Jen joined the Daicel Arbor Biosciences team in 2019 as the Lead Product Scientist for the myReads NGS services division. For her doctoral research, completed in 2018, she studied how plague pandemics such as the Black Death affected the genetics of both the human host and the pathogen, Yersinia pestis. During her time at the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, she worked on a plethora of other projects focused on a variety of species involving challenging samples with degraded DNA, which gave her a tool-set for experimental planning and solving laboratory problems. Through this experience, Jen developed a passion for improving and troubleshooting next-generation sequencing methods. She completed a B.A. in Anthropology and a B.Sc.in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. When she’s not mulling over a new project, you can find Jen cuddling with her elderly beagle, Toby.