Oct 20, 2021

Humans of LMP: Britney Feng

Programs: Undergraduate
Britney Feng

Each month we speak to a member of the Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology community and find out more about them.

This month it is Britney Feng, 3rd year undergraduate student in our Specialist Program in Pathobiology and member of the student union: LMPSU.

If you would like to be featured, or know someone who should be, use the nomination form on our Humans of LMP page.

What are you studying at LMP and why are you interested in studying it? 

When I was deciding which program to enter, I was still a little unsure of what I wanted to do after my undergraduate degree.

I chose LMP not only for the added exposure to innovative research going on in the department, but also the holistic and comprehensive approach that the program takes towards exploring disease. Unlike other programs, LMP offers specialized courses on Pathobiology while still encouraging their undergraduate students to take other courses in a variety of disciplines to build a better foundation for students.

It is interesting to be able to take on different perspectives when trying to understand the mechanisms of disease and constantly see how multifaceted Pathobiology is!

In the more distant future, I hope to continue my studies in either graduate or medical school. As for short term aspirations, I’m excited to be taking more specialized LMP courses next semester, specifically LMP365 (Neoplasia) and LMP415 (Forensic Pathobiology)!

What is the most interesting thing you’ve done, seen or got involved with while at LMP?

LMP has offered me many opportunities to become involved with the student body and faculty members. I have been fortunate to be able to join the LMPSU as the Vice President of Academics.

Being able to organize social events, academic seminars, and the LMPSU conference coming up in the winter semester have been one of the highlights of the year.

Additionally, I am currently working on an LMP405 research project with Dr. Scott Yuzwa which I feel like I am learning more and more in everyday!

If I were to pinpoint the coolest thing I have seen in LMP, it would be seeing everyone performing research with the techniques that we learn about in undergraduate courses. It has been really refreshing to finally see how techniques that we learn in class are used in real and meaningful applications. 

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list?

As of right now, one of my priority projects is planning the LMPSU conference to take place on January 8, 2022! Our topic this year is “Repair and Reconstruct: Advancements in Transplant Medicine”. I am personally fascinated with this topic since I am currently in a Work Study position with UHN that has me exploring and collecting data on kidney transplants, and it is always exciting to learn more about a field through the eyes of researchers actively working on that issue. Our speakers for this conference come from a wide variety of backgrounds from clinical applications, to bioengineering, to further interdisciplinary approaches towards improving transplantation. 

What is your favourite album, film and novel?

My favourite album is probably Nation of Two by Vance Joy, and my favourite movie is Legally Blonde which has been my go-to movie night for as long as I can remember. I would say that my favourite book is a tossup between The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) or All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr). 

What is your favourite joke?

Why aren’t koalas considered as bears? They don’t have the right koala-fications.

Who would be your dream dinner guests?

Katie Bouman, Margaret Hamilton, and Akira Yoshino

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to be less hesitant on having big dreams because you are afraid that others may watch you fail. Worry less about where others are going and focus on where you want to go!

What would it surprise people to know about you?

A fun fact about myself is that my party trick is reciting the first 103 elements of the periodic table by memory! I would say I get the most surprised reactions from others when I tell them I am from Saskatchewan or that I used be Cheerleader/dancer in high school. 

Where/what is your favourite place?

My favourite place Lucerne in Switzerland! It was definitely the highlight of my trip to Europe.