Chris Kazala, MSc

About

I obtained a MSc in Biochemistry from Western University (London, ON) and worked in both industry and academia before joining the University of Alberta in 2004, where I was a Lab and Program Manager in the area of oilseed biotechnology. In 2017 I became the Research Development Coordinator for the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science and then the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences (ALES) in 2020.  I am currently a Research Partner for researchers in the natural and applied sciences and a key contact for those based in the Faculty of ALES. 

I currently support faculty members applying for funding from the following sponsors:

Agriculture Funding Consortium (and its members)

Alberta Innovates (opportunities related to Agriculture and Agri-Food)

Environment and Climate Change Canada

fRI Research

Genome Alberta / Genome Canada

Industry Partnerships (Faculty of ALES)

National Research Council (NRC)

NSERC Alliance (involving Agriculture or Agri-Food partners)

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR)

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP)

Research

My thesis centred on the identification and characterization of proteases in E. coli and much of my post-graduate research work focused on the lipid biosynthesis enzymes in both canola and beef cattle.  Our group actively collaborated with a number of scientists in many areas, including geneticists, chemists, dietitians, plant breeders and social scientists, encouraging me to become familiar with a number of disciplines and to be comfortable with working at the interface between specializations

Teaching

I have taught sections and lectures in undergraduate biochemistry and lipid chromatography and was a lab instructor (introductory genetics) for several years.  I also managed a CIHR training program in Protein Function Discovery for graduate students at Queen's University, providing instruction in the use and application of a number of proteomic and protein characterization techniques and instruments.