Four tips for overcoming stage fright in the lab

Four tips for overcoming stage fright in the lab

by | Jun 4, 2024

In an article for Nature, Kwabena Boahen Asare from Dartmouth College discusses his experience contending with his fear of public speaking after joining a research laboratory that required monthly meetings and presentations.

Asare outlines four strategies that worked for him:

  1. Participating in deep breathing before a presentation
  2. Focusing on the core concepts of the presentation as opposed to the audience
  3. Seeking out honest feedback
  4. Rehearsing multiple times

“Each presentation, regardless of how frightening it might have been, served as a stepping stone to overcoming my stage fright and becoming a more confident speaker,” concludes Asare.

Using online training and platforms to build your resume

Using online training and platforms to build your resume

by | May 21, 2024

Getting a certification or training to build your skills and competencies is a way to show that you’re interested in a topic!

Online courses

Online courses that are designed to help life science professionals make strategic business decisions, navigate important regulatory hurdles, and move healthcare products from the bench to the bedside.

Learn more about common certifications as well as how you can get them on the Co-op website. This list is intended to get you started, but please check with organizations directly for up-to-date information.

Courses through Occupational Health and Safety:

  • WHIMS
  • First aid

Other providers:

Digital platform: Level UP by Riipen

The Level UP program is an opportunity for students to work on short-term remote projects, connect with future employers, and gain real-work experience within a supportive and thriving community of Canadian students!
  • 8 week remote internships for Canadian Students
  • Funded by the Government of Canada
  • Get paid $1,400
  • Employers of any size work with talented, bright students. Students are compensated directly through Riipen.

Create a free Level UP account

 Digital platform: Wavemakers Network

Wavemakers is a free career-building program that will give you a head start to your career. Build your skills, network with mentors and peers and meet top Canadian employers.

The best part? It’s open to all students and takes place in an immersive, virtual reality campus so it’s easily accessible to everyone.

Inclusivity is Wavemaker’s jam, and they are passionate about creating equal opportunity for all.

  • Immersive VR experience for Canadian and international students
  • Funded by the Government of Canada
  • Each cohort offers a $2000 scholarship in for students who complete the program
  • All students are eligible to receive a $200 stipend for equipment, internet costs, and childcare.
  • Partake in the virtual career fair and meet with recruiters from companies such as Deloitte, IBM, Bell, Parks Canada, Manulife and many more!

Wavemaker alumni are invited to every event and career fair even after they’ve finished their program. It’s a great way to build your connections professionally and practice networking before co-op!

Apply to Wavemakers

Digital platform: Youth Boost

Youth Boost is a free online platform to help you build digital and human skills.

Your free account gives you access to learning labs, resources, and courses developed to help you understand and build the skills in demand by employers across different industries.

Connect to resources and supports like:

  • Learning labs and courses focused on real skills and challenges.
  • Resume and interview feedback tools to help you stand out to employers.
  • Notifications of new jobs that match your skills and career goals.
  • Globally recognized certifications in social media, public relations, search engine optimization (SEO), and Google Ads & Analytics.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Get started by creating a free Youth Boost account.
  2. Get growing: Choose from 20 learning labs with a focus on different in-demand digital and human skills.
  3. Get matched: Add new skills to your profile as you complete learning labs and courses to get matched with relevant job opportunities posted on Magnet.
  4. Get Informed: Learning labs are developed with support and input from employers, industry leaders, and educators. Projects are based on real challenges, using real skills needed in your industry of choice.
  5. Get Hired: Youth Boost will also connect users to paid placements offered through the Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) Boost Your Business Technology Grant, funded by the government of Canada. Participants will gain valuable experience implementing and managing technology solutions and strategies.

Create a free Youth Boost account today!

Research publications by co-op students

Research publications by co-op students

by | Mar 5, 2023

MHCII+CD80+ THYMIC EOSINOPHILS INCREASE IN ABUNDANCE DURING NEONATAL DEVELOPMENT IN MICE AND THEIR ACCUMULATION IS MICROBIOTA DEPENDENT 
Journal of Leukocyte Biology
Dominique M Gatti, Courtney M Gauthier, Brandon E Moeller, Rachael D FitzPatrick, Mia H E Kennedy, Victoria Pluzhnikova, Kate M E Conway, Julian Smazynski, Robert L Chow, Lisa A Reynolds 

BACILLUS SUBTILIS SMALL REPLICATIVE PLASMID COLLECTION INCORPORATING FIVE DISTINCT ORIGINS OF REPLICATION AND COMPATIBLE WITH GOLDEN GATE DNA ASSEMBLY
FEMS Microbiology Letters
Andrew M Rodd, Abrar Jawad, and Francis E Nano

ANTIMICROBIAL GROWTH PROMOTERS ALTERED THE FUNCTION BUT NOT THE STRUCTURE OF ENTERIC BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES IN BROILER CHICKS ± MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTATION
Animals
Colten R. Hodak, Bescucci DM, Shamash K, Kelly LC, Montina T, Savage PB, and Inglis GD

VOLTA: AN ENVIRONMENT-AWARE CONTRASTIVE CELL REPRESENTATION LEARNING FOR HISTOPATHOLOGY
arXiv
Nakhli R, Zhang A, Farahani H, Darbandsari A, Shenasa E, Sidney Thiessen, Milne K, McAlpine J, Nelson B, Gilks CB, and Bashashati A

MULTIOMIC ANALYSIS OF HOMOLOGOUS RECOMBINATION-DEFICIENT END-STAGE HIGH-GRADE SEROUS OVARIAN CANCER
Nature Genetics
Burdett NL, Willis MO, Alsop K, Hunt AL, Pandey A, Hamilton PT, Abulez T, Liu X, Hoang T, Craig S, Fereday S, Joy Hendley, Dale W. Garsed, Katy Milne, Shreena Kalaria, Ashley Marshall … Elizabeth L. Christie EL

USING NANOMATERIALS TO ADDRESS SARS-COV-2 VARIANTS THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS
Frontiers in Materials
Maria Victoria Hangad, Sarah Keshvani, Niya Kelpin, Walters-Shumka J, Hood M, Cameo Volk, Danika Pal, and Willerth SM

SPATIAL TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZATION AND OUTCOME OF RELAPSED/REFRACTORY CLASSIC HODGKIN LYMPHOMA
Blood
Aoki T, Jiang A, Xu A, Gamboa A, Yin Y, Milne K, Celia Strong, Goodyear T, Wu S, Chong LC, Takata K, Chavez E, Miyata-Takata T, Colombo AR, Hav M, Telenius A, Ben-Neriah S, Weng AP, Savage KJ, Scott DW, Roth A, Farinha P, Nelson BH, Merchant A, and Steidl C

NANOTECHNOLOGY DRIVEN CANCER CHEMORADIATION: EXPLOITING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF RADIOTHERAPY WITH A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES AND BLEOMYCIN
Pharmaceutics
Ocean Han, Bromma K, Palmerley N, Bido AT, Monica M, Alhussan A, Howard P, Brolo AG, Beckham W, Alexander AS, and Chithrani DB

SINGLE-CELL PROFILING REVEALS THE IMPORTANCE OF CXCL13/CXCR5 AXIS BIOLOGY IN LYMPHOCYTE-RICH CLASSIC HODGKIN LYMPHOMA
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Aoki T, Chong LC, Takata K, Milne K, Ashley Marshall, Chavez EA, Miyata-Takata T, Ben-Neriah S, Unrau D, Telenius A, Boyle A, Weng AP, Savage KJ, Scott DW, Farinha P, Shah SP, Nelson BH, and Steidl C

MEASURING THE PH, REDOX CHEMISTRIES, AND DEGREDATIVE CAPACITY OF MACROPINOSOMES USING DUAL-FLUOROPHORE RADIOMETRIC MICROSCOPY
Immunology and Infection
Liam Wilkinson and Johnathan Canton

DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-RESOLUTION DNA MELTING ANALYSIS FOR SIMULTANEOUS DETECTION OF POTATO MOP-TOP VIRUS AND ITS VECTOR, SPONGOSPORA SUBTERRANEA, IN SOIL
Plant Disease
Nie X, Singh M, Chen D, Cassandra Gilchrist, Soqrat Y, Shukla M, Creelman A, Dickison V, Nie B, Lavoie J and Bisht V

CO-EXPRESSION PATTERNS OF CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTOR (CAR)-T CELL TARGET ANTIGENS IN PRIMARY AND RECURRENT OVARIAN CANCER
Gynecolic Oncology
Banville AC, Wouters MCA, Oberg AL, Goergen KM, Maurer MJ, Milne K, Ashkani J, Emma Field, Chanel Ghesquiere, Sam Jones, Block MS, Nelson BH

IMPAIRED HOST RESISTANCE TO SALMONELLA DURING HELMINTH CO-INFECTION IS RESTORED BY ANTHELMINTIC TREATMENT PRIOR TO BACTERIAL CHALLENGE
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Brosschot TP, Lawrence KM, Brandon Moeller, Mia Kennedy, FitzPatrick RD, Courtney Gauthier, Peter Shin, Gatti DM and Kate Conway and Reynolds LA

NUTRIENTS LEACHING IN RESPONSE TO LONG-TERM FERTIGATION AND BROADCAST NITROGEN IN BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION
Plants
Aimé J. Messiga, Kathryn Dyck, Kiera Ronda, Kolden van Baar, Dennis Haak, Shaobing Yu, Martine Dorais

A DYNAMIC METHOD FOR BROAD-SPECTRUM BACTERIOPHAGE COCKTAIL FORMULATION AGAINST POULTRY-ASSOCIATED SALMONELLA ENTERICA
PHAGE
Brenner T, Fong K, Spencer Lee, and Wang S

HORMONE RECEPTOR EXPRESSION AND OUTCOMES IN LOW-GRADE SEROUS OVARIAN CARCINOMA
Gynecolic Oncology
Llaurado Fernandez M, Dawson A, Kim H, Lam N, Russell H, Bruce M, Maddison Bittner, Hoenisch J, Scott SA, Talhouk A, Chiu D, Provencher D, Nourmoussavi M, DiMattia G, Lee CH, Gilks CB, Köbel M, Carey MS.

COMBINED STARTER PHOSPHORUS AND MANURE APPLICATIONS ON SILAGE CORN YIELD AND PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE IN SOUTHERN BC
Front. Earth Sci.
Aimé J. Messiga, Camellia Lam, Yunkun Li, Steven Kidd, Shaobing Yu and Carine Bineng

SINGLE-CELL TRANSCRIPTOME ANALYSIS REVEALS DISEASE-DEFINING T-CELL SUBSETS IN THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT OF CLASSIC HODGKIN LYMPHOMA
Cancer Discovery
Aoki T, Chong LC, Takata K, Milne K, Hav M, Colombo A, Chavez EA, Nissen M, Wang X, Miyata-Takata T, Lam V, Viganò E, Woolcock BW, Telenius A, Li MY, Healy S, Chanel Ghesquiere, Daniel Kos, Goodyear T, Veldman J, Zhang AW, Kim J, Saberi S, Ding J, Farinha P, Weng AP, Savage KJ, Scott DW, Krystal G, Nelson BH, Mottok A, Merchant A, Shah SP, Steidl C.

A18 BUILDING BETTER ENTEROIDS: A NOVEL STRATEGY FOR ENRICHING SECRETORY EPITHELIAL CELL SUBTYPES
Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
Emily Davies, Crowley S, Tsai K, Diaz Gomez M, Han X and Vallance B

IDENTIFICATION OF THE NEUROINVASIVE PATHOGEN HOST TARGET, LAMR, AS AN ENDOTHELIAL RECEPTOR FOR THE TREPONEMA PALLIDUM ADHESIN TP0751
STI Vaccine Symposium Report
Lithgow KV, Church B, Gomez A, Emily Tsao, Houston S, Swayne LA and Cameron CE

Science co-op peer mentor volunteer opportunity

by | Aug 24, 2022

Join the Science Co-op team! We’re looking for two student volunteers to help mentor the next cohort of UVic Science Co-op students.

JOB TITLE

Science Co-op Peer Mentor

JOB DESCRIPTION

The goal of the Science Co-op Peer Mentor is to provide a low-pressure environment for senior co-op students to mentor students to have success with their Co-op programs. The successful candidate will meet one-on-one or in small groups with other Science Co-op students to offer peer mentoring. Assist Science Co-op students to apply for Co-op jobs by providing peer feedback on resumes and cover letters. Assist Science Co-op students with strategies for conducting a successful interview. Work together with undergraduate and graduate student societies to promote discipline-specific events and Co-op and Career workshops and events.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • You are a 3rd or 4th year Co-op Student in the Faculty of Science.
  • You have successfully completed at least one Co-op work term.
  • You have completed SCIE 201 or Introduction to Professional Practice, and are comfortable with the material.
  • You are familiar with the 10 core competencies as well as discipline-specific competencies.
  • You are familiar with the BrightSpace platform.

TIME COMMITMENT

  • Part time October 2023 to April 2024.
  • The peer mentor, in consultation with our Science Co-op team, will be able to schedule their hours in a way that works best for their schedule.
  • Work can be done remotely, in person, or as a combination.

RATE OF PAY

  • For 2023-24, this is a volunteer position that can be verified on your co-curricular record.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send us a quick note to scico@uvic.ca introducing yourself. Be sure to tell us why you’re interested and include as your work study authorization. No resume or cover required we already have those!  Closes Friday, September 16, 10:00 AM.

Staying up to date on current research

Staying up to date on current research

by | Feb 24, 2022

Guest writer: Liam Wilkinson, Science Co-op Peer Mentor and Biochemistry/Microbiology Co-op Student

A great way to improve your knowledge and skills as a young scientist is to read about new scientific breakthroughs in diverse fields. This will allow you to think about problems in new ways by drawing upon previous findings.

Additionally, exposing yourself to new research might reveal a field that you may want to pursue through co-op placements and beyond!

Two great ways to read about new scientific research is by accessing summary research articles offered by large journals such as Science and Nature. These sites take the most important papers published in their journals and summarize them into short articles. These articles provide the main take-aways while avoiding the niche jargon and methods that deter many from reading research papers.

Then if something sparks your interest, you can learn about the details in the full paper. Both sites can be accessed for UVic students for free by accessing through the library website.

Food Science Journals

Science Magazine: https://www.science.org

Nature: https://www.nature.com

Don’t forget to check out the growing list of peer reviewed publications that Co-op students have contributed to!

How to show initiative as a Co-op student in a lab

by | Feb 5, 2021

Working in a lab isn’t easy. Not only do you deal with experimental failures and demanding supervisors, you also work with other staff, postdocs, PhD students, and undergrads who are under the same pressures. People are often given bench space and encouraged to sort out the personal side of things themselves.

Geniuses still have to clean the lab

Scientific research is tough, and everyone worked hard to be here. Many of us strived to be at the top of our class from high school onwards and are used to overachieving. However, being very smart and hardworking does not absolve you of your responsibilities. Being under pressure is not an excuse for leaving basic housekeeping to others. You might be busy but you aren’t important enough to skip out on cleaning so get out the disinfectant and roll up your sleeves!

Lab cooperation starts with you

Personal differences in the lab can seem like minor annoyances but consider how much time and money is potentially wasted. Maybe equipment and bench space become filthy because no one is willing to take responsibility, leading to contamination issues. A lack of cooperation can lead to precious dollars and time being wasted. So, how can these problems be addressed before they become major issues?

Keep your part of the lab clean and organized and take the time to keep shared areas clean as well. You could also suggest social events for the lab to encourage a harmonious workplace and allow information sharing in an informal setting.

Even if you’re a still learning to hold a pipette the right way, there’s something you can do to help your lab become a more enjoyable and productive place to work.

Using the Experience Cube to Plan Difficult Conversations

by | Nov 19, 2020

(From Clear Leadership by Gervase Bushe)

The experience cube can be a helpful tool to plan and manage your difficult conversations. Using the four elements of the experience cube: Observations, Thoughts, Feelings and Wants helps you to separate your experience with the situation from your potential judgements about the situation. This approach removes blame and minimizes defensiveness, facilitating a positive discussion.

Observations: Sensory data (information you take in through your senses), primarily what you see and hear. What a video camera would record.

Thoughts: The meaning you add to your observations (i.e., the way you make sense of them, including your beliefs, expectations, assumptions, judgments, values and principles). We call this the “story you make up”.

Feelings: Your emotional or physiological response to the thoughts and observations. Feelings words such as sad, mad, glad, scared, or a description of what is happening in your body.

Wants: Clear description of the outcome you seek. Wants go deeper than a simple request for action. Once you clearly state what you want, there may be different ways to achieve it.

Walking the cube does not need to be a linear process, you can start anywhere in the Cube and intersperse questions and check-in points. Ensure that you own your story find your own words. Use “I” statements:

  • I observe: “I’ve noticed…”, “I saw that…”, “I heard you say…”
  • I think: “I believe that was…”, “I think it is…”, “My story is…”
  • I feel: “I’m really pleased….”, “It concerned me when….”, “I appreciate your commitment to….”, “It troubled me ….”
  • I want: “I want to…”; “I need…”; “I wish…”, “I hope…”

Here’s an example:

“The bulk of my work so far is in the tissue culture room and my desk is not in the main lab. I don’t like being isolated from the rest of the lab and I believe this isolation is contributing to making the right progress with the project. I want to know that my project is heading in the right direction and to feel like I’m part of a team. What can we change?”

Introduction to GMPs, GLPs and ISO Standards

by | Mar 9, 2020

Chemical, biotech and pharma industry is required to follow GMPs whenever appropriate.

Students should be able to:

  1. Describe the nature and function of GMPs;
  2. Describe the nature and function of GLPs;
  3. Describe the nature and function of the ISO.

What are Good Manufacturing Practices?

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are regulations that describe the methods, equipment, facilities, and controls required for producing:

  • Human and veterinary products
  • Medical devices
  • Processed food

The U.S. regulations are called “current” Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), to emphasize that the expectations are dynamic.

Why do GMPs exist?

GMPs define a quality system that manufacturers use as they build quality INTO their products. For example, approved drug products developed and produced according to GMP are:

  • Safe
  • Properly identified
  • Of the correct strength
  • Pure
  • Of high quality

How were GMPs developed?

Originally, GMPs were based upon the best practices of the industry.

As technology and practices improve, the GMPs also evolved. In the U.S., drug cGMPs were formally introduced in 1963 and significantly rewritten in the 1970’s.

Canadian drug GMPs existed in various forms in the 1950’s-1970’s before being published in their current form in the 1980’s.

How do GMPs change?

GMPs change formally and informally.

Both the U.S. drug cGMPs and Canadian drug GMPs are currently undergoing significant changes.

Example of formal change:

The U.S. medical device GMPs have been completely rewritten, making them more compatible with the ISO-9001 quality document (see www.iso.ch). In fact device GMPs were renamed – FDA now calls them the Quality System Regulation (QSR).

Example of informal change:

Expectations that inspectors have evolved over time.

In the U.S., these changes are communicated by seminars and papers presented by FDA personnel and through agency Guides and Guidelines.

One other way industry personnel can keep track of changes in expectations is by watching the FDA-483s (inspectional observations) and Warning Letters issued to firms by the agency.

How do GMPs of different countries compare?

At a high level, GMPs of various nations are very similar; most require things like:

  • Equipment and facilities being properly designed, maintained, and cleaned
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) be written and approved
  • An independent Quality unit (like Quality Control and/or Quality Assurance)
  • Well trained personnel and management

What are GLPs?

Good Laboratory Practice Regulations exist to assure the quality and integrity of the test data.

All studies are performed according to basic “good practices” including the use of:

  • Written procedures,
  • Trained Associates,
  • Calibrated equipment,
  • Accredited animal facilities,
  • Proper data collection and storage, etc.

ISO Standards

What is the ISO?

  • “International Organization for Standardization”
  • A network of national standards institutes of 147 countries
  • A non-government organization (NGO)
  • Grants an ISO standard status to manufacturing companies who voluntarily meet the requirements

What is ISO 9000?

  • This standard is concerned with “quality management”
  • Customer’s quality requirements, customer satisfaction, applicable regulatory requirements, and continual improvement are the focus of this standard.

What is ISO 14000?

  • This standard is concerned with “environmental management”
  • Minimizing harmful effects on the environment and continual improvement are the focus of this standard.

Source

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/compliance-enforcement/good-manufacturing-practices.html

Learn more with these free courses: https://www.pharmalessons.com/free-courses/

 

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