As the semester moves forward toward mid-November and Remembrance Day, we have continued to bring you a look at our new graduate students and learn about their aspirations and motivations. Today Anna Kirkland shares insights on her research goals, passion for chemistry, and journey to U of T.
Anna Kirkland
Bio: Anna completed her undergrad at Carleton University in Ottawa, where she received her Honours B.Sc. in Chemistry with a concentration in Chemical Toxicology. During the course of her degree, she received research scholarships allowing her to participate in different toxicology, nanomaterial, analytical, and environmental chemistry research opportunities before completing her undergraduate thesis with Dr. Daniel Grégoire where she investigated the capabilities of microbially produced organic compounds to corrode cobalt. She is currently working with Dr. Jon Abbatt and Dr. Hui Peng, investigating indoor multiphase reactions of specific organic contaminants and the potential toxicity of the resulting products.
Home Campus: UTSG
Research Groups: Abbatt/Peng
What branch of chemistry do you specialize in, and how did you come to choose it?
My research is a mix of environmental, analytical, and a bit of biological chemistry as I am investigating reactions of certain organic contaminants in the indoor environment and the toxicity of the reaction products. I ended up pursuing this path because I believe it is important to better understand the chemical processes occurring in the environment (both indoors and outdoors), and the effect it can have on human health and the environment as a whole. By improving this understanding and determining how humans affect these processes, we can better protect ourselves and the environment.
What are you looking forward to most as you began your graduate studies here at U of T?
The thing I'm most excited for is learning more about all the different chemistry research currently happening that is new to me and mastering as many new techniques as I can while I conduct my own project.
Who is your favorite TV or movie scientist?
I have a lot of respect for Professor Farnsworth from Futurama, as his experiments seem to defy logic and often go horribly wrong but he always keeps on doing them with admirable patience and confidence in his own abilities.