OUR TEAM
Diversity is the foundation of life. At the core of our research is the cross-pollination of ideas and expertise from different perspectives.
We are committed to nurturing a group of scientists with diverse life history and scientific backgrounds.
Freeman Lan
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Institute of Biomedical Engineering
I spent undergraduate at University of Toronto dabbling in engineering, biochemistry, and microbiology before doing my PhD in high-throughput biology and synthetic biology in the UC Berkeley/UCSF Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering. After two years working in industry with startup companies, I spent several years as a Postdoctoral fellow at UW Madison studying microbial communities of the human gut using in vitro culturing and computational modelling approaches. In 2023, I started as faculty at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. My scientific interests are in innovating ultrahigh-throughput approaches to study microbial communities and in developing ways to precisely manipulate them.
Jann Aldrin Gamboa
Graduate Student
Institute of Biomedical Engineering
I am an incoming PhD student at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering @ U of T. I obtained my undergraduate degree also from UofT St. George, where I pursued a double major in Biochemistry and Pharmacology. My research interests and goals are in understanding and manipulating the gut microbiome using ultrahigh-throughput experimentation for therapeutic and other applications. Outside of research, I enjoy hiking, online gaming, and reading Filipino novels!
Tien Nguyen
Graduate Student
Institute of Biomedical Engineering
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
This quote resonates with me deeply, as it aligns with my main ambition. My love for engineering ignited when I was in grade 3. However, this passion truly blossomed during my Master's degree at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, shaping who I am today. After spending some time working as a former application scientist team member at Dolomite Microfluidic, I had the chance to learn and work with some of the most cutting-edge technologies available. However, as the saying goes, any party must come to an end. Now pursue my passion in Professor Freeman’s lab studying the latest microfluidic-related technologies and their real-life applications.
Alexander Soudmand
Undergraduate Researcher
I am a rising sophomore at Duke University pursuing a double major in biology and financial economics, hoping to concentrate in pharmacology/microbiology. I am extremely interested in the human gut microbiome and its role in treating diseases. Currently, I am researching various strains of Clostridium using murine models at the Duke Microbiome Center. Beyond academics, I love playing hockey/rugby, listening to Arctic Monkeys, and trying new food.
