Undergraduate research puts students ahead in their learning
CUE’s smaller class sizes and tight-knit community mean that students have more opportunities to get hands-on with their learning.
Madeline Wong, a third-year bachelor of science student at CUE, is gaining hands-on experience as a research assistant, which she believes will better prepare her for graduate studies in medicine. The smaller class sizes and real-world opportunities at CUE have given her the chance to take on responsibilities beyond the classroom.
“As an undergraduate student, it can be really easy to feel disconnected from the end goal,” said Madeline. “But being in a work environment, I’ve been able to step into a role and do things that I wouldn’t have been able to do in a teaching lab environment.”
Madeline is currently a student research assistant working on glial cell research led by Dr. Matthew Churchward, Assistant Professor of Biology at CUE. Dr. Churchward said that this NSERC-funded research was built with undergraduate student involvement from the start.
“Right from the stage of writing the grant proposal, I was thinking about how to set up a line of experiments that can be done by a student who has to manage lab work within their course schedule,” said Dr. Churchward.
Madeline maintains a full course load while working as a research assistant at CUE. She finds that being able to work on research projects like these has helped connect dots between different courses and the lab work she is doing.
“The further I get into this program and this degree, the more I realize how much is connected. It’s like I’m building this map of all of these topics in my brain and making connections between them all the time,” she said.
“Sometimes something will fall into place because of information I’ve gotten from a course. Or I’ll be in a course and something will fall into place because of my experience in the lab.”
“It puts me ahead in my learning. It gives me confidence in my approach,” said Madeline.
Madeline is one of two undergraduate research assistants currently working with Dr. Churchward, which gives him the opportunity to provide a more impactful mentorship experience.
“I get to tailor everything I’m communicating to the level that I know my research assistants are at because I have a really good understanding of their knowledge,” said Dr. Churchward. “I can help fill in gaps. I can tailor their work to their strengths but also try to make some opportunities for them to practice things they are weaker on.”
And working more closely with Dr. Churchward allows students like Madeline to feel the same passion he has for his research.
“When you’re working with a professor who is very passionate about the work he’s doing, it makes me passionate about the work as well,” said Madeline.
Dr. Churchward’s current research focuses on microglia and astrocytes, types of glial cells in the human body that support the brain and spinal cord during potential injury or damage. The goal is to learn how functional electronic stimulation devices like cochlear ear impacts and other brain-stimulation devices can be better engineered to improve their effectiveness.
“It’s a collaborative research project, so while the work we’re doing is in a lab with cells in a dish, I’m working with other researchers who work with people with spinal cord injuries,” said Dr. Churchward. “You can see and talk to people who are experiencing that and see their interest and enthusiasm.”
Madeline believes that students have the ability to shape their post-secondary experience, and she has gone out of her way to introduce herself to professors, ask about research opportunities, and build connections.
“I’ve found that CUE especially is an awesome environment to be able to make connections and network.”
“All of my educators know what passions I have and what opportunities I’m looking for,” said Madeline.
Dr. Churchward echoed the advantages that CUE’s smaller classrooms have.
“The class sizes here are small enough that even if I’m in a first-year classroom of 60 students, I’ll probably know your name by the end of the semester,” he said.
“We really enjoy that opportunity to mentor our students in research and it’s often as easy as starting a conversation with your instructors in the classroom.”