The DSC Team

Sherin Mohammed Shibin

Sherin is with the DSC since 2020 and enjoys collaborating with scientists across the world, to deliver top-quality data by establishing the best sequencing design workflow and experiments unique to them. She provides exclusive support on custom library preparations and sequencing projects. Sherin comes with a decade of experience in molecular biology techniques and is in total awe with the fast-paced sequencing platform accelerating scientific discoveries. She holds dual graduate degree in M.Tech Biotechnology Engineering and MBA. Prior to joining University of Toronto in 2018, she worked 7 years as a Research Associate, where she was interested in mouse behavioral research studies based on drug-diet responses. She also worked on the developmental stages of motor neurons in mouse embryos to comprehend gene regulation mechanisms.

When not in the lab or raising her two daughters, Sherin volunteers at CAGIS and Mothers in Science, where she actively promotes girls and women to pursue STEM careers. Want to talk about thrillers or art styles such as oil pastels, paints, shading, she is all ears!

Contact Sherin or our team directly at dseqcentre@utoronto.ca or +1-416-978-8579.

Deepika Gururaj

Deepika is a Biotechnology professional with a Masters degree at the University of Windsor, Ontario. She recently joined the DSC team as Sequencing Specialist!

Deepika has an active interest in the field of molecular biology and has worked on the release kinetics of Gallic acids (bio polymers) in PVA films (synthetic polymers). She has an established experience in diffferent molecular techniques that as well involves the Liquid handling Robots used in the process of the detection of SARS CoV2 in patients. Deepika has also worked in the library preparation of the Next Generation sequencing of environmental samples.  

Apart from her profession , she has a great passion for sports and believes that it creates a good work- life balance which is inevitable for a good career.

Dr. Benjamin Blencowe

Ben has been Director of the DSC since 2013. Prior to joining UofT in 1998, Ben was a Research Fellow at MIT and obtained his BSc and PhD at Imperial College London and EMBL Heidelberg, respectively. His group is a world leader in RNA biology and has published numerous pioneering studies employing novel high-throughput sequencing and data analysis methods to characterize the transcriptomes of diverse cell and tissue types, species and disease states. Many of the publications from his group have been made possible through a close working relationship with the DSC team.

More information on Ben’s research can be found at: The Blencowe Lab