Samantha Grist
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
During my undergraduate degree I was fortunate to have been exposed to several research environments during my co-op program and undergraduate thesis. As a part of this experience, I found that I greatly enjoyed investigating and solving the novel problems inherent in research. Learning is a big part of my life, and graduate school provides me with the opportunity to continue to learn and investigate new problems in a research setting.
Why did you decide to study at 亚洲天堂?
亚洲天堂's high ranking and beautiful location, the exciting interdisciplinary Microsystems and Nanotechnology group, and the opportunity to work with my supervisors all played key roles in my decision to choose 亚洲天堂. My supervisors, Dr. Karen Cheung and Dr. Lukas Chrostowski, gave me the unique opportunity to join both a group focused on optics and photonics and a group focused on biomedical microdevices, combining my two main research interests into an ideal project.
What was the best surprise about 亚洲天堂 or life in Vancouver?
The best surprise about graduate life for me was the opportunity to take a wide range of interesting and hands-on courses relating to the different aspects of my research (and also audit classes outside of my background in order to gain context for my project); coming into graduate school, I had anticipated taking more rigidly set, required courses.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
While graduate school will likely take up the vast majority of your time, taking short breaks to hike in the lower mainland's forests, walk the Stanley Park seawall, or get involved in a group or activity can help you work more efficiently. I have also found auditing courses outside of my department to be invaluable in gaining a broader understanding of where my research fits in.
Learn more about Samantha's research
The behaviour and response to treatment of many types of cancer cells depends on the amount of oxygen in their environment. This research project involves creating a drug-testing platform that attempts to replicate the natural growth environment of breast cancer cells by precisely controlling the cells' microenvironment using microfluidic channels and hydrogels. Tiny microfluidic channels (at the same size-scale as a human hair) allow the micro-scale environment and oxygen concentrations around the cells to be precisely controlled, while the use of hydrogels allows the cells to grow on a three-dimensional "scaffold", as they do in the human body. This platform will hopefully permit drug testing outside of the human body, which will more accurately predict the results of clinical trials. Optical sensors integrated into the device will map the oxygen levels using light, permitting the correlation of oxygen concentrations with treatment effectiveness and potentially improving the treatment testing process.