What are your main responsibilities or activities in your current position?
Direct an independent research program, teach and engage in service related to the field of neuroscience.
How does your current work relate to your graduate degree?
My PhD provided the cornerstone for my current employment. During my PhD the most critical skills that I gained were problem solving, resilience and overcoming adversity, these have all proven central in scientific research! Most importantly, I learned about myself, my skills and strengths and managing my weaknesses, gaining confidence about what I could accomplish.
What do you like and what do you find challenging about your current position?
Each project is like a new quest, I get to explore all of the time.
What motivated you to pursue graduate work at UBC?
The work that was going on in the lab of my original mentor, Dr. Alaa El-Husseini.
What did you enjoy the most about your time as a graduate student at UBC?
UBC is a great environment with a lot of world class research and work, but with an open atmosphere.
How did the graduate degree at UBC help you achieve your career and/or personal development goals?:
What key things did you do, or what attitudes or approaches did you have, that contributed to your success?
When experiments failed or became difficult, I dug in instead of turning away.
What is your best piece of advice for current graduate students preparing for their future careers?
Explore career possibilities outside of academia early on, tenure track faculty positions are becoming difficult to obtain in some fields of work and it is important to be realistic about what other amazing options are out there.