Hometown: Johnston, IA
Program: Genetic Counselling
Emma Smith
What attracted you to your field?
Curiosity. I’ve always been very curious, like wondering why I was born without wisdom teeth even though no one else in my family was. My curiosity in undergrad grew to encompass etiology of disease, psychology, and most of all, clinical human genetics. The field of genetics is special because genetic information is akin to nothing else and can be quite powerful. By choosing to enter the field of genetics I will continue to be forever curious because with one question answered in genetics, at least a handful of questions are raised.
In 10 years, what UBC moment will you still be talking about?
For a charity event, “Lace up for Kids,” my classmates and I ice-skated in cow onesies. It was my first time ice skating and it was a lot of fun.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to be working as a genetic counselor at Stanford. I will be working as a clinical genetic counselor in the medical genetics department and will be building the clinical genome-wide sequencing service.
As you look ahead, what inspires you?
I’m excited to be part of a unique field where I get to continue to learn every day. I look forward to embracing new challenges as the fields of genetics and biotechnology continue to grow. I’m inspired by my mentors from UBC and will be inspired by the creative minds I have the opportunity to work with at Stanford.
Name one thing on your bucket list.
I want to visit the pickle museum, Das Gurkenmuseum, in Germany.