Alumni Profiles
Flashback to the days in the Duchaine lab...
What was your role in the Duchaine lab?
What was your scientific interest and/or project?
I started in the Duchaine lab as an undergraduate honours student in the Biochemistry program, and I enjoyed it so much that I became a graduate student in the fall of 2015. My research focused on the biochemical mechanisms of nuclear RNA interference (RNAi) pathways in C. elegans. In particular, I was interested in studying the function of a family of proteins called the ENRIs that our lab discovered. We uncovered that these proteins regulate the output of nuclear RNAi pathways by ensuring that nuclear Argonautes are loaded with the correct small RNAs.
Name one fond memory you have of the lab.
One of my favorite memories is attending the International Worm Meeting with other lab members, first as an undergraduate student and later as a graduate student. We had such a fun time connecting with other worm scientists. I also had the chance to give a talk, which was intimidating but ultimately left me feeling incredibly proud and fulfilled.
What were some challenges you encountered along the way?
As a new graduate student, one of the hardest things I had to overcome was a fear of public speaking. You learn fairly quickly after starting your program that public speaking and the ability to effectively communicate your project clearly and with enthusiasm are crucial skills that students need to develop. Through my experience as a teaching assistant for several semesters, and countless lab meetings, seminars, and meetings, by the end of grad school I felt no fear at all standing up and speaking in front of a crowd. I credit my experience in grad school and the Duchaine lab for allowing me to hone these skills, which will serve me well for the rest of my life.
Alexandra
Lewis
Words of wisdom and
advice for young researchers
Embrace experiment failures.
It's unrealistic to expect a 100% success rate in your experiments and troubleshooting experiments will take up a large part of your time. You cannot let each setback discourage you, they're just part of research. Take each setback as an opportunity to learn and identify what to improve or change the next time.
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The second thing I'd want students to know is that research takes patience. Progress can be slow, but the payoff when you finally get that key result that makes all your other results make sense is so worth it. ​
Life after the Duchaine lab
What is your current role?
I'm currently a medical writer at a science communication agency. I write educational materials for sales representatives who work for pharmaceutical companies. We ensure that they have the proper tools and knowledge to go into the field and talk with health care professionals about treatment options.
Did you know you always wanted to be a medical writer?
I never anticipated becoming a medical writer in grad school—in fact, I knew very little about the field until a few months before I was hired. I learned about medical writing through a friend who had previously worked at the company I now work for, and thought it sounded right up my alley.
What skills did you develop in the Duchaine lab that helped you with the next steps of your career?
One of the most important skills I learned in the lab that helps me now is science communication—the ability to talk about my project to any audience, whether the audience consists of experts in the field or those without a scientific background. Grad school is also a crash course in time and stress management. I learned fairly quickly how to juggle multiple projects and overlapping deadlines.