Breanne Dong

Breanne was both born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She's completing her fourth and final year in the Honours Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology program, part of the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Calgary. She joined the Gregory Lab in May 2025 and is focusing her undergraduate honours thesis on the isolation and characterization of novel phage that target key bacterial species in our gut microbiome. Breanne's interest in phage and the microbiome grew while taking classes at the university in microbiology, virology, and bacterial pathogenesis. These courses sparked her interest in host-microbe interactions and the role of the microbiome in human health. After she graduates, she plans to pursue graduate studies in microbiology, where she hopes to explore the complex relationships between microbes, viruses, and their human hosts. Outside the lab, Breanne loves to explore the many national and provincial parks in Calgary's backyard by rock climbing, hiking, and camping with her friends and family.