My name is Amber and I was born in Saint John, NB but raised here in Halifax, NS.  I completed both my Honours BSc. In Biology (May, 2007) and my MSc. In Applied Science (Biology; October, 2009) at Saint Mary’s University, where I worked with Dr. Zhongmin Dong on hydrogen-oxidizing, plant-growth- promoting rhizobacteria and their potential as seed inoculants for crop plants such as barley.  I have begun my doctoral research in the PCD lab as of January, 2010, with Dr. Arunika Gunawardena and Dr. Christian Lacroix of UPEI as my supervisors.  I will be investigating class I KNOX gene expression in the shoot apical meristem and leaf tissues of lace plant and comparing it to a control plant; I will also be performing morphological comparisons between the two species using scanning electron microscopy.  After working with soil for three years, I am glad to have the opportunity to work with plants directly, especially a project involving plant cell biology.   There’s a lot to learn but I always enjoy a challenge and I’m looking forward to taking on this new field of research for my doctoral studies.