Hello! My name is Abigail Vivian, and I am in my third year at Dalhousie University studying Medical Sciences. In my second year, I began working in Dr. Arunika Gunawardena’s lab through an experiential learning project quantifying nuclear size changes during programmed cell death in window stage lace plant leaves. I am currently working on optimizing a protocol to induce flowering within the lace plant with the funding of a Sobeys Faye Summer Research Award. Establishing a reliable method to induce flowering is necessary to increase the vigour of our lab's sterile culture. Using this culture, I plan to further investigate new and ongoing PCD research on the Lace plant.
My passion is for learning- whether it's on holistic medicine or by Paulo Coelho you can always find me with a book in hand. Being in Dr. Grunawardena’s lab has allowed me to commit to this love for learning and helped cultivate my curious mind. Every day, my thinking has been challenged and expanded in all realms of science, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this community. I anticipate working with Dr. Gunawardena; and alongside such hard-working lab members in the coming years.
Outside of the lab, I love staying active, connecting with my community and, more than anything, the outdoors. Sports have always been a large part of my life, I have swam since I was little, coached every sport under the sun and am currently the head coach for the Halifax Special Olympics swim team. I am also a part of the Varsity Dalhousie rowing team and a competitive powerlifter. Over the past three years, I founded and have been running a weightlifting and powerlifting club in Halifax, which I look forward to working with every week.
Throughout the summer, you can find me racing around the city on my bike trying every ice cream flavour I can find, camping in every spot there is and listening to any live music I hear. After my undergraduate degree, I hope to do an additional diploma in holistic nutrition before pursuing medical school and eventually becoming a family doctor.