to have a drink with: Sir David Attenborough because he has seen so many amazing places, from the Galápagos Islands to Madagascar to the Arctic. I love his nature documentaries! Most people won’t guess that I: lived in Montreal when I first moved to Canada and learned French before English. My first language is Russian. I can brag that I have rubbed shoulders with: Dr. David Schindler - he is such an influential researcher. I first saw him speak at Carleton University in 2013 and again at the University of Waterloo in 2014 - we spoke afterwards, and even took a picture together! Best laugh I had during my degree: while electrofishing for larval sea lamprey in New Brunswick with my supervisor and a research assistant. The RA had never done field work before and we laughed about everything - from being scared of lamprey, to running away from bugs and mosquitos to spraying waders with Lysol! Best weird science moment: When I realized that a trend in my toxicity data was not as I had predicted based on other research. It was the opposite of what I was expecting but this lead to some interesting questions. Most memorable conference I have been to during my degree was: My most memorable conference was the American Fisheries Society meeting in Quebec City (2014). I attended many great talks, helped organize a successful student mentoring event and really enjoyed exploring the city! Most memorable philosophical moment I had during my degree: After many long days in the laboratory, I realized science is not perfect! Often times science leads to more questions than answers and that's what makes it exciting. My graduate experience was more than just a degree because: I learned a lot about toxicology and physiology, met many great people and traveled to different places, including New Brunswick and Michigan! Click here for Alexandra's resumé.
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