Andrew Poholka is a 2022 Canada Student Merit Award winner. He achieved this award for obtaining the highest standing of his class in the fourth and final year of his degree. Here is a brief biography of the winner.
Andrew Poholka grew up in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. He graduated as valedictorian from Fort Saskatchewan High School in 2018, and started his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Alberta the same year.
Originally, Andrew majored in physics, but he found himself deeply interested in his chemistry and biology courses, leading him to change his major to biochemistry in 2019. Over the course of his degree, Andrew received a number of awards and scholarships for academic achievement, including a Lauritz Percy Simonson Scholarship, the Morgan-Scraba, Biochemistry Prize, and the Dean’s Silver Medal in Science.
Andrew’s first experience with research was in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Fahlman, where he worked on quantifying a biomarker for myasthenia gravis with immunobinding. Andrew graduated in 2022 with first class honours and a certificate in biomedical research. That summer, Andrew received a Motyl Cardiac Summer Studentship to perform research in the laboratory of Dr. Howard Young on mutants of cardiac protein phospholamban. In the fall of 2022 Andrew began a Master of Science degree in the laboratory of Andrew MacMillan, performing research on the essential splicing factor SF3B6.
In his spare time Andrew enjoys playing rugby, camping, volunteering at his local food bank, and purchasing books he will someday get around to reading.
Andrew is honoured to have received the SCI Student Merit Award.
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