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Erin M. McConnell’s research interests lie in the use of DNAzymes and aptamers for diverse applications in human health, such as the development of therapeutics, diagnostics and imaging probes, to environmental monitoring and water quality. Currently a postdoctoral fellow in Professor Vincent Tabard-Cossa’s applied single-molecule biophysics lab at the University of Ottawa, Erin is applying her knowledge of functional DNA and nanotechnology for the single-molecule detection of biological targets using solid-state nanopores. Previously Erin was a member of Professor Yingfu Li’s Functional Nucleic Acids Research Group at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where she led a team of interdisciplinary researchers in the development of DNAzyme-based biosensors for the detection of pathogenic bacteria in water. Erin obtained her Ph.D. in chemistry under the supervision of Professor Maria C. DeRosa at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where her research focused on the development and use of aptamers for applications within the central nervous system. Erin is actively involved in science mentoring and is passionate about increasing science literacy through outreach. She was recently awarded the NSERC and L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science 2018 Supplement, which is awarded to a promising female scientist at the postdoctoral level, who has been involved in mentorship and science promotion.