Each month we speak to a member of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and find out more about them to showcase the diverse and talented community that makes up LMP! Part of our pillar of Inclusive Community in the LMP Strategic Plan 2023-2028.
This month, we feature undergraduate student in our Specialist Program in Pathobiology, Ingrid Jin, who is our new President of the Laboratory Medicine Student Union (LMPSU), our undergraduate student union!
What are you studying at LMP and why?
I am going into my fourth year of undergraduate studies, pursuing a Pathobiology Specialist and a Physiology Major.
One thing I really appreciate about LMP is how many opportunities there are for students to get involved. The high faculty-to-student ratio has allowed me to gain a lot of hands-on experience, even as an undergraduate. I also love the small cohort, which naturally creates a really tight-knit community. Academically, I’m especially excited about the fourth-year courses! I like how LMP bridges what we learn about molecular and cellular biology with actual disease phenotypes and physiology. Seeing those connections makes everything click for me. It just makes more sense!
Tell us about your research
I completed LMP305 (Pathobiology Research Analysis and Project) and participated in the LMP Summer Research Experience (SURE) this summer under the supervision of Dr. Phedias Diamandis. For my third-year project, I studied the association between a cellular quiescence program and glioblastoma (GBM) recurrence and resistance to temozolomide (TMZ). I continued studying GBM this summer through the LMP SURE program, where I screened a cellular metabolism library for small molecules that affect neurosphere invasion and quantified their effects using an automated imaging platform.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve done, seen or got involved with while at LMP?
I really enjoyed our Welcome Back Social last year, when we held a BBQ outside Bahen. It was such a nice opportunity for upper-year students to meet and connect with the second-years who had just joined the program. I think events like this are one of the reasons I’ve come to appreciate how close-knit the LMP community is.
What was the best career advice you ever received?
The best career advice I’ve received is not to get too attached to having a perfect plan. The older I get, the more I realize that when we plan our careers, we can only imagine possibilities based on what we know at that moment. There are so many opportunities and directions that we simply can’t anticipate yet. Instead, I’ve learned to focus on doing the things in front of me well and continuing to build toward what genuinely interests me. Even if that persistence doesn’t lead exactly where I originally expected, it often opens doors I couldn’t have planned for. So when I think about my career now, I focus less on having every step mapped out and more on becoming the kind of person I want to be through the process—someone who enjoys what she does, gives her best effort, and hopefully has a positive impact on the people around her.
What has been an important learning experience in your life?
Taking Taekwondo lessons was a surprisingly important learning experience for me. It taught me persistence and how to keep going when something is difficult (things that are hard to learn from textbooks or in a classroom). A lot of what I learned through Taekwondo has carried over into my studies and other parts of my life, especially the idea that improvement often comes from simply showing up, practicing, and trying again.
Who is an influential person in your life and why?
Definitely my family members. They’ve always respected my choices and supported my decisions, which has given me a lot of freedom to figure out what I genuinely want for myself. I think having people who trust my judgment, even when I’m still figuring things out, has made me much more confident in making my own choices.
What would it surprise people to know about you?
I’m actually a licensed Advanced Open Water scuba diver. I originally got into diving because I wanted to do open-water research and underwater rescue someday. Now I mostly just do it for fun!
What activities do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I’m part of a post-secondary dance team called FLUX! We represent U of T at competitions with other universities, and you may have even seen some of our videos on Instagram or YouTube. It’s a lot of fun (and occasionally a little stressful!) to dance competitively while being in such an academically rigorous program, but being surrounded by so many talented and inspiring dancers (who are also full-time students) has actually helped me deal with a lot of academic stress. Dance gives me a completely different space to challenge myself and unwind.
What is your favourite album, film and novel?
Album: I don’t think I could pick a favourite of all time, but I’ve been playing NewJeans by NewJeans a lot this summer, so I’ll go with that!
Film/TV: I’m cheating a little because it’s technically a TV series, but I’d say Hospital Playlist. I’ve watched both seasons more than five times!
Novel: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. My friend recommended it to me (shoutout to Joyce Wang), and it was such a beautiful read.
Who would be your dream dinner guests?
Lee Young Ji! I feel like dinner with her would be absolutely chaotic in the best possible way.
Where is your favourite place?
Shanghai, China.
If you were stuck on a deserted island but had all your basic needs taken care of (i.e. food and water), what two items would you bring with you and why?
A solar powered karaoke machine to kill time and an unreasonable amount of sunscreen (I get sunburnt very easily).
