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Number of Visitors
since May 31, 2007: 273947 |
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| Address | |
Memorial University
Health Sciences Center, Room 5355,
300 Prince Philip Dr.
St. John's NL A1B 3V6
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| Tel | |
7097491806 |
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| Email | |
smacparland@yahoo.com |
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| Biography | |
Sonya completed her Master of Science in Immunology and Infection at the University of Birmingham, UK. Currently, she is studying towards her PhD in the Department of Immunology and Infectious diseases at Memorial University. Sonya is also the recipient of a Graduate Studentship from the Canadian Liver Foundation.
In the short term, Sonya aims to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the persistent nature of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by investigating the characteristics of HCV replication within lymphoid cells. In the long term, her goal is to acquire skills in critical thinking and research that will equip her for a successful postdoctoral fellowship which will help prepare her for a career in basic science research.
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| Testimony | |
My experience as a student with the NCRTP-HepC program has been extremely positive. This program gives graduate students from varying medical science backgrounds an opportunity to gain a broad knowledge about the hepatitis C virus, from infected patients to the benchtop .The weekly seminars lead by mentors in the NCRTP-HepC program provide the students with information on many aspects of HCV from the risk factors for transmission, the basic science involved with viral replication, the socio-economic impact of infection, antiviral treatment, and several other topics. As well, the program gives trainees exposure to HCV research being carried out across the country through the yearly program advisory council (PAC) meeting which in turn fosters collaborations and stimulates new ideas for approaches to current research projects. The trainee retreat, which is part of the PAC meeting involves workshops and seminars which deal with issues graduate students face or will face as they build their research careers. These activities include grant writing/ CV building workshops, research problem solving activities, interview/ job search techniques as well as opportunities to discuss issues with mentors and fellow students. Finally, the bi-weekly journal club is an excellent forum for critical evaluation of HCV articles in the recent literature. A weakness of the program lies in the fact that the students meet only once a year to present their accumulated data. A possible improvement could be a second meeting mid-year that may allow a more constructive discussion of works in progress in which students can take advantage of the mentors as a resource as an aid in overcoming research pitfalls they may be encountering in their projects. The NCRTP HepC program emphasizes the importance of publishing in peer-viewed journal as well as seeking outside funding from competitive sources. Although I hold outside funds, I find that the NCRTP-HepC program differs from other funding organizations in that it not only funds graduate students but its main objective is to actively train graduate students to become effective and proficient young scientists, the results of which will be reflected long into their research careers. |
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| Mentor(s) | | Thomas Michalak (primary)
Raymond Tellier (secondary) | | |
| Disciplines | |
Microbiology, Biochemistry, Immunology |
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