RESEARCH - It starts here.
Meet the students of the 2011-2012 recruitment campaign: Ana Gargaun

The theme of this year's recruitment campaign reflects the aspirations of our 40,000+ students and the everyday reality of our researchers. This totally made-at-uOttawa campaign features students that are involved in research that resonates not only in Canada, but also in countries around the world.

Meet all the students appearing in the ads of the 2011-2012 recruitment campaign.

Crafting better, less-invasive ways to detect cancer

Ana Gargaun, a PhD student in chemistry, came to the University of Ottawa after graduating from Vanier College in Montreal. Drawn to uOttawa by its unique biopharmaceutical science program–offered nowhere else in Canada–and its generous scholarships, Ana has now made Ottawa her home.

After completing her undergraduate degree in biopharm, Ana began graduate studies in chemistry in the winter of 2010. The program has allowed her to explore many branches of chemistry, including organic chemistry, phytochemistry, hormone-replacement therapy and, more recently, bioanalytical chemistry for cancer research.

Her current research will help improve the methods used to detect cancer, allowing testing to be done through blood work instead of biopsies. The ultimate result: procedures that are easier, less invasive and more accurate.

"Supportive faculty like Tony Durst and Maxim Berezovski, and the opportunity to learn in so many different fields, have made the University of Ottawa a great place to study."

Ana will continue working on her PhD over the coming years and expects to move on to postdoctoral work after that.