Connection to Maria: Andrea was Maria's speech pathologist during her preschool years (October 2007 - July 2011).
About Andrea:Andreaenjoys spending time with her family: husband Joe, daughters Maddie and Emma, and miniature golden doodle Fundy. They enjoy camping, hiking, going to movies, and traveling. Her daughters are very involved with competitive dance and drama and so she keeps busy making costumes and attending competitions. Andrea also enjoys running, walking, and reading. She is actively involved with the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority Group and with the United Church of Canada in her hometown of Hampton.
Connection to Maria: Krista had the pleasure of working with Maria and her family as Maria’s Occupational Therapist during her preschool years.
About Krista:Krista enjoys spending time with her husband, Rorri, and their two children, Jillian and Liam. In her spare time, Krista can be found at sports fields cheering on her kids as they play baseball and soccer. Krista also enjoys walking their black lab Mira, camping, reading, and spending time with her friends.
Connection to Maria: Becca is Maria's cousin and worked as the Research and Development Coordinator for the FoG in 2011.
About Becca: Becca graduated from Acadia University in May 2013 after completing her BSc. (Hons). She was the President of the Acadia Grad Class of 2013 and was involved in a wide variety of extracurricular and volunteer activities. She is passionate about work in the field of global health and is heavily involved with the organization Global Brigades. Becca is currently a medical student at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Becca also received top marks on her Honours Thesis, "Electrophysiological Assessment of Language in a Child with Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation: A Case Study," in which Maria was the subject. You can find the full document here.
Connection to Maria: Jillian was a summer student for the FoG in 2012.
About Jillian: Being involved with the FoG was a wonderful experience for Jill. Her duties included maintaining the FoG website and incoming donations, fundraising, and researching a disease model for ALG12. She started a Penny Drive in the Saint John/Quispamsis region and was able to raise $500 for the FoG! Jillian also prepared and organized the letter campaign, one of the FoG's largest annual fundraisers. She loved meeting Maria and being involved with the foundation. Jill completed her undergraduate biochemistry degree at UNB Fredericton.
Connection to Maria: Brandyn was a summer student researcher for the FoG in 2013.
About Brandyn: In his third year of medical school at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, Brandyn worked on various research projects for the FoG including: Protocol setup for Fluorophore Assisted Carbohydrate Electrophoresis (FACE), validation of ALG9 presence in yeast and mammalian tissues using Western Blots, and an ALG12 yeast mutant growth study. In his free time Brandyn likes to spend time with his wife, socialize with friends, and play softball and ice hockey.
Connection to Maria: Tess was a FoG summer student researcher in 2014. She, along with Alyson, studied the effects of ALG9 gene mutations on diseased yeast models and worked on optimizing a protocol using differential centrifugation to isolate ER from the diseased models for future carbohydrate fingerprinting. She worked under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Pulinilkunnil and Dr. Petra Kienesberger at the Dalhousie Medical School in Saint John.
About Tess: Tess graduated from Mount Allison University in May 2015 with honours in biochemistry. She is actively involved in a variety of volunteer and extracurricular activities through her school and community. As a member of Health Care Outreach, a studentled community outreach group, and as president of Global Brigades Mount Allison, Tess has developed a passion for sustainable community and global development. Tess is currently in the process of applying to Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.
Connection to Maria: Alyson was a FoG summer student researcher in 2014. She worked alongside Tess Robart researching for the FoG.
About Alyson: Alyson graduated from Western University in May 2015 with a BSc. (Hons) in Psychology with a minor in Pharmacology. Her involvement at Western and in the London community has been diverse over the past few years. She has competed and managed the women’s rugby team, has been involved in clubs and intramural basketball, and has volunteered to better the lives of vulnerable members of the London community. She is currently the Director of Community Support Volunteers at a non-profit organization called CONNECT for Mental Health. Alyson is passionate about work in the field of mental health and plans to pursue graduate studies in Psychiatric Research.
Connection to Maria: Kiera was a FoG summer student in 2014. She worked with Anita, Maria's mother, in assisting with Maria's daily activities. Kiera also worked on the FoG website helping to keep pictures and videos updated.
About Kiera: Kiera is in the process of completing her Biology degree (Honours) at the University of Ottawa with future plans to apply to medical school. She enjoyed working for the FoG and having the opportunity to meet and work with Maria and hopes to continue working for the foundation. Throughout the school year, she is involved in many activities including volunteering for the Health Services at her university. She also enjoys swimming and giving lessons at the pool for the Making Waves Swim School.
Connection to Maria: Nicolas was a FoG summer student in 2014. He worked on and updated the FoG website. Nicolas also helped organize and coordinate the third annual FoG Cup in May 2014 which is a fundraising event to support research on Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation. He was also responsible for ordering merchandise to be sold at the event.
About Nicolas: Nicolas graduated from Acadia University in May 2015 and is currently applying to medical school. He has a BSc with a major in Biology and a double minor in Chemistry and French. Throughout his undergrad, Nicolas volunteered for the Acadia S.M.I.L.E. (Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience) program helping children with disabilities improve motor, cognitive, and social skills. During his summers Nicolas works for a local construction company and volunteers at the Saint John Regional Hospital. During his free time he enjoys playing guitar, fishing, and being outdoors on his ATV.
Connection to Maria: Luke was aFoG summer student in 2014. Luke helped maintain the FoG website.
About Luke: Luke has a Bachelor's degree with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Mathematics from Mount Allison University. Retiring temporarily from academics, Luke currently serves as a bartender and enjoys a variety of hobbies including golf, fishing, and hiking. At school, Luke was heavily involved in intramural sports and enjoyed volunteering at Mount Allison's S.M.I.L.E. (Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience) program. Similarly, Luke’s participation with non-typical developing children included a summer work term at the Stepping Stone Regional Speech Pathology Clinic in Saint John.
Connection to Maria: Andrew was a FoG summer student in 2015. He helped maintain the FoG website and assisted with various other projects.
About Andrew: Andrew graduated in 2015 from Amherst College in Massachusetts where he majored in biology. At school Andrew played four years of NCAA collegiate ice hockey. During his undergrad, he was also heavily involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, served as a Resident Counselor, and volunteered regularly at a nursing home. Andrew began medical school at Memorial University of Newfoundland in the fall of 2015.
