Introducing Olivia Tsai of the Faculty of Health Sciences!
Name: Olivia Tsai
Major: Health Sciences
Year of Study: 2nd
Supervisor: Jeff Yap, PhD Student, of the Williams Lab
Q: How did you get involved in research?
A: I worked at the Animal Care Facility last summer, taking care of the zebra finches. It got me interested in avian physiology, so I started volunteering with my current supervisor.
Q: What is your research about? What will you be working on this summer?
A: I’m studying red blood cell production. I’ll be doing an experiment to validate the use of dietary nitrate to reduce hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration in zebra finches.
Q: What is a typical “day in the life” in the lab for you?
A: Asking my supervisor lots of questions. Sometimes blood sampling and running assays. Sometimes data collection and analyzing stats.
Q: What scares you most about science?
A: Figuring out the logistics of a new project. Getting past the stage of “Is it even possible to accomplish this?”
Q: If you could be any laboratory instrument, what would you be?
A: A petri dish because I’d be so cultured.
SFU Science Undergraduate Research Journal 