Please join us for exciting presentations from:

Amber Louwagie

"Uncovering functional interactions between RNA methylation and the epigenome in normal and malignant hematopoiesis"

Dr. Amber Louwagie is originally from Belgium and completed her International Baccalaureate in Switzerland, after which she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from KU Leuven (Belgium). She obtained her Master of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Munich (Germany), which included a master’s thesis on pediatric erythroid leukemia at the University Children’s Hospital of Basel. Amber went on to earn her PhD in Health Sciences at Ghent University, where she investigated epigenetic mechanisms underlying pediatric neuroblastoma as part of the Center of Medical Genetics. About a year and a half ago, she moved to Vancouver to join the Vu Lab, where she studies epitranscriptomic and epigenomic mechanisms in acute myeloid leukemia. In her free time, Amber can usually be found on a mountain, snowboarding in the winter, or hiking and camping in the summer."

Tiffany Carlow

“Non-viral in situ gene editing effectively and safely rescues congenital ichthyosis-causing mutations in human skin” 

Tiffany Carlaw is a current postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Biomedical Engineering and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is currently working in the lab of Dr. Sarah Hedtrich where her overarching research goal is on developing non-viral, lipid nanoparticle-based gene therapies for treating severe skin and lung diseases. Tiffany’s research is currently supported through a Mitacs Fellowship with Acuitas Therapeutics where her project is specifically aimed at developing novel CRISPR-based gene therapies for treating cystic fibrosis. Today, Tiffany will be sharing a little bit about her contributions to an exciting new manuscript currently under final reviews for the Hedtrich lab titled “Non-viral in situ gene editing effectively and safely rescues congenital ichthyosis-causing mutations in human skin”.

Amber Rose

“Functional genomic analysis reveals mechanism of epigenetic interference in SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2”

Amber is a postdoctoral researcher in the Joy Lab at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, exploring RNA-mediated epigenetic interference in high risk Coronaviruses. With support from a Health Research BC Fellowship (2023–2025), she is leveraging advanced strategies in RNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and genetics to uncover new ways to fight emerging RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Previously, Amber was a postdoc at Queen’s University studying the microbes carried by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Amber also earned her PhD in New Zealand, where she investigated how insect-infecting bacterium Yersinia entomophaga regulates virulence and toxin production in response to temperature changes and exposure to host environment.