People | MAPcore

Staff and Students

Seti Boroomand

Project Manager & Operations Lead
seti.boroomand@ubc.ca

Originally from Tehran, Iran, Seti has been a Vancouverite since moving to Canada, residing in the Downtown/Yaletown neighborhood. She completed her PhD in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia and is passionate about translational medical science and laboratory technologies. During her PhD, she was involved in various projects, alongside her own, gaining exposure to many lab techniques. After her PhD, Seti worked briefly at VGH Clinical Microbiology Laboratory as a Molecular Scientist before moving to the Brain Centre, where she established a core facility to support research projects and clinical trials. Seti has now returned to the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as the Project Manager and Operations Lead of MAPcore. When not at MAPcore, Seti is often watching her son play soccer or chess. She loves coffee and would enjoy a conversation over coffee anytime of the day.

Christine Chow

Senior Research Technician
christine.chow2@vch.ca

Originally from Victoria, BC, Christine completed her Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science at the University of British Columbia. Affectionately named “Lab Captain”, Christine brings 10+ years of immunohistochemistry experience from the Genetic Pathology Evaluation Centre (GPEC). When Christine is not at the helm, she spends her time trying new foods, cooking, baking, and training for running marathons all over the world.

Samuel Leung

IT Manager
Samuel.Leung@vch.ca

Born in Hong Kong (China), grew up in Burnaby (BC, Canada), Samuel completed his Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry & Computer Science) at the University of British Columbia and Master of Science (Computer Science) at the University of Victoria. Samuel is passionate about software and data engineering. Samuel has over 20 years of experience in software development, data management, clinical informatics, and biostatistics. Samuel is excited to join the MAPcore team, to apply his IT/analytics skills to cutting edge life science research. In this spare time, Samuel enjoys playing piano and playing action figures with his son.

Shelby Thornton (She/Her)

Research Consultant
shthornton@bccrc.ca

Shelby grew up on Vancouver Island and attended the University of Victoria to receive her bachelors in biochemistry. She found a passion for molecular pathology and research working at the Molecular and Cellular Immunology core at BC Cancer Research Centre. Shelby moved to Vancouver in 2020 when she started working with MAPcore to spearhead SOP development and implementation of multiplex OPAL immunofluorescence and Nanostring digital spatial profiling platforms. Shelby plans to pursue a career in Genetic Counselling. In her spare time, she loves backpacking, hiking, beach volleyball, biking, kayak touring, photography and cooking.

Honor Cheung (She/Her)

Research Technician
honor.cheung@ubc.ca

Originally from Hong Kong, Honor moved to Canada to pursue higher education, earning both her BSc in Microbiology and MSc in Pathology from the University of British Columbia. Her previous research involved developing a tissue clearing and 3D lightsheet microscopy pipeline that renders entire brain tissues transparent, enabling the visualization of cerebral structures in their native morphology. With a specific interest in imaging blood vessels in brains affected by traumatic injuries, her work aims to understand vascular damage as a step toward developing therapies. In her new role as a MAPcore research technician, Honor seeks to broaden her exposure to a wide range of pathologies and is also learning to use the Nanostring digital spatial profiling platform. Outside the lab, she enjoys exploring new cafes and food experiences and has a passion for drawing animals, especially cats.

Rodrigo Vallejos (He/Him)

Research Technician
rodrigo.vallejos@ubc.ca

Hailing from Lima, Peru, Rodrigo received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of British Columbia. He then pursued a Master’s in Genome Science and Technology at the BC Cancer Research Centre, where his research focused on the microenvironment of ovarian carcinomas. As a MAPcore research technician, Rodrigo is eager to engage in a variety of projects and further develop his analytical skills, particularly in working with spatial datasets. In his free time, he enjoys cooking elaborate meals, cycling, playing tennis, and occasionally crocheting.

Ryan Zhu

Research Technician
ryan.zhu@ubc.ca

Ryan grew up in Richmond, BC and is currently attending the University of British Columbia for his undergraduate degree in Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences. His passion for medicine led him to join the MAPcore team initially as a co-op student, which was the perfect opportunity to gain experience in the field, and has given him a new passion in pathology. He has since chosen to stay on the team as a research technician to finish his projects. In his spare time, Ryan loves to read books, play video games with his friends, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

Selvana Emad

Co-op Student
selvana.emad@ubc.ca

Originally from Iraq, Selvana grew up in the lower mainland and is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. Her interest in science and health has led her to join the MAPcore team as a co-op student, where she’s gaining experience in molecular pathology. Selvana is excited to expand her knowledge in the field and looks forward to applying her skills in future scientific research. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking and listening to music.