张百乔女友裸照

Health & Life Sciences student Arielle Benarroch and Continuing Education Science student Nathan Aruna represented Dawson at the Super Expo-sciences Hydro-Qu茅bec provincials last month winning a silver medal and are now headed to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, May 31 – June 7.

The Communications Office interviewed Arielle and Nathan about their experience.

Tell us about your project.

H.A.S.T.E. streamlines histological diagnostics by automating tissue sectioning and imaging. Traditional methods are slow, labor intensive, and costly. H.A.S.T.E. accelerates workflows by automating the sectioning and imaging process, capturing high-resolution microscopic images for analysis. This approach greatly speeds up data collection while preserving high quality data. Large volumes of data can now be generated and stored more rapidly in laboratories and hospitals. In addition to increasing the effectiveness of histology labs, H.A.S.T.E. lowers expenses and facilitates the expansion of research activities by developing an automated and scalable process.

What inspired your project idea and how did you come up with your solution?

We brought together our personal interests, one in health sciences (Arielle) and the other in engineering (Nathan) to design a system that automates key steps of histology in a way that鈥檚 practical, efficient, and easy to use. We began by researching bottlenecks in the diagnosis process until we arrived at our final idea.

Can you describe the biggest technical or scientific challenge you faced, and how you overcame it?

The biggest technical challenge faced during the development of our project was the preparation of tissue. We took a nonstandard approach to create an observable section of tissue, which required altered chemical and physical steps to allow our design to be as efficient as possible.

What was your approach to designing and testing your prototype or experiment?

Since our design was an independent effort, after every milestone we would verify the effectiveness with professionals in the field. Not only did it enrich our medical knowledge but helped patch gaps and issues in our design.

How did you divide tasks and collaborate as a team during the competition?

Since this project was nearly a year of work and with about a million variables at play dividing work was not easy. Not only was there the final product but a research paper, three different posters for each fair and a lot of paperwork regarding ethics needed equal attention. Nathan managed programming and the mechanical design of HASTE, while Arielle worked with labs and hospitals to advance the clinical significance of our project. Both of us gave an equal effort to written materials.

What new skills or knowledge did you gain from participating? What did you like the best about the experience?

This is our fourth year of competing, so the competition is very familiar to us. We love the freedom of a science fair, not being restricted to what has to be made and presented.

Will you be doing the same project for the Canada Wide Science Fair or a new one?

The project developed that year remains the same from the regional level all the way to the international level. Doesn鈥檛 mean we can make small improvements to our presentation. Which is the strategy at each level learning more and more about the optimal presentation making sure all points are covered.

What are you most excited about experiencing at the Canada-Wide Science Fair?

Like previous years whether it鈥檚 regional, provincial, national or international, it鈥檚 always a great experience to build our network with both students and professionals in the field. Additionally, it is a great opportunity to explore other regions, cultures and traditions.

Are there any specific STEM demonstrations, workshops, or exhibitors you are looking forward to visiting?

We are looking forward to seeing our results at the national level to see if we progress.聽 In addition to the main science fair we have been invited to OCTAS, an IT competition that aims to reward excellence and innovation in the field of IT throughout Quebec towards the end of May.

What do you like best about your program?

(Arielle) I’m in the Health Science program at Dawson. What I like most about it is being surrounded by like-minded people who are passionate about the same subjects as I am. Most of us share similar future goals, like going into medicine or healthcare, and it’s really motivating to be on this journey together. The atmosphere makes it easier to stay motivated and work hard together. (Nathan) I am in the evening division for sciences, although it鈥檚 not my favourite choice, it enables me to work on personal projects like this.

Are there teachers or staff at Dawson who helped you?

We are infinitely grateful to Vivian Siandris, the Biomedical Laboratory Technology program coordinator who helped with the preparation of tissue to test our machine on. Without the use of histology expertise and tools used at Dawson our project wouldn鈥檛 be possible.

Are there courses at Dawson that contributed to your win?

Although none of us take Biomedical Laboratory Technology we reached out when we realized that certain tools and materials could not be acquired by us.

What are your future plans for your studies and career?

(Arielle) My future plan is to study medicine and become a dermatologist. I鈥檝e always been interested in science and health, but dermatology stands out to me because of a personal experience where my dermatologist helped me feel much more confident after treating my skin. That experience made me realize how powerful this field can be, especially for teenagers who are often struggling with acne and self-esteem. After Dawson, I plan to apply to university in a pre-med or related program, then continue on to medical school. My long-term goal is to open my own clinic and provide both medical and cosmetic care to help others feel confident in their skin.

(Nathan) I’ve always wanted to be an engineer since I was young. The only issue being I have equal interest in software, mechanical, and electrical. I’m not sure which one I want to focus on as the skills I’ve developed in each field allow me to work independently.