Tori Chen

Gene Therapy: A Treatment for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

A.B. Lucas S.S.

Diabetes affects 425 million people globally and is dangerous because it causes many illnesses, called diabetic complications; the most severe of which is diabetic cardiomyopathy, disease of the heart. Diabetic cardiomyopathy occurs when diabetes causes cell signalling errors in blood vessels of the heart. In my project, I used an up-and-coming cancer treatment (microRNA-9) to prevent diabetic cardiomyopathy.

 

Awards
Excellence Award – Senior Gold Medal
Western University  $4000 Entrance Scholarship
Carleton University $4000 Entrance Scholarship
Dalhousie University Faculty of Science $5000 Entrance Scholarship
UBC Science (Vancouver)  $4000 Entrance Scholarship
University of Manitoba  $5000 Entrance Scholarship
University of Ottawa  – $4000 Entrance Scholarship
Challenge Award – Health Senior

 

Biography

Tori Chen is a grade 11 student in London, Ontario. The things she loves most in the world are home-cooked meals and spending time with animals. During her free time, she can be found volunteering at her local cat shelter or working on art projects. Her passions lie in the arts and sciences; she loves all visual arts, especially photography and painting. At school, she plays the flute in orchestra band and is part of the music council; she studied piano at the grade 9 level and has won many solo competitions. In terms of sports, she has participated in volleyball, soccer, curling, and badminton teams. She also has a background in drama, playing lead roles in two elementary school plays, and was casted in her school’s rendition of Hamlet. Tori has a strong English background, achieving the gifted English award at her school in grade 9 and 10; she also participated in many math competitions, winning the top score in her schools from grade 4 to 7 in the Byron-Germain, Fibonacci, Pythagoras, and Gauss Math Competition. With great interest in medical science and microbiology, Tori wishes to pursue a career in medicine or veterinary science.