Hometown: Kitimat, BC
Program: PhD, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Year in Program: 5
What inspired you to pursue your program?
My interest in research began when I started reading primary research articles for my undergraduate assignments. As I read these publications, I really enjoyed following the progression of an idea to new, established knowledge through experimental design and careful interpretation of the results. I decided I wanted to try participating in this process myself and joined a cancer research lab through UBC’s co-op program for undergraduates.
Although my experiments didn’t always work, I was immediately hooked and haven’t looked back since! I genuinely enjoy the discovery process that happens in science, and pursuing a PhD was simply the natural next step towards testing my own ideas.
What are you looking forward to most this upcoming year?
Publishing my main thesis project! I’ve had the opportunity to share our progress at several research conferences throughout my PhD, but I’m very excited to finish answering some last questions and package our findings into a publication that can be shared with the broader community.
Best piece of advice
My advice may change as I gain more experience but for now I’d encourage students to not shy away from taking on big and/or challenging research questions, especially if the topic really piques their interest.
First job
I ran the kid’s summer reading club for my hometown’s public library.
What’s next on your BC bucket list?
I’ve been eyeing the Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park for a while now, it looks like a great multi-day hike!