Academia:
Profiles on students who have gone on to pursue research through graduate education.
Zhen Guan
M.Sc. Student in Epidemiology
By: Rachel Field - February 2018
Zhen Guan is a second year student in the MSc in Epidemiology Program at Queen's University in the Department of Public Health Sciences. Zhen's interest in health promotion led her to pursue the Epidemiology program which provides her with an opportunity to study trends and patterns, of disease incidence and prevalence. Zhen offers great advice about conducting health-oriented research, and provides insight into strategically accomplishing goals within the field you are passionate about.
Background
In high school, Zhen discovered her interest in health sciences but knew that she did not want to pursue the clinical side of medicine as many young students do. When the SARS epidemic broke out in 2003, Zhen realized the importance of public health and was prompted to consider a career as an epidemiologist, which involves analyzing and preventing such outbreaks. Consequently, she chose an undergraduate program at Lanzhou University in Preventive Medicine that allowed her to study public health and preventive medicine. Zhen appreciated that this program took a broad, population-level view of healthcare. In her third year, she sought out an international internship through Mitacs that would provide her with real-world experience in the field of public health research outside of her home country - China. She was matched with a research institution affiliated with the University of Ottawa, and spent three months as a research assistant studying health equity. Surrounded by supportive professors and helpful colleagues, Zhen thoroughly enjoyed her first experience in Canada. In fact, her exposure to the Canadian healthcare system led her to consider completing a Master's Program here as well, and ultimately, to the MSc in Epidemiology program at Queen's University.
Academic Opportunities
While in her undergraduate degree, Zhen had the opportunity to conduct systematic reviews, and through this work, Zhen was able to co-author two publications. She says it was helpful to learn the research method through experience, which included: coming up with an idea, learning how to collect data, working as part of a multidisciplinary team, conducting analysis, and writing up a report. These are skills Zhen is now using in her Master's program. During this time, Zhen also volunteered with a Hepatitis B prevention program. With a team, she made a video which teaches people how to prevent Hepatitis B and was shared with local communities in her university's city. She also assisted with creating a website on knowledge translation. This site was targeted towards children and seniors, and Zhen's role involved translating health research findings from English into Chinese to make it accessible, and evaluating the quality of these findings from the perspective of evidence-based medicine.
Zhen is currently completing a Master of Science in Epidemiology - a two-year research-based program in the Queen's Department of Public Health Sciences. Her first year was predominantly focused on course work, and her second year is mostly research-based. During the first semester, Zhen was required to select a supervisor. After consulting with various faculty in the department, Zhen chose a supervisor whose research focused on health services, specifically, the diagnostic process of colorectal cancer in Ontario.
Zhen's lab has weekly meetings to talk about progress on projects and receive feedback from other team members. Since each lab member comes from a different professional background, everyone contributes a unique perspective. Zhen finds this multidisciplinary work setting to be very beneficial, as employers tend to appreciate those who can work with colleagues who have diverse opinions.
Some skills Zhen has learned throughout her graduate career are data analysis, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary work. The ability to think critically and analytically is useful for graduate studies where more independence is involved in investigating research questions. Furthermore, through being a Teaching Assistant, Zhen has gained both teaching experience and planning skills from preparing class lessons.
In the near future, Zhen's goal is to look for a job as a data analyst or methodologist in a research institute, which would allow her to practice her biostatistics skills. Her first job after finishing the program will most likely be an entry-level position, but in the long term, Zhen hopes to gain more leadership experience and become a primary investigator leading a research team.
Zhen says, "If you are really interested in public health, you should fit it into your own life." Become a health promoter within your family and friend groups, integrating what you are learning in the classroom into your personal lifestyle. "Many people in this program end up changing their individual eating and exercise habits because their field of research motivates them to pursue health-positive goals."
When approaching a graduate program, Zhen says it is crucial to determine which area you are really interested in. "It would not be worth your while to spend two years in a masters program studying something that does not even interest you!" Though it can be hard for undergraduate students to determine what those interests are, but some helpful avenues are as follows:
1) Talk to people (including professors and mentors) and ask them directly for advice
2) Look for workshops and conferences that will allow you to go more in depth in topics you are interested in – taking your education beyond the textbooks and into the real world.
Zhen's Final Thought
- Doing research can be challenging, and although supervisors can be a great support, you often have to deal with many problems on your own.
- Research requires a lot of hard work; however, if you're truly interested in the research you're doing, the hard work can be worth it in the end.
- Carefully consider your future career when choosing a graduate program. If you are interested in the academic field, a research MSc in Epidemiology might be a good option, but if you are interested in industry or working with people, it might be better to seek out a course-based program, like a Master's of Public Health.
- Many MSc in Epidemiology students pursue medical school afterwards. While physicians may have great ideas for projects, if they lack the methods and experience to deal with data analysis, then it can be difficult to make their ideas a reality. However, having a background in epidemiology can be very advantageous as a physician because you can tackle real-world problems with the skills you learned from the research program.
As a final thought, Zhen has never regretted choosing this program. If she could go back in time, she would still choose the MSc at Queen's again. This lies, in part, in the small department which Zhen feels has made it easy to find close friends in a tight-knit community.
Carly Parsons
Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology
By: Deni Ogunrinde - November 2017
Carly Parsons is a Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia. Though she began her academic career without defining clinical psychology as the end-goal, through her commitment to fulfilling experiences, Carly discovered clinical psychology was the perfect fit for her.
Early Academic Career
Carly received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology (with a minor in World Language Studies); however, she began her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University without having an identified passion for psychology. Instead, she describes herself as “one of the lucky ones” who gave psychology a shot in her first year and both was fascinated by and excelled at the subject. For Carly, the former was a means to the latter – her fascination with the subject matter made “the material stick in a way that [she] hadn’t experienced before”.
In her second and third years, Carly gravitated towards social psychology, and began to envision herself as a researcher in the field. She proceeded to pursue a volunteer position as a research assistant in a social psychology research lab, and later completed an Honours thesis in the subject. Through both of these experiences, Carly became familiar with the process of designing, conducting, and analyzing research, and although the work was gruelling at times, Carly thoroughly enjoyed it. In consequence, she continued to keep psychology in mind as a career option.
During the summers of her undergraduate degree, Carly continued to pursue research assistant positions. This included work under two psychologists at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where Carly had her first glimpse into the work of a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychology married both the clinical and research branches of psychology, without requiring a choice between the two. In fact, Carly shared that most Clinical Psychology programs require both research and clinical training, which might sound like a drag to those who aren’t interested in research but, as she added, “it really grooms you to be an excellent clinician, one who is highly informed and can offer effective, evidence-based care.”
Getting Accepted to Graduate Clinical Psychology Programs
Research is a major component of programs in clinical psychology (In fact, most if not all clinical psychology programs in Canada have a very strong emphasis on it). As a result, it was crucial for Carly to obtain significant research experience before applying. Most students get this experience by volunteering as a research assistant during their undergraduate degrees, but some, like Carly, also get this experience outside of universities (e.g., at a hospital).
In addition, many schools look highly on an Honours thesis because they indicate one’s ability to conduct research independently – “I would strongly recommend completing one if you can,” Carly says. Taking it one step further, Carly also recommends showing initiative and establishing connections within one’s labs and research groups to ensure you have strong reference letters for your application.
Contrary to the expectations of some, prior “clinical” experience is not necessary to gain acceptance to a graduate clinical psychology program. “It certainly won’t hurt if you have experience doing peer mentoring, volunteering at a crisis line, etc., but I just don’t think applicants need to stress about this. Many successful applicants don’t have this experience and no schools that I know of list it as a requirement”. As a final note, the General GRE is required for applications to Ph.D. programs in clinical psychology and some schools also require the Psychology subject test, so it is important to give yourself enough time to write these tests prior to applying.
Selecting a Supervisor and Gaining Acceptance into a Program
When applying to clinical psychology programs, Carly had two major criteria: (1) that the school be located in a city where she would enjoy living (which is very important as the Ph.D. program is a minimum of six years), and (2) that her supervisor’s research interests aligned with her own. Fortunately, Carly had—and still has—many research interests. This meant that she could apply to supervisors specializing in different subjects within clinical psychology. Although Carly interviewed with a handful of prospective supervisors, her main interest was in understanding interpersonal aspects of anxiety disorders, so when she received an offer from a leading expert in this field she accepted.
When I asked Carly what she felt was most helpful in getting accepted into her Ph.D. program, she said, “my research experience was probably most helpful to me”. Carly went on to say that research experience and strong academics are among the first things that her supervisor looks for in a graduate student (highlighting that each supervisor might have different preferences). Although this type of experience isn’t expected, Carly also had the edge of working as an intake coordinator at a private clinical psychology practice during the year she applied. This not only provided great experience, but also cemented her decision to pursue a career in the field. In addition, Carly had also done peer mentoring, tutoring, and a worked at a camp for young children, which she thinks might have demonstrated good interpersonal skills which are valuable for a clinical psychologist.
Organization, analysis, and communication (especially written) skills, as well as the ability to be an independent student and researcher, have helped Carly succeed in graduate school. These skills were honed in Carly’s years at Queen’s, particularly during her time in research. “I had to be highly independent and take initiative while completing my Honours thesis,” she said, “these characteristics are even more important now given the lack of structure in graduate programs. It can be pretty tough at first, but you learn to force yourself to be disciplined...most days.”
Parting Advice
When I asked Carly what parting advice she had for those who want a career in clinical psychology, she offered the following:
“If it isn’t already obvious, my main recommendation in terms of experience is research, research, research. However, if research really isn’t for you, you can still pursue a career as a clinical psychologist by completing a Psy.D. degree, which does not include the same research requirement. These programs are primarily offered in the U.S. but there are also a few in Canada (e.g., at the Adler School’s Vancouver location).
Furthermore, if you are passionate about pursuing mental health-related research and/or practice, do it! Many people who are interested in the field worry that they might be too sensitive, and take their clients’ problems ‘home’ with them, but many practitioners —myself included—discover that this is not an issue. It is possible to be sensitive and empathic, but still be able to switch off at the end of the day. That said, self-care is so important and the number one thing I recommend to more junior students in the program is to keep their lives as balanced as possible. This includes making room for rest, hobbies, and the people they love. While working to help your clients live happy and fulfilling lives, don’t forget to do the same for yourself.”
Dr. Kristin Spong
Business Development Specialist
By: Anastasia Savrova - May 2017
Dr. Kristin Spong recently started her post-academic career at Mitacs, a national, not-for-profit organization that helps fund collaborative research projects between academic researchers and partner organizations. As a Business Development Specialist, Kristin helps build strategic partnerships between academia, industry and social sectors. Though she did not believe her skill-set was best suited to pursue this career, she took the risk anyway, and as it turned out, her academic experience made her the perfect candidate for the position.
After high school, Kristin applied to various undergraduate biochemistry programs, “I had no idea what I wanted to do, other than, I liked science.” Ultimately, she was accepted, and offered a scholarship to Brock University to study neuroscience. Even though studying neuroscience was not her initial aim. “it was similar enough to many science degrees, that [she] could easily switch over if [she] didn’t enjoy the neuro program.” Over the course of her undergraduate degree, however, her interest in neuroscience grew and she ended up taking on an undergraduate thesis project in an electrophysiology lab with Dr. Joffre Mercier. Through her undergraduate supervisor, Kristin got in touch with Dr. Meldrum Robertson, a neurobiology professor at Queen’s University, “I wanted to learn more about electrophysiology, and work towards understanding the nervous system from a biological stand point.” Consequently, making contacts with professors who studied the nervous system was the next logical step in Kristin’s academic career.
After graduating from Brock University with a Bachelor of Science (honours) degree in Neuroscience, Kristin entered into the ‘mini-masters’ graduate stream in Dr. Robertson’s lab where she studied neurobiology and neurophysiology (a mini master’s, is a one year master’s degree that feeds directly into a PhD program after the successful defence of that first year’s work). “I’m glad I did [the mini masters],” Kristin said, “there were times throughout my PhD when I struggled, and I don’t know whether I would have stuck to research and academia if I had finished a Master’s degree first.” For her PhD project, Kristin looked at how insects - specifically locusts and fruit flies - adapt to environmentally imposed stress by measuring their brain activity during extreme conditions such as anoxia and hypothermia.
Halfway through her PhD, Kristin recognized that she did not want to pursue the traditional academic career path, “I didn’t want the competition of traveling and doing postdoctoral research for 4-6 years.” Instead, Kristin began to exercise skills that she could use outside of academia such as mentoring, communication, teaching, and writing. “While I knew I didn’t want to stay in academia, I did want to build a professional skill set that would be beneficial and transferable to an administrative position within the higher education system.”
When Kristin was in the final stages of completing her PhD, and career-searching, she took on the position of a Postdoctoral Researcher for Dr. Robertson. One of her first positions outside of the lab after that, was as a Research Associate for the Queen’s School of Graduate Studies. This was a temporary position for recent graduates that involved advancing experiential learning opportunities for current graduate students. “[The position] was a way to make sure graduate students were getting the right experience and skill set, especially if academia was not in their future. That was me,” she said, “I was living that life!” During her time at the School of Graduate Studies, Kristin worked on the development of a special project called the ‘PhD-community Initiative’ which allows community organizations faced with different challenges to gain insight from Queen’s PhD students. The idea was to allow graduate students to apply their skills and expertise to problems outside their specific research area while simultaneously expanding their professional skill set to better prepare them for careers within academia and beyond.
“It's all about the connections you make.”
Now Kristin works with Mitacs as a Business Development Specialist. “During the interview I was asked ‘what do you think will be the hardest part of this position?’ and I said ‘the business part’ and the job I was applying for was called a 'Business Specialist'!” She explains that it was the academic experience she obtained from her PhD that helps her do her job, which is to help build mutually beneficial research collaborations between academic researchers (professors, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows) and external organizations or companies. Through these collaborations and Mitacs internship programs, graduate students have the opportunity to develop diverse skills in both industrial and professional settings. As Kristin continues to work with Mitacs she is getting progressively more comfortable with the business aspect of her job, and bridging the gap between academia and external sectors. Her days tend be very flexible and versatile. For example, she could be editing proposals and grants, or meeting with labs or companies that may be looking for a graduate student intern. This flexibility is something Kristin enjoys.
As a piece of advice for those looking for their career, Kristin suggests networking, “it’s all about the connections you make.” Ultimately, you would be surprised of the connections you can make or the careers you find out about if you just ask. “Pick up a phone and call them,” she says, “don’t straight up ask for a job, but have a conversation. You never know what might come out of it”. Finally, she says, don’t be afraid to take risks.
Rylend Mulder
Final year Ph.D. Candidate in Viral Immunology
By: Deni Ogunrinde - February 2017
Rylend Mulder is a diligent researcher in the process of completing his PhD at Queen’s University where he is studying viral immunology. In addition to following the path of a successful academic, Rylend has taken to diverse extracurricular interests, and been steadfast in exploring career-alternatives to academia. These interests have opened his eyes to a diverse range of career paths that he would not have initially considered. Accordingly, Rylend’s academic career, and his career-oriented revelations, will be explored in this profile .
Rylend completed a BScH in Life Sciences at McMaster University. Though he initially hoped to go to medical school, during the 2nd year of his undergraduate degree his career path took a turn when he took a course on cell biology and immunology. Upon further reading, Rylend came to the realization that this area of the health sciences was one in which he wanted to focus the remainder of his studies. Accordingly, Rylend focused his course-load on immunology and virology in the final years of his undergraduate degree, punctuating his undergraduate career with a summer research position and ‘499’ research project. By this point, Rylend knew he wanted to pursue graduate research, but the questions were: Where? and with whom?
The first step Rylend took towards finding a Master’s thesis supervisor involved searching institutions for labs that aligned with his interests. Once he found labs conducting research that intrigued him, he read 1 or 2 of the most recent papers from each. If those papers inspired further interest, he would then e-mail the professor to get more information. As a piece of advice, Rylend emphasizes doing your research when looking for a lab with which to conduct graduate work. “Thoroughly reading papers and understanding them is a huge asset, particularly when going into the interview phase. Additionally, you should have a strong concept of the lab’s work and potential avenues you could see for future research.”
In total, Rylend interviewed at 3 institutions: Queen’s University, McMaster University, and the University of Western Ontario. At Queen’s University Rylend met and interviewed with Dr. Basta whose research focuses on “understanding how antigen presenting cells can orchestrate innate and adaptive immune responses during virus infection or tumour growth.” During his meeting, Rylend received positive responses to his questions and had a relaxed conversation overall, assuring him that Dr. Basta’s lab would be a good fit. After submitting a formal application and receiving a formal acceptance letter, Rylend began his graduate research at Queen’s. Although Rylend began his graduate career as master’s student, after one year he ‘rolled up’ into a PhD. This means he went directly from his master’s degree into his PhD without writing or defending his master’s thesis. By rolling up, he was able to go deeper into his research than he would have in a PhD alone and simultaneously shortened his time in school by skipping over the last year of his Master’s degree.
Currently, Rylend’s project involves trying to understand how the body defends itself against viruses through the cytotoxic arm of the immune system. Once activated, cells of this arm can circulate and detect/kill virally infected cells. In general, it would be difficult to conduct graduate research in a lab for which you have taken few relevant courses. Although Rylend had no prerequisites to fulfill before beginning his graduate degree, Rylend does not believe he would have been accepted into Dr. Basta’s lab to carry out a project of this nature had his academic background not been strong in virology and immunology. Furthermore, what really helped Rylend once he began his master’s was the hands on research experience he had received in his undergraduate degree. Consequently, if you think you might want to conduct graduate research in a particular field, it is advisable to obtain at least some courses in that field and some relevant research experience prior to applying.
Not only does Rylend’s experience provide great insight for getting accepted into a lab of your choice, but it also offers good insight for achieving a good lab environment. A senior post-doc, PhD student, and MSc student were working in the lab during Rylend’s first year which allowed him to receive great instruction in relevant molecular techniques, and facilitated his thorough acquaintance with the lab. By the second year of his studies, however, all his mentors had finished their projects and/or graduated, leaving Rylend alone in the lab. “Science can be very isolating, and being in a lab alone feeds into
that" , Rylend said, in light of that experience, "so it is important to maintain strong friendships and social networks so that you have a support system,but also people to relax with outside of the lab.” Furthermore, Rylend emphasizes the importance of having a compatible dynamic with your supervisor. Dr. Basta, for example, expects the student to take ownership of their project but also has an open-door policy for troubleshooting any road-blocks that arise. This is a mentorship style that worked well for Rylend because he was able to work independently, but had support when it was needed. Additionally, Rylend says it is important to make sure your expectations are aligned with those of your potential supervisor so you have a clear understanding of how you are expected to work and along what hours. Once you are in the lab, Rylend says that having constant communication with your supervisor and coming to a consensus on timelines and goals is even more important, particularly when experiments aren’t yielding expected results; “having that open dialogue makes your project come along quicker than if you try to work through your project alone.”
“MSc and PhD students need to be aware of their career options.”
For Rylend, a PhD has been has been an immense learning experience, both, for academic learning and for learning more about himself. He has learned how to “answer the unknown” - to ask questions, and design experiments to answer those questions. He was able to gain a better understanding of his work habits and learned how to make use of them to succeed at a high level. In addition, he has also learned how to write properly, present well, and communicate effectively overall. What Rylend found to be most significant about these skills is that they are what many employers value, and not just those in academia. Early in Rylend’s PhD he recognised that graduate students are only exposed to the academic career path, but upon his own exploration, he came to realize there are a wide range of careers that require a PhD’s skillset. As a result, he began organizing career-oriented events to expose graduate students to some of these alternatives. Some of these events involved bringing in industry professionals to share their career paths and provide advice to graduate students. Interestingly, though Rylend did not get involved in career development with the purpose of developing his own skillset or to build his CV, he was able to do both in the process. By getting involved in career development work, he became connected with the Science to Business (S2B) Network (http://www.s2bn.org/who-we-are-1.html) which strives to connect graduate students with established industry professionals. Rylend then established the Kingston division of S2B, and over the past year, the local division has provided career information through various networking events for graduate students. This has allowed Rylend to open the eyes of many graduate students to alternative career paths while simultaneously developing his own organization, communication and, time management skills. “As it becomes more difficult to obtain a professorship,” Rylend says, “MSc and PhD students need to be aware of their career options.” Consequently, Rylend has taken great joy in empowering graduate students to make more informed decisions through the S2B platform.
Post-PhD, Rylend hopes to continue working on the business side of scientific endeavours. Concentrated on a managerial role, Rylend hopes to learn more about business development strategy, and how to effectively grow science-based business ventures. Here, he can use the transferable skills built through his PhD and extracurricular initiatives. As Rylend has come to realize, those who have gone on to pursue science based PhDs can obtain careers in business, consulting, communication, and even the public sector, as long as they have been able to nurture the appropriate skillset.
For a few final notes, Rylend says, “it’s really important to get involved in your graduate community. Although there will be a lot of pressure to be in the lab, it’s important for your well-being to go to social events and have a good group of friends. Also, pay attention to what career options you’re interested in from the start. By doing so, you can begin to develop skills that will make you more attractive for whatever positions you want in the future.” In conclusion, some of the most important lesson’s I’ve gleaned from Rylend’s academic journey are as follows:
(1) If you’re looking for a lab in which to conduct graduate research, ensure you’ve researched the lab well, and that the research focus of the lab, as well as the lab environment, are suited to your interests and work ethic; and
(2) Academia is not you’re only option. You can build valuable work-relevant skills for a variety of career options both, through your graduate degree, and through activities and initiatives that you participate in outside of it.
(3) While it remains important to work hard in graduate school, ensure you involve yourself in the broader graduate-student community, and all the while, do not doubt the transferability of skills you will build in the process.
Justin Wong
2nd year M.Sc. Candidate
By: Anastasia Savrova - November 2016
Justin Wong is currently a Master’s Student in Pathology and Molecular medicine at Queen’s University. He found early on that a linear path to a specific career was not in his future due to his tendency to try new things. Instead, he prefers to learn through experience what he really does, and does not, love to do. Justin found that it was his self-motivation and desire to explore different extensions of the medical field, as well as his growing social network, that led him to the academic path he is on today.
"That risk turned out to be so beneficial to me and gave me the courage to try a little bit of everything. It was the best decision of my life"
Justin Wong is an individual who really embraces the idea of ‘trying everything’ to find what you love. From the beginning, Justin never let fear of doing something new deter him from taking a chance. While attending high school, Justin took the opportunity to do a specialist high skills major in health and wellness medical technology – where you transfer schools for a year and gain more hands-on experience in a particular branch of medicine. “I was 15, I had just settled into a clique, and the idea of transferring schools for a year was a scary thought”. However, it was this program that gave Justin a flavour of what health care, and health care research, is like. It led him onto the career path he is on now and gave him the clinical skills and connections for research projects that he will encounter later on in his academic career. “That risk turned out to be so beneficial to me and gave me the courage to try a little bit of everything. It was the best decision of my life”.
After completing his high school diploma, Justin went on to study Biochemistry at Queen’s University. Throughout university Justin continued to embrace taking risks, and as a result, got involved in a variety of activities: ambulance work, clinical research, an honours thesis project, the Swing dancing club, Queen’s Genetically Engineered Machine Team, and the fencing club. “I had a rule in University: do one thing in science and one thing out of science”, this way, Justin was able to open up his scientific network, learn what he loved to do in science, as well as grow as a person, and diversify his abilities by trying non-science related hobbies. “I didn’t want to live in an echo-chamber where the same ideas were recycled”. By getting involved in a variety of different activities, Justin “learned to work and communicate effectively with different kinds of people and see the world through an equally diverse lens”.
For his undergraduate thesis research, Justin decided to study at the University of Toronto at the Sick Kids Hospital – a place he volunteered at in Grade 11. His project was centered around
neurology and vision science, more specifically, on patients with amblyopia.
Here, he was able to exercise the idea of diversifying and learn from a variety of disciplines. Justin worked alongside different types of researchers in his field including: computer specialists, engineers, molecular biologists, and ophthalmologists. In this diverse group, “we were actually encouraged to take longer lunch breaks to discuss problems with our research”. This way, the researchers were able to gather different ideas because “everyone looked at the conflict a different way”. By interacting with researchers in diverse fields, and asking questions, he was able to gather multi-disciplinary research ideas and develop a broader skill set.
Currently, Justin is working towards a Masters degree in Pathology and Molecular Medicine at Queen’s, where he is studying genetic imprinting. “I just fell into it” Justin states when referring to how he got into this research field. “Similar to high school, I tried to keep my options open, talk to people, see what I like and where I would fit in”. At a ‘Biology Careers’ night held by the Biology Department at Queen’s during his undergraduate degree, Justin met professors from a variety of backgrounds in academic science research and industry. “I asked a professor in bioinformatics about the process of going into research and studying something that is ‘novel’ ”. The professor took note of Justin’s diverse interests and background, one thing led to another, and just a year later, Justin was doing a Master’s thesis with him. Justin now gets the opportunity to work in two different departments at Queen’s: Molecular Biology and Pathology. He also has the opportunity to do computational work and in-lab molecular work – two different, yet complementary aspects of his Master’s research. Throughout his studies, Justin found that academia is halfway between the work force and school work; therefore, the transferable skills from his hobbies outside of science have proved to be beneficial concerning networking and interpersonal conflict management.
In conclusion, by taking every opportunity that came his way, Justin was able to diversify his skills and learn what he loves to do. In the future, Justin wants to continue chasing what he loves, while also staying open to opportunities that may arise in his field of interest.
Caitlin Anderson
1st year M.Sc. Candidate
By: Deni Ogunrinde - September 2016
Caitlin Anderson, a biology graduate of the Queen’s University class of 2014, was beaming with excitement when I spoke with her about beginning her Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Human Genetics at McGill University in the fall of this year. Her Master’s thesis is titled “The FIAT transcription repressor as a target for bone regeneration”, and will encompass various molecular techniques, including but not limited to, the maintenance of cell culture lines, yeast two-hybrid assays, and tissue culture. The ultimate goal of her research is to adapt technology for drug discovery for the treatment of bone disorders.
Caitlin’s path to her M.Sc. degree was not a straightforward one. Her undergraduate course selection was broader than her peers’, encompassing courses such as: cell and molecular biology, population ecology, both animal and plant physiology, and even a field course to Argentina where she studied post fire succession in Patagonia. Caitlin took this comprehensive approach to her undergraduate studies, in part, because she found diverse courses intriguing, and she was determined to gain expertise in several of biology’s various sub-fields during her undergraduate degree. In hindsight, she admits that she would have taken more hands-on research-based courses, because she enjoyed the forward-moving nature of research. While at Queen’s Caitlin learned that she was in fact “a better student in practice than on paper”, meaning, she was better at conducting independent research than taking test based assessments. Through these courses she realized that she enjoyed the well-structured goals and guidance that came along with constructing scientific research papers. Not surprisingly then, her fascination with research became prominent as she moved past her undergraduate degree and into the job-hunt.
Although Caitlin knew she enjoyed conducting independent research, she did not know how to break into the field. After many unanswered job applications she decided it was time to network. She spoke to anyone who was willing to listen, including professors working in academic institutions or researchers working in industry, with the objective of connecting to vacant research assistant positions. Eventually, it was through one of her family friends and two subsequent degrees of separation, that she was put in contact with Dr. Rene St-Arnaud – the Director of Research at Shriners Children’s Hospital of Canada in Montréal. As outlined by their website, (http://www.shrinersinternational.org/) Shriners is a “brotherhood of men committed to family, engaged in ongoing personal growth, and dedicated to providing care for children and families in need.” They are best known for the Shriners Hospitals for Children (the first opened in 1922) which care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, cleft-palate in addition to other health problems. As Caitlin informed me, they are a non-profit organization, helping families with children who have these types of disabilities or deformities by financially contributing to transportation, test, and treatment costs.
Although Caitlin made a good first impression on Dr. St. Arnaud and was interested in the type of research that was being conducted at Shriners, she was ultimately told that she did not yet possess enough research experience to be hired as a research assistant. In the subsequent year she spoke with Dr. St-Arnaud again, and based on her strong first impression, he had nominated her for the First Lady Helen Lemieux Summer Internship Program for the summer of 2015 – a summer research award she successfully obtained. This internship allowed Caitlin to gain paid research experience with Shriners over the course of four months, and provided Caitlin with the opportunity to determine if she wanted to return to graduate school; in short, the value of extensive networking and good impressions should ever be underestimated.
Although Caitlin made a good first impression on Dr. St-Arnaud and was interested in the type of research that was being conducted at Shriners, she was ultimately told that she did not yet possess enough research experience to be hired as a research assistant. In the subsequent year she spoke with Dr. St.Arnaud again, and based on her strong first impression, he had nominated her for the First Lady Helen Lemieux Summer Internship Program for the summer of 2015 – a summer research award she successfully obtained. This internship allowed Caitlin to gain paid research experience with Shriners over the course of four months, and provided Caitlin with the opportunity to determine if she wanted to return to graduate school; in short, the value of extensive networking and good impressions should ever be underestimated.
In one word, Caitlin described the summer work term as “amazing”. In addition to fostering good friendships with fellow colleagues and mentors, she learned invaluable molecular techniques, and enjoyed the independence and self-reliance involved in her work. She was excited to “finally find her footing” and ultimately traipsed through the project with ease. Her ability to excel in the lab did not go unnoticed. As her contract was coming to a close Dr. St-Arnaud offered her a Master’s thesis position in his lab. Caitlin mentioned that she did not perform to the best of her abilities in the first few years of her undergraduate degree. But she had developed a strong work ethic over time, and performed well in the final courses of her Bachelor’s. With her fantastic performance over the course of the summer internship, strong references obtained from previous professors, and her academically strong transcript for the years 2012 - 2014, she was able to seal the deal. “Dr. St. Arnaud has a lot of faith in me”, she said, “he really appreciates my hard work ethic and that’s something I love”.
Caitlin’s master’s thesis project is laid out quite well. It is continuation of the work Caitlin conducted in the summer, and will have three distinct phases, each of which can be worked on independently if one of the others is lagging behind. The multiphasic nature of this project is important because it means that at least one aspect of her thesis can be forward-moving at all times. As Dr. St-Arnaud has informed Caitlin, her project also has the potential for publications and expansion into a PhD – the kind of opportunities you want in a master’s project, and one I could tell she is thrilled by. Another ‘pro’ is that Caitlin’s tuition will be completely covered and she will receive a stipend to support her while she is in graduate school, a feature not uncommon to most research-based master’s degrees.
You might focus so strongly on doing your undergraduate degree ‘the right way’ that you miss out on both personal and academic experiences.
To conclude, the main take away from Caitlin’s journey I believe is this: although classic ‘test-heavy’ courses might not be your forte, like Caitlin, you might thrive in a more hands-on, worth-ethic driven, research-oriented environment. Additionally, networking can be valuable in allowing you to foster connections to potential career or academic opportunities once you have established what field you would like to work in.
Caitlin’s advice, to those in first or second year who might not be succeeding as well as hoped, is this: “Just make it an experience. Have fun and don’t take it too seriously because you don’t know where life will take you. You might focus so strongly on doing your undergraduate degree ‘the right way’ that you miss out on both personal and academic experiences. In the end you won’t enjoy your experiences in university as much if you stress yourself out about everything.” For Caitlin, this approach has proved extremely successful, resulting in a Master’s degree in a field she is incredibly excited about. Hopefully the insight provided from Caitlin’s academic journey will allow those of you reading this to gain confidence in our own academic paths, and inspire you to network into your own career-goals.
Seoho (Michael) Song
2nd year Ph.D. Candidate
By: Deni Ogunrinde - November 2014
Seoho (Michael) Song is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford, studying Neuroscience and under funding from the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship. His current project aims to uncover the roles that a variety of different compounds play in sleep regulation in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Although obtaining such a prestigious scholarship and pursuing studies at such a highly ranked institution might feel out of reach for some undergraduate students, Mr. Song’s path was "not an exceptionally complex one".
He completed his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in the spring of 2012 in his home town of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and completed his M.Sc. in Neuroscience at Oxford University in 2013. Although he didn’t choose to complete a minor, he took a series of electives in his undergraduate degree that he had an interest in, such as math and chemistry which undoubtedly contributed to his analytical skill set.
For Michael, being proactive and discussing his academic interests and future aspirations with professors helped kick-start his research career. He discussed his interest in neuroscience research with one of his first year psychology professors, who gladly opened up about summer scholarships for undergraduate research positions. He then went on to work for this professor for two summers funded by these summer scholarships. He believes that “if it wasn’t for [that professor, Michael] wouldn’t have known about the scholarships”. In the subsequent summer, Michael then received a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) undergraduate student research award, which is also a prestigious financial award and, contributing to a summer research assistant position. Michael professes that “scholarships have helped [him] get into research settings that he wouldn’t have had access to otherwise”. This scholarship was swiftly followed by another scholarship from NSERC, a postgraduate award that partially funded his M.Sc. . Albeit, these scholarships do require a good academic standing, but being made aware of them early on in Michael’s academic career, allowed him to pursue these resources with a stronger intent. He also took undergraduate lab courses, which he believes helped him grow as a scientist, and says that when he got into the course work he “already knew what to expect”. His summer lab experience early in his undergraduate degree ultimately helped to prepare him for both immediate and longer term goals.
Michael feels these undergraduate experiences have “helped him a lot” to get to where he is academically– “aside from basic academic knowledge, research experience helped [him] figure out what it is like to work in a research lab, and what expectations to be aware of”. This experience was also useful in that it taught him how to approach colleagues in an academic setting in terms
of sharing a lab space and how to approach funding opportunities, thereby promoting his development in more than just lab specific skills. Now that Michael is in the process of completing his Ph.D. he has to face the question that most academics face – should I pursue a career in academia? (i.e work towards obtaining a full professorship), or should I look towards industry as a career option? (i.e. build my career as a senior lab-researcher). Mr. Song’s choice is that of academia: “there is much to basic research that [he] wants to learn about and contribute to”, however, his goals are not one sided. He is interested in translational research, research that he can take from the basic research field to a more applied setting, a field more easily and generally understood as biotechnology. He feels that “one of the best ways to highlight basic research is to affiliate it with an applied direction that the non-scientific public would find more accessible”. In addition, as positions in academia tend to be limited in number, Michael Song has not ruled out more senior industrial positions as a future career option.
Although Michael’s academic path thus far has been relatively focused and structured (in that he has not taken any time off from his studies), his M.Sc. required two rotations, which gave him a chance to work in two different fields within the broader field of neuroscience. He credits those rotations for enhancing his scientific skill set (discussed more in the A Ph.D. Candidate’s tips to a satisfactory Lab choice under Tips and Tricks).
Currently, Michael is involved in extra-curricular activities that further enhance his transferable skill set. He currently holds an editorial position in a graduate journal which generates public-friendly content; this has improved his communication skills. His job it to edit the articles so that the average (non-science) reader can understand them. Michael also started rowing when he first came to Oxford University. He says rowing has required a lot of time management, but that it has allowed him both to interact with undergraduates whom he wouldn’t have otherwise been able to interact with and to improve upon his team work. Despite the disparate nature of research and rowing, this skill can also be applied back to the lab setting.
In conclusion, Michael Song’s final comments are these - “ just try to plan ahead. I can see it’s from where some of my success came. See what opportunities there are far in advance of the deadlines for programs. If you know in advance, then you have that much more time to prepare, you’ll have a much stronger case, and you’ll feel more confident about winning those opportunities.”
Ilinca Georgescu
2nd year M.Sc. Candidate
By: Deni Ogunrinde - October 2014
Ilinca Georgescu is currently a 2nd year Master’s of Science candidate in a cancer research lab at Queen’s University. Ilinca also completed her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University in Biochemistry, in which she pursued a Subject of Specialization. In accordance with the specialization requirement, she was able to do an undergraduate thesis in her 4th year which she did to “keep the research options open”, but she didn’t know finishing her 3rd year that a thesis was “going to be right for her”. She didn’t end up making that decision until the first day of her 4th year, and that’s when she looked around, emailed a few professors, and found one who was willing to take her on – finally ending up in a hematology lab. She believes “it’s never too late to make the change”. For Ilinca, it helped that she had been involved in the Queen’s University Blood Team (QUBT) since her first year - consequently, she has some great advice regarding seizing oppourtunites that come your way.
Ms. Georgescu says that being a member of the Queen’s University Blood Team (QUBT) was “a great way to give back to the community”. QUBT organizes blood clinics, OneMatch events and mobile donation buses (LifeBuses) that allow students to donate blood both on and off campus. She enjoyed that she got to interact with people, and felt important because she was associated with a club that had a great backing and support system (the Canadian Blood Services). She started as a volunteer in her 1st year, then progressed to a general executive member in her 2nd year, a Coordinator in her 3rd year and finally became Co-Chair in her 4th year. Ms. Georgescu would encourage undergraduate students to “find something you like, and stick with it - it shows commitment”, and feels that she gained a lot of transferable skills from her involvement with QUBT. A big part of what she learned was how to effectively work as a team. Especially as a Co-Chair and even as a Coordinator, she had to be able to delegate tasks and learned to trust the people she worked with. In addition she was able to collaborate with other groups on campus, such as the Queen’s Medical or Aesculapian Society. Consequently, she gained a lot of skills form her involvement with QUBT that are transferable to both a lab setting and day-to-day life. By getting involved in volunteer work within the Queen’s community, she was doing good for others as well as herself.
After her undergraduate thesis she decided to branch out, and due to interest, and for personal reasons, she changed research fields and ended up in a cancer research lab. Ms. Georgescu says that being in one field in her undergraduate thesis didn’t limit her from exploring other research areas, “research is versatile and you can take knowledge you’ve accumulated in one field and translate/combine it into the next, no problem”. In fact, a lot of supervisors will encourage that way of thinking. She is currently a part of the Terry Fox Foundation Training Program in Transdisciplinary Cancer Research (in partnership with CIHR) which encourages you to collaborate with a co-supervisor in a completely different research field. Over the past year and a half, she’s worked with a clinician, as well as a professor in The Physics Department, which she says has been a really interesting experience, “you really get an appreciation for how different people and different disciplines can approach the same problem”.
In terms of lab life, Ms. Georgescu has some advice for those looking for a lab. She believes that you should research your supervisor very carefully - “ask him/her in the interview what kind of teaching style he/she uses as some supervisors can be super hands on, or they can be totally hands off, so whether or not you’ll end up meshing well is up to what learning style works for you”. She says she moved from a big lab to a much smaller lab, and would say she actually enjoyed having more people around: “a) there are more people to talk to so it makes for a friendlier lab environment, and b) in a big lab there is always someone who’s done what you’re trying to do and that you can ask for help”. She stresses that a good lab environment makes for a much easier project, especially because research is all about collaboration.
And so while working in a lab might not be suitable for everyone, whether you decide to carry on a path to academia or not, there is clearly a lot one can gain from conducting research, and taking on executive and long-term roles in club involvement, that can be applied to whatever you decide to do next.
Ms. Georgescu saw her Master’s degree, not as a one-way ticket to academia, but as a “smart way to pass the time” and something that, for her, was “practical at the time”. She was good in a lab setting, and unlike other professional Master’s degrees, she knew she would get paid for doing a research based Master’s. It also gave her time to figure out what she wanted to do. Now, she is in the process of looking at professional degrees, like a Master’s in Public Health or Speech Pathology. What she’s heard from a lot of people is that the fact that you did a masters is “a very good thing – employers consider it an asset”. Ilinca also mentions that she made a lot of contacts during her degree, and that lab work helped expand her skill sets. For her, putting a Master’s on her CV shows that she’s capable of being in charge of a project, seeing it through, all while gaining proficiency in all aspects of learning such as research, writing, and presentation skills. And so, there is a lot you can take from a research based Master’s degree that isn’t just lab specific.
Ms. Georgescu recommends research if you have the right mindset for it and says that “ you have to be ok with not getting the results you want in the time you want them”. She really liked however that she could manage her own time, and work on a project she was interested in. Interestingly, she also believes it’s ok to take a year off and said that “sometimes I wish I hadn’t jumped into research so early and that I’d given myself more time to figure out what I’m passionate about coming out of university”. Many of her friends ended up taking the year off and are now taking a professional degree/program that really fits them well, she says.