Nico Popescu Email and Phone Number

I am currently a first-year master's student in biology at McMaster University. Under the supervision of Dr. Jianping Xu, my research aims to analyze the patterns of genetic variation among Canadian bat species and how their relationships impact their microbiomes. To accomplish this, I will be studying nuclear microsatellites from a pool of big brown bat wing tissue samples.As part of my post-graduate studies, I am also currently employed as a Teaching Assistant for a third-year microbial genetics course. In this position, I lead weekly tutorials in discussions on relevant lecture concepts pertaining to the course and assess the students understanding through written analyses and presentations. I am excited to see where this research will take me for the rest of my time at McMaster University and am looking forward to connecting with like-minded peers and experts in this challenging, yet highly rewarding, field.