“Trent University faculty invest in the success of undergraduate researchers, giving students better opportunities to make substantive contributions at an undergraduate level.” This is, one of the many, Trent advantages, says recent Physics and Chemistry graduate, Hamza Khattak.

During his time at Trent, Mr. Khattak worked in the Frost Lab of Freshwater Ecology studying how algae nutrient ratios affect the physiology of water fleas. He ran computational simulations in the Supercritical Water Research Laboratory, and he worked alongside doctoral students, undergraduate students and Trent faculty from the Biology, Chemistry and Physics & Astronomy departments. He subsequently co-authored research papers which were published by respected journals including Scientific Reports, Journal of Molecular Liquids and, most recently, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Most recently he worked on research out of the Slepkov Biophotonics Lab that answered the question of why microwaved grapes become a fireball producing light and sparks, a project that caught the attention of media outlets around the globe.

“It is really cool,” reflects Mr. Khattak. “This research with Dr. Slepkov is the type of accessible project that may get non-scientists or not-yet scientists thinking about science. The process of working in a research environment enables you to work with like-minded people, solve interesting problems and contribute to new knowledge in the field.”

While at Trent Mr. Khattak also won three Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA), which helped to fund his work and further establish his role as a researcher.

He adds that his supervisors discussed his development as a scientist, which helped him to earn scholarships and pursue graduate studies where he is now working on a master’s degree in Physics.