Rachel Sailer

Chemistry doctoral student in the Faculty of Science

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I have been somewhere around the lower mainland of BC for my whole life. I grew up in Langley BC and when I was in my early 20's moved to Chilliwack BC. I did my BSc. in chemistry at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford and in 2023 I moved to Burnaby BC. When I started my undergraduate degree in chemistry I had zero intent on going to grad school but in my third year I started doing research work on a whim and now 5 years later, at a different school and a different degree, I am still going! After I finished my undergraduate degree I spent a year working as a lab technician in an analytical lab, processing ore samples from mines and looking for the right fit for grad school.

After a lot of searching, I started at SFU in September of 2023 as a MSc. student in the Leznoff lab and after a fun and hectic first year I transferred over to the PhD program in the summer of 2024 where I am today.

I think what really keeps me going in the lab is that research never gets boring, there is always a different path to go down, new ideas to pursue, and questions that don't have answers yet.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

I was born and raised in Langley so SFU has always seemed not too far from home. I know so many people that have had great experiences here and getting to know the community in Burnaby has been a great experience. 

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

As a chemistry PhD student I spend most of my days working in a research lab. I study phthalocyanine chemistry, where phthalocyanines are most well known as intense blue/green dyes. My projects focus on making unusual metal complexes with phthalocyanines and then studying the changes in their reactivity.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Chemistry, Inorganic, Dyes

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

I have always enjoyed my TA-ships at SFU, particularly in first year chemistry courses. As an undergraduate chemistry student you learn to understand the basics of chemistry but working as a TA teaches you to pass that understanding on to other students, which is a much different skill and one that I am excited to keep working on.

Have you been the recipient of any major or donor-funded awards? If so, please tell us which ones and a little about how the awards have impacted your studies and/or research

I was pleased to be offered a BC Graduate Scholarship in my first year at SFU and in 2025 I was awarded a NSERC-PGSD award which was incredibly impactful in my research as it's allowed me more time to focus on my research and spend more time in the lab.

What are some tips for balancing your academic and personal life?

Balancing my personal life while in grad school has definitely been a challenge. It's easy to get wrapped up in academics and let everything else get pushed aside but as most graduate students learn, this isn't sustainable. The laundry still needs to get done. Just the same as we set aside time for meetings, experiments, and writing, it's equally as important to set aside time to relax and to take care of ourselves.

Additional Links

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