Earlier this month, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC hosted the 2021 Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) poster competition, showcasing participating students’ research findings. The SSRP is an annual program that allows UBC undergraduate students to spend their summer working on a real-life research project under the guidance of expert faculty researchers. The program culminates in a poster presentation competition whereby students create and display a poster highlighting their research method and results.
Kelly Tam, recipient of the 2021 poster competition’s “Fan Favourite” and First Place awards, spent the past summer working with Dr. Karla Williams to examine the role polySia plays in breast cancer cell communication and metastasis. “The SSRP was one of the best research experiences I could ask for. I learned so much from my lab mates and supervisor. Working so hard all summer and putting all my research findings into a poster and then presenting it to other researchers was incredibly rewarding,” says Tam.
For Second Place award recipient, Idaylia Swanson, participating in the SSRP was an opportunity to work directly with Indigenous community members on a qualitative research project examining community-based medication practices. “The most rewarding thing about participating in the SSRP was being able to work with the community I collaborated on my project with, and provide them with a tangible outcome for community use,” Swanson says. “I learned a vast amount about qualitative research, while benefiting from the mentorship of both Larry Leung and Jason Min.”
The Faculty wishes to acknowledge the Bong Pang Yee Endowment Fund for their generous support of the 2021 Summer Student Research Program.
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2021 Summer Student Research Program poster competition:
First Place and Fan Favorite: Kelly Tam (Supervisor: Dr. Karla Williams)
Characterization of polySia expression in breast cancer cells and their extracellular vesicles
Second Place: Idaylia Swanson (Supervisors: Larry Leung and Jason Min)
Building Community-based Medication Practices for a Self-Governing Remote Indigenous Community
Third Place: Kendal Ruzicki (Supervisor: Dr. Karla Williams)
The Effects of Osteopontin on Invadopodia Formation in Breast Cancer Cells
Learn more about the Summer Student Research Program at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences here.