2026 Co-Chairs
Meet your 2026 OCIB Symposium Co-Chairs
Sambina Bevilacqua
PhD Candidate - University of Ottawa
Sambina holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Biopharmaceutical Science from the University of Ottawa and is currently pursuing her PhD in Biology with a specialization in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, supervised by Dr. Laurie Chan and Dr. Dawn Jin. Her research focuses on improving toxicity testing methods for food-grade and nanoscale titanium dioxide, particularly by examining how particle size distribution, dispersion techniques, and matrix influence in vitro toxicity outcomes. When she’s not in the lab, she can often be found reading, training her cats, or enjoying a walk in nature.
email: sbevi092@uottawa.ca
Anthea Mavridis
PhD Candidate - University of Ottawa
Anthea started at the University of Ottawa as an undergraduate in biology in 2017. She started her research adventure supervised by Dr. Michael Jonz where she investigated oxygen sensing systems in vertebrates during her honours project. Since then, her work has focused on how ATP acts as a neurotransmitter and is involved in hypoxia signaling in zebrafish, and she plans to continue in the Jonz lab to pursue a PhD. In her spare time, Anthea can be found outside in the sun, taking ballet classes or absolutely devouring a work of fiction with her cat, Potato Bug.
email: amavr043@uottawa.ca
Rebecca Dean
PhD Candidate - Carleton University
Becca completed an honours B.Sc in Biochemistry and an M.Sc in Chemistry at the University of Ottawa with Corrie daCosta and Maria Musgaard, where she studied nicotinic acetylcholine receptor structure and function through a range of computational techniques. She is currently completing a PhD in Biology under the supervision of Dr. Heath MacMillan. Becca’s research is centered around the plasticity of thermal acclimation and cold tolerance on a transcriptomic and proteomic scale, in two different insect models. When not in the lab, she likes to spend her time baking, reading, or at trivia night.
email: rebeccadean@cmail.carleton.ca
Sarah Green
PhD Candidate - Carleton University
Sarah completed her Master of Forest Conservation at the University of Toronto. Her zeal for nature conservation has led her to work with environmental and urban forest non-profits, contributing to initiatives that promote nature-based solutions and greener communities. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Biology at Carleton, supervised by Dr. Rachel Buxton. Her research focus is on exploring the biodiversity benefits of tree plantings in urban settings.
email: sarahgreen@cmail.carleton.ca
