I have always been interested in understanding how nature works. A professor once told me that instead of searching for what to do, people should find the one thing they could not stand not to do. Ever since my first undergraduate year, research has become that one thing. Up until high school I thought I wanted to become a veterinarian; nevertheless my first research experience changed my perspective dramatically. It is strange how at times in life you live following a default because you have not yet found your real passion.
I am interested in applying principles in physics and engineering to developing tools in medicine.
What I yearn for my future is to be able to inspire people like certain professors have inspired me, and to keep learning throughout my life. My goal is to become a university professor in order to be able to teach and do research, which are my greatest passions. I would like to aim for an academic career in biological engineering, in particular to continue my studies towards implementation of molecular diagnostics and other biotechnologies.
Developing techniques and understanding the underlying engineering allow a complete coverage of a biological problem, from asking the question, developing techniques and finally trying to answer the question. There is nothing I would love more than to spend my career addressing questions that could change medicine, and I really believe there is a lot of room for improvement. With a wide background it is much easier to “think outside the box” and devise real advances. I am very interested in clinical diagnostics because I think that as our knowledge in molecular biology increases, medicine will also shift towards molecular diagnostics and gene therapy. I would love to be part of this change.
INTEREST Summer 2006
I am interested in the development of technologies and experimental tools that will bring us closer to understanding biological systems. In particular I am interested in molecular biophysics.
I never thought I could be so fascinated by molecules.
You are brought up with a mental picture of a big round cell with a handful of molecules in it that are quite flat. It's all so spacious and rounded you can't get a sense of what is really going on.
And then one day you are flipping through a journal and you find something that looks more like this:
... and you are blown away.
This is similar to the difference between taking science classes and doing research. No comparison. Certainly the first stage is essential to have an idea of what to expect, but it often doesn't encompass the true beauty of science.
In the summer of my second year of undergrad at UBC I began working as a research assistant in Dr. Marziali's applied biophysics lab and from then on I haven't been able to stop doing research. It is just so stimulating to create new knowledge and insight even if knowing you are the smallest piece of a gigantic puzzle. The satisfaction of planning a new experiment, testing it out, discussing with other researchers the meaning of your results makes all the disappointments and failures worth it . After all you just need to convince yourself that getting good results is a matter of luck. Getting results at all is a matter of skill.
Although I thought I wanted to become a researcher for quite some time, I have only recently narrowed my path down to molecular biophysics. The beauty of this field is the interconnection between physics, biology and technology. It is so rewarding to design an experiment and be involved in all the steps required to obtain a result, from understanding the underlying physics and instrumentation to applying these to biological questions. Pure biology or pure physics have, in my point of view, certain limitations that really narrow down the learning process. The nexus of these two sciences has enormous potential as physics complements biology when results are too qualitative and biology adds an entire new realm of possibilities to physics... To study Life's rather than Matter's building blocks.
Working at the Stanford Genome Technology Center also taught me a lot. First of all I think it is always instructive to work with new people, as you have to establish a type of interaction with them that is both relaxed and productive. I think people you meet teach you something new both about themselves and about yourself. It is easy to find yourself chatting about something you had not really thought too much about before, and, throughout the process, learning that you also have an opinion about the matter, or maybe that your opinion has changed since the last time you have thought about it. In a way it is similar to when you read a book twice, you always discover something you hadn't really connected the first time. I have had great discussions with AmirAli Atalasaz, my supervisor as well as with Mostafa Ronaghi. In particular Mostafa has talked to me a lot about the industry in this field, something I hadn't paid much attention to previously. I had always thought Academia was more my path but I realize now that if you want to see your work applied to the big picture, you most likely have to act through the Industry.
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Throughout life there are sometimes rare people who are able to inspire you and help you see the adult you are going to grow into.
In a certain way we never stop growing, as our knowledge expands into directions we never imagined. When I was a kid I fermly believed I would become a vet and finally part way though high school and the beginning of university few people had such a profound influence on me that I realized that research was certainly the right way to go.
I can't begin to thank them for sharing their passion and enthusiasm for science, for inspiring me at moments when it would have been much easier to give up to an easier route.
My parents certainly had a very important part in developing my interest in science, almost all I know about computers I have learnt from my mom (even though I still need her help to fix software problems). My first programming experience was sponsored by my dad, who asked me to make a database program for his work. If I have learnt anything about precision, it is mostly thanks to him.
Loris Crudeli.... Him and Angioletta gave me as a present my first science books. I still remember endless conversations about science, philosophy and life...
Science One is also a program that has affected me substantially in terms of finding my path as a scientist... In particular I'd owe many thanks to Dr. Mark McLean for his continuous support and inspiration in my science one year, and because he is still willing to do so.
Dr. Andre Marziali and his lab have always provided me with so much support and pushed me to go as far as I could... I doubt I would have made it this far without them. It is so nice to have someone believing in you and pushing your boundaries further you have ever imagined them to be.
Here is a picture of our Science One class after a trip to Bamfield
Below is a picture of the first research lab I worked at, Andre Marziali's lab
Here is also a picture of the first time I met Ron Davis and Mostafa Ronaghi, my PIs at the Stanford Genome Center.
Ron's retreat in June 2006
On my right is my friend Jerrod ... Someone else who has helped me find my path and kept me excited about science during hard times.