{"id":169,"date":"2023-02-02T21:21:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T21:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/?page_id=169"},"modified":"2026-10-10T22:13:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T22:13:38","slug":"undergraduate-research-assistants","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/undergraduate-research-assistants\/","title":{"rendered":"Undergraduate Research Assistants"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #000000\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">SHIRISH SUNDAR (2026 &#8211; Current)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/IMG_E1114-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-778\" src=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/IMG_E1114-1-300x247.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/IMG_E1114-1-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/IMG_E1114-1-1024x844.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/IMG_E1114-1-768x633.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/IMG_E1114-1.jpg 1457w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"gs\">\n<div class=\" \">\n<div id=\":120\" class=\"ii gt adO\">\n<div id=\":121\" class=\"a3s aiL \">\n<div id=\"avWBGd-676\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;color: #000000\">Hi, I\u2019m Shirish Sundar! I joined the Tierney Lab in the summer as an undergraduate research assistant with an NSERC scholarship, and I am continuing my research as a BIOL 499 project. My current research explores the fascinating and largely unexplored world of olfactants, using zebrafish as a model organism.&nbsp;Previously, I conducted research at the Cross Cancer Institute about cellular pathways and cell death in HeLa cells. Outside of research, I enjoy playing and watching sports like basketball, as well as playing video games!<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;color: #000000\"><strong>ZARA MAHAJAN (2026 &#8211; Current)<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/17FA1385-F120-4326-8C12-80BE540CF6F2.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-775\" src=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/17FA1385-F120-4326-8C12-80BE540CF6F2-300x263.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/17FA1385-F120-4326-8C12-80BE540CF6F2-300x263.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/17FA1385-F120-4326-8C12-80BE540CF6F2-1024x897.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/17FA1385-F120-4326-8C12-80BE540CF6F2-768x673.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/17FA1385-F120-4326-8C12-80BE540CF6F2.jpeg 1238w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;color: #000000\">Hi! I\u2019m a fourth-year undergraduate student completing my BSc Honours in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology! I joined the Tierney Lab in May 2026 as a BIOL 398 student and am continuing my research through BIOL 498 and BIOL 499. I am currently working alongside Nathalie, investigating how olfactory sensory neuron populations are activated in zebrafish following exposure to different odorants using immunohistochemistry. I\u2019m especially interested in the connections between biology, behaviour, and health, and I hope to pursue medicine in the future. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, playing piano, volunteering in my community, and spending time with friends and family.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;color: #000000\"><strong>BROOKE LAMASH (2026 &#8211; Current)<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/DSCF1755.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-773\" src=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/DSCF1755-240x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/DSCF1755-240x300.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/DSCF1755-819x1024.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/DSCF1755-768x960.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/10\/DSCF1755.jpeg 947w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;color: #000000\">Hello! My name is Brooke, and I&#8217;m in my 4th year of my Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Psychology. Starting in the summer, I got the great opportunity to work with Morgan Steffler in the Tierney lab as part of the I-STEAM pathway for indigenous students. We are looking at how the addition of methane to both crude oil and oil sands process-affected water changes the behaviour, morphology and survival rate of zebrafish larvae. In my spare time, you will most likely find me taking care of my pet snake, Wallace, or figure skating. I\u2019m looking forward to all the learning opportunities this lab brings and all the fun we will have.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SHIRISH SUNDAR (2026 &#8211; Current) Hi, I\u2019m Shirish Sundar! I joined the Tierney Lab in the summer as an undergraduate research assistant with an NSERC scholarship, and I am continuing my research as a BIOL 499 project. My current research explores the fascinating and largely unexplored world of olfactants, using zebrafish as a model organism.&nbsp;Previously, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":794,"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/169\/revisions\/794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grad.biology.ualberta.ca\/tierney\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}