BHSc Alumni Spotlight

What is your favourite BHSc Memory?

It is difficult to choose a single moment from a lengthy list of favourite BHSc memories. However, one that does stand out for me was being introduced to Dr. Christian Jacob's LINDSAY Virtual Human Project as a part of the bioinformatics programme's lab tours during my first year. The excitement at seeing how computers were being used to visualise biological systems would lead me to apply for an undergraduate position with the LINDSAY Virtual Human Project, and during my first summer with the LINDSAY lab, I gained exposure to how the materials I learnt in my computer science courses could be applied to a biological context. I deeply enjoyed my experiences here, and I ended up working with the LINDSAY lab to create a 3D renal system model for my BHSc thesis project.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself as a student?

What one gets out of their coursework is much more than just a GPA: the two most valuable things one picks up out of their coursework is gaining exposure to how theoretical concepts can be applied to real-world scenarios, and discovering which approaches work best for learning. The information one acquires from a course can prove helpful later on, and similarly, figuring out which learning methods work best during a course means one can apply similar techniques in the workplace to pick up new knowledge, especially in fields where things are always changing.

What is the best thing about your current job?

As a software developer, I most enjoy the opportunity to utilise the latest and most exciting technologies. Software is constantly evolving, and this means that there is always something new to learn, and something unexpected to seek out the solutions to. The endlessly improving technology also means that things that seemed difficult a few years earlier might now become something that we are better equipped to tackle. I am encouraged to continuously keep my own skills up to date, and as a result, there is never a dull moment in my work: it is always exciting to have the chance to work with the newest systems and find increasingly effective ways of solving problems.

How has your career evolved?

After graduating from the BHSc programme, I enrolled in graduate school and earned my Master's in Computer Science, where I worked on using the Unity and Unreal game engines to create interactive, 3D biological visualisation tools. In this time, I began developing a more profound enjoyment of software development, especially after contributing to the Giant Walkthrough Brain project and acting as the TA for the iOS Development course. These experiences fuelled my interest in iOS development, and after I finished my MSc, I joined a startup as an iOS developer, where I ended up learning how to write increasingly user-friendly, maintainable and fun iOS apps. Today, I work with a Calgary-based software company, where I am involved with a variety of projects.

How did your BHSc degree help you get to where you are now/current career?

The varied coursework and opportunity for undergraduate research provided me with a broad range of applicable skills: in the bioinformatics stream, I was exposed to the fundamentals of computer programming, but at the same time, having inquiry-based courses also helped me to cultivate a problem-solving mindset and improve my ability to communicate with others. Because software development is such a vast area, it is simply not possible to have all of the algorithms, libraries or tool sets committed to memory, so knowing how to ask the right questions and seeking out the answers to said questions becomes an indispensable skill. Today, I utilise the same skillset to search documentation and guides on how to begin approaching a given software problem as I did when learning how to search databases for journal articles relevant to the paper I was writing for coursework. Similarly, the BHSc programme taught me how to be an effective communicator; for instance, presentations are a major component of some courses, and the feedback I received from doing those presentations means being able to convey a given idea clearly has proven immensely useful in the present day.​​​​​​​

What is the best piece of advice you have received during your career journey?

It is absolutely okay to not know the answers for everything: it is better to be upfront about where your limits are and ask for help where necessary than to attempt something you are uncertain about. People are generally more than happy to provide assistance and insight, especially when it saves trouble down the road. Never feel that there is such a thing as a foolish question, so ask away!