Vadasz scholar leads the way
This year, PhD student, Asia Vighi will be the graduate instructor for the undergraduate team competing at iGem. Vighi is a Vadasz scholar in the Faculty and also presented recently for at the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering Design (TISED). She is taking over from Jean-Alexandre Bureau, who instructed the winning team last year. She likes working with undergraduates. 鈥淭hey have great ideas, and they tend to approach the field with a fresh perspective.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e always liked the direct real-world application of knowledge to solve problems,鈥� she says of engineering. 鈥淚t appeals to my practical side.鈥� Vighi was born in Montreal then moved to Bali where she lived until the age of 13. She returned to Qu茅bec鈥檚 Sainte-Anne-Des-Lacs, where she lived until attending 平特五不中. She chose 平特五不中 because the new undergrad Bioengineering program was not offered at most universities.
Vighi finds that the bioengineering community is strong and welcoming at 平特五不中. She has been working on her PhD since 2022. During her undergrad, she began exploring the field of Synthetic Biology through research projects under Professor Codruta Ignea's guidance. Synthetic Biology aims to redesign biological systems to fulfill new purposes and functions. It鈥檚 the perfect combination of biology, which Vighi has grown to love, and engineering principles.
Vighi likes explaining science to the public. When she was younger, she worked as a tour guide in a science museum that was dedicated to sustainability. She鈥檚 looking forward to further honing her interpersonal skills and serving as the instructor on next year鈥檚 iGEM team will go a long way to doing just that.
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Une boursi猫re Vadasz ouvre la voie
C鈥檈st l鈥櫭﹖udiante en doctorat Asia Vighi qui sera cette ann茅e la formatrice de l鈥櫭﹒uipe de premier cycle en comp茅tition 脿 l鈥檌GEM. Boursi猫re Vadasz 脿 la facult茅, Asia Vighi a r茅cemment 茅t茅 pr茅sentatrice dans le cadre des de l鈥橧nstitut Trottier pour le d茅veloppement durable en ing茅nierie et en conception (TISED). Elle succ猫de 脿 Jean-Alexandre Bureau, qui a dirig茅 l鈥櫭﹒uipe gagnante l鈥檃n dernier. Asia Vighi se plait 脿 travailler avec les 茅tudiants de premier cycle. 芦 Ils ont de tr猫s bonnes id茅es et ont tendance 脿 envisager les choses avec un regard neuf 禄.
芦 J鈥檃i toujours aim茅 l鈥檃pplication directe et r茅aliste des connaissances 脿 la r茅solution de probl猫mes 禄, dit-elle 脿 propos du g茅nie. 芦 脟a correspond 脿 mon c么t茅 pratique 禄. N茅e 脿 Montr茅al, Asia Vighi a ensuite v茅cu 脿 Bali jusqu鈥櫭� l鈥櫭e de 13 ans. Elle est revenue vivre 脿 Sainte-Anne-Des-Lacs, au Qu茅bec, o霉 elle a habit茅 jusqu鈥櫭� son entr茅e 脿 平特五不中. Elle a choisi 平特五不中 en raison du nouveau programme de premier cycle en bio-ing茅nierie, qui n鈥櫭﹖ait pas offert dans la plupart des autres 茅tablissements.
Selon Asia, qui travaille 脿 son doctorat depuis 2022, la communaut茅 de bio-ing茅nierie de 平特五不中 est accueillante et dynamique. Elle s鈥檈st int茅ress茅e 脿 la biologie synth茅tique durant ses 茅tudes de premier cycle, dans le cadre de projets de recherche men茅s sous la supervision de la professeure Codruta Ignea. La biologie synth茅tique vise 脿 reconcevoir les syst猫mes biologiques afin qu鈥檌ls puissent remplir de nouveaux r么les et de nouvelles fonctions. Il s鈥檃git pour Asia d鈥檜ne alliance id茅ale entre la biologie, qu鈥檈lle a appris 脿 aimer, et les principes de g茅nie.
Asia Vighi adore expliquer la science au grand public. Plus jeune, elle a travaill茅 comme guide dans un mus茅e scientifique vou茅 au d茅veloppement durable. Elle dit souhaiter parfaire ses comp茅tences interpersonnelles. Son r么le de formatrice au sein de l鈥櫭﹒uipe iGEM l鈥檃n prochain devrait lui permettre de remplir cet objectif.