BHSc Alumni Spotlight

What is your favorite BHSc memory? 

I can't think of a favorite memory, but my favorite part of the BHSc has to be all the lifelong friends I made and the memories I made with those friends. The BHSc program did a great job of not only attracting intelligent individuals, but  also bringing together genuinely wonderful people.

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

As an undergrad, really focus on figuring out what you enjoy. Throughout your career, there will be success, but also a lot of failure. Genuinely enjoying your work will help carry you through these times of failure. 

Less specific to work, I really wish I had learned more about financial investments. Open up that TFSA early!

What is the best thing about your current job? 

There is always ground-breaking work going on in the Boston scientific community and I feel as if I am exposed to Nobel prize-worthy science every week. I personally think that is really cool.

How has your career evolved?

 When I started the BHSc program, I thought I would go on to obtain a medical degree and I thought genetics was boring. I then did a summer research position at the de Koning lab and I quickly realized that I enjoyed bioinformatics/genomics research. After my honors thesis at the de Koning lab, I pursued a PhD in Bioinformatics at the Pavlidis lab (University of British Columbia) and I had thought that I would use my PhD to enter industry work. I realized during this graduate work that I enjoyed academia and so I applied to postdoc positions.

I am currently doing a postdoc at the Renthal lab at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The plan right now is to apply for faculty positions after this postdoctoral work is complete, but we shall see where life takes me!

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

The BHSc program was stellar at preparing us for any research environment. Even foundational skills like reading literature, formulating scientific questions or presenting science are often overlooked in other undergraduate programs. I think building these foundational skills early on helped me a lot throughout graduate school and on to my postdoctoral studies. 

The BHSc emphasized the importance of getting real research experience at a lab, especially during the summer. This helped me with figuring out what I enjoyed and where I wanted to go with my career. It is great that they offered summer grants to us to get this necessary experience.

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

 I might sound repetitive, but it is important to have fun with what you do. Another piece of advice is to remember to take care of your physical and mental health. It is so hard to do when you're a busy student, but chances are that if you are in the BHSc, you will end up in a busy career. I write this a few days before I turn 30, and I can't help but feel the cliche nostalgia of how much easier it was to stay in shape back in undergrad. As we get older, we get busier, our minds are more occupied, and our bodies tire more easily. Work on setting up sustainable, healthy habits while you are young, and try your best to keep it up as you get older!