Q-and-A with Heather Gaebler – PhD Student in Biological and Chemical Sciences

A Q-and-A session with one of our own, Heather Gaebler – a PhD student in Biological and Chemical Sciences program! 

Name: Heather Gaebler

Program: Biological and Chemical Sciences

Educational Background: BSc-Honours Chemistry and MSc from Wilfrid Laurier University

Current Project/Thesis/Field of Study: Small gold nanoclusters in the field of quantum chemistry

Tell me about yourself and how you became engaged in your field of study?

Originally from a small town north of Toronto, I moved to the city of Kitchener-Waterloo to pursue my post-secondary education in the sciences. I became interested in the field of quantum chemistry during my senior years of undergrad while enrolled in the Honours Chemistry program. During that time, I completed a thesis project with Dr. Ian Hamilton which sparked my interest in computational chemistry. I continued my education by completing a Masters degree in the same field and working on various metal cluster projects. My passion for both education and chemistry is what ultimately led me to begin my PhD degree in 2017.  

Provide a brief overview about your research?

My research is in the area of theoretical chemistry and my projects focus on small gold nanoclusters. Viewed as elementary building blocks for the construction of nanoarchitectures, gold nanoclusters have become optimal candidates in a broad range of applications such as quantum electronics and catalysis. The focus of my projects is to create and model gold clusters that imitate the chemical properties of an inert gas atom on the periodic table of elements. I hope to contribute to filling in the gap of knowledge regarding the structure and stability of such tiny clusters. I employ a quantum mechanical modelling method called density functional theory to simulate my structures and obtain valuable data such as energies and HOMO-LUMO gap values.

How do you stay passionate as a graduate student?

I love the world of academics so I genuinely enjoy the different aspects of graduate school. I stay passionate and motivated because I have an amazing supervisor, Dr. Ian Hamilton, who gives me the freedom to explore and research topics I am personally interested in. I also have a great support system at home which helps me get through any tough times I come across during my studies.

What one piece of advice would give to other students interested in pursuing graduate studies?

My advice to other students who wish to pursue a graduate degree is to pick an area of research that interests you and choose a supervisor with goals and work habits that aline with your own. It can be hard to maintain motivation if you have a project that isn’t appealing to you or if you are constantly clashing with your superiors.  

Where can someone learn more information about your program or research?

I am currently working on completing two first author manuscripts on gold nanoclusters. I was lucky enough to complete quantum calculations for an experimental group at Laurier for a publication titled “Stabilization of Columnar Liquid Crystal Phases via Arene-Perfluoroarene Interactions” in 2019.