Image: Dr. Helen Burt, PhD'80
I graduated from the University of Bath, England with a pharmacy undergraduate degree in 1975. I completed the 12-month internship required for licensure as a pharmacist in 1976 and then decided to pursue graduate studies in what was then the Division of Pharmaceutics & Biopharmaceutics in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC. I took up a position as an assistant professor of pharmaceutics in 1980 and have been at UBC ever since! I was division chair and associate dean, Research & Graduate Studies in the Faculty. In 1996/97, I took a partial secondment as director of research with Angiotech Pharmaceuticals which was a great opportunity for me to participate as part of a team working to commercialize new technologies. In 2011, I took up my current position as associate vice-president, Research & Innovation, with a 14-month period as vice-president, Research & Innovation pro tem in the middle of my term.
What experiences in your career have inspired you the most?
There have been many so it’s hard for me to select a few. I’ve loved undergraduate teaching, mentoring graduate students and postdocs and being part of an incredibly creative, fun and hard-working research team. My early career experiences working nationally as part of the leadership of the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada allowed me to meet wonderful colleagues across the country as we implemented new programs and initiatives. Last but not least, the amazing friendships, support and collegiality I’ve experienced from pharmacy faculty, staff and students (special shout-out to the “Cunningham women”) and the staff of the VPRI Office have been a huge part of any successes I’ve had over my career.
What are some things that future researchers should focus on in order to stand out in the life sciences space?
Start your career planning as early as possible and seek out mentors and people who can provide advice and support. Network, network, network! Consider how collaboration, team science and inter-disciplinary opportunities could further your research goals.
What are your thoughts on how the research community has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Firstly, I think it’s important to emphasize how significantly, the research community has been impacted by the pandemic. For example, we have evidence that research productivity has decreased, graduate student and postdoctoral projects have been subject to serious delays and some researchers have experienced increased levels of stress and other challenges to their mental health. Secondly, it has been quite remarkable to observe how the research community locally, nationally and globally have responded to the immense scientific challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers across all disciplines have rapidly pivoted their research, for example, working to develop new treatments, vaccines, understand the characteristics of the SARS- Cov-2 virus and its spread, testing and tracing. Increased research investments, collaboration, partnership and data sharing have served to accelerate the research, development and commercialization of new vaccines.
Additional thoughts: As I near my retirement from UBC in a few weeks, I have been reminiscing and reflecting on how lucky I am and what a privilege it has been to spend my entire working life on such a stunning campus and in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences among such wonderful colleagues, many of whom are close friends. The “Burt Lab” was managed and led by John Jackson for over 35 years with incredible energy, creativity and wacky humor. Words cannot express how grateful I am to him and to all the graduate students, postdocs, undergraduate research students and technicians who worked long and hard in the lab, but who made it such fun! Thank you all!