Marshall Zhang is a grade 12 International Baccalaureate student at Bayview Secondary School in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Working with Dr. Christine Bear and Steven Molinski at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Marshall investigates the mechanism of small molecules in the correction of the molecular defect that causes cystic fibrosis, research that may one day have important implications in the development of novel therapeutics for the disease.

His research has taken him to Ottawa for the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge, Toronto for the Canada-Wide Science Fair, Washington D.C. for the International BioGENEius Challenge, and Slovakia for the Expo-Sciences International.

Since becoming involved with cystic fibrosis research, Marshall has regularly volunteered and spoken for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, raising $5000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center at the Hospital for Sick Children. A Shad Valley alumnus, he was named the youngest ever and only self-studied Canadian National AP Scholar. The University of Toronto has also named Marshall a National Biology Scholar with Distinction. In addition to chairing the Kids Help Phone Toronto Student Ambassador Council, Marshall serves on the organization’s National Youth Engagement Strategy Committee to help develop Kids Help Phone’s vision of expanding youth opportunities in community service and leadership.

He enjoys playing the baritone sax in the Toronto Youth Symphonic Winds as well as public speaking, and has spoken at events including the National Youth Leadership Forum and the Janssen/United Way Leadership Break.

Marshall is well-known among his peers for his ability to cook some mean instant noodles, and perhaps is even more well-known for his inability to keep a pencil longer than three days. Marshall hopes to study biomedical engineering in university, but first, he needs to survive his final year of the International Baccalaureate.