Hometown: Vancouver, B.C. / Calgary, AB
Program: MSc Audiology
Year in Program: 2
What inspired you to pursue your program?
Audiology feels like the culmination of many things that I feel driven and inspired by. I developed an interest in sound and the auditory system from my love of playing music and my background in neuroscience. Becoming an audiologist lets me continue to engage with these interests while in a health care setting, where I can foster interpersonal connections and make a positive difference in individuals’ lives.
Why did you choose UBC?
I was so excited to find out that one of the Master’s programs for audiology in Canada was in Vancouver, my home for the last number of years. There is so much about the West Coast that I feel grateful for every day, including the nature (especially the ocean) and the community that I have grown here. I am very lucky to have been able to expand that community even more at UBC in my undergrad by getting involved in research, and now pursuing my Master’s degree.
Tell me about your research.
My thesis, supervised by Dr. Anthony Herdman, examines different types of stimuli that are used in auditory brainstem response testing – this is a method of evaluating hearing in newborns by looking at their brain activity in response to sound. It is an important part of newborn hearing screening programs across the country, so evaluating the specificity of various stimuli can support these programs in identifying hearing loss as early as possible.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
I am most looking forward to seeing my cohort again in the fall after we spread out across western Canada on our clinical placements this summer. Graduating this year is going to be a huge milestone for all of us and I am so grateful to share that experience with them. I am looking forward to being back in the classroom after being absorbed in clinical training, and seeing how these two learning experiences complement each other.