Program: PhD, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
I was attracted to science because I found it incredible that scientists could come up with experiments that can describe the functions of microscopic cells at a molecular level to understand how the human body functions. The ability to discover new knowledge, combined with the potential to apply this knowledge towards improving healthcare, makes for a fulfilling line of work.
Although it had to be held virtually, the day of my PhD defence was easily the single most memorable and celebratory day during my studies at UBC. The defence day is something you are really working towards the entire time, so there is a certain level of satisfaction from successfully defending your dissertation that can’t be topped.
Maintain an open mind to other fields of research. Attending seminars and meeting graduate students from other research fields will expose you to diverse scientific perspectives that can open your eyes to new angles of investigation for your own work.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly had a negative impact on the world in many ways, a positive change I have found is the normalization of interacting with others virtually, which has helped to rekindle many long-distance friendships that were previously limited to a rare text message. In this day and age many people are living far away from their friends and family, and I think this change is a positive one that should stick.
In the new year I will be moving to Stockholm to begin as a postdoctoral fellow at the Karolinska Institute. I will continue to conduct basic cell biology research with potential implications for cancer immunotherapy.