Inspiring the next generation of scientists

Motivated by a family member’s experience with cancer and guided by SFU mentors, Simona Mastroianni is developing new compounds at SFU and testing them at TRIUMF—Canada’s particle accelerator centre in Vancouver—for their ability to be incorporated into radioactive drugs capable of treating cancer.

Recognized with the donor-funded DuPont Graduate Entrance Scholarship in Chemistry, Chemistry Graduate Research Award, and the John D’Auria Memorial Graduate Scholarship, she’s thriving at SFU. Beyond the lab, Simona shares her journey on TikTok and YouTube, where tens of thousands follow along as she educates and inspires future chemists.

Tell us a bit about your research.

My project focuses on developing chelators for lead-212 and lead-203, which make up what we call a theranostic pair—one is used for imaging and the other for cancer treatment. The next step of my research involves designing targeted radioactive drugs that will be tested in animal models to determine if the compounds can actually find tumors and then image or destroy them. I’m very grateful to SFU and its donors for opportunities through scholarships and research awards that I might not have had elsewhere.

What drew you to this field of study at SFU?

I grew up in a small town in northern B.C., and very few people in my family had gone to university. Becoming a scientist didn’t even feel like an option before coming to SFU, which opened my eyes to the different paths in STEM. I have presented to students in my hometown, in a class taught by a friend of mine, to show that science welcomes people from all backgrounds. I want them to understand that there is no single route to success and that meaningful contributions to research can come from anywhere—even a small community.

My aunt died from cancer which inspired one of my collaborative projects on non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Turning a personal loss into work that could help extend and improve lives makes the science deeply meaningful to me.

How has sharing your science journey online impacted others?

I get messages from girls and women—sometimes even high school or elementary school students—saying they didn’t know they wanted to be scientists until they saw my videos on social media. That’s incredibly moving. One of my SFU mentors, Brooke McNeil, had a huge influence on me, and I often wonder if I can be that person for someone else—the one who inspires the next groundbreaking scientist.