- I stated at the beginning of the term that I would like to learn more about epigenetics, how else hereditary information can be passed on from generation to generation without affecting the gene sequence, the interactions between DNA and proteins, and how these proteins affect regulation of different genes and how one protein can regulate multiple genes. I can say that I have learned much more about these topics than I had originally hoped to. At the beginning of the term, I was not sure about what specifically I would like to learn about since there was so much I did not know, but going through different case studies and different model systems helped me get an idea of what mechanisms and what processes occur in nature. I was able to learn about mechanisms that I had not heard of before, and I feel like I had the chance to come up with models of systems that I would not have been able to imagine without the guidance of this course. Although I may not have learned too many concrete facts in this course, I believe that I developed skills that can be used in the future. Already I am seeing myself apply this logical thinking process in my directed studies project, and when I write papers for other courses. Instead of just learning about what currently exists, I learned to think about what could exist and what the possibilities are, and how we can find out what’s really happening with our genes.
- I believe that when I was working on my final project, I was very much tested on my ability to respond adaptively and be flexible. A couple of nights before the first draft was due, I came across a paper that was published in October 2018 that published findings to the answer to my original question. As such, I had to dig deeper into this field, and come up with a new research question and experimental design. This was challenging for me, as I had not had to think this creatively or abstractly in many of my other courses, but I enjoyed the assignment, and had genuine excitement while writing many parts of my paper. It was difficult for me to adapt to this new question and angle, but I was able to persist through it and put something on paper that I can be proud of.
- The most challenging part of the course for me was all the abstract thinking that we had to do with proposing models for mechanisms and designing experiments to test these models, as I do not have much experience with research or research methods. With practice, I was able to develop critical thinking skills that allowed me to develop a more natural tendency to this thought process. I also grew more familiar with research methods after reading more academic papers, and this also gave me an idea of the importance of different controls, and different treatments. I feel that I have a better understanding now of the thought process that goes into different experiments.
- There was no question 4, but I just wanted to say thank you to you, Pam, as our instructor for this course. This has truly been one of my favourite courses at UBC, and I really enjoyed the material and the style of teaching the course. Even though I could not be as present as I would have liked to be while I was helping my family with some of our personal matters, you were very understanding, caring, and accommodating. I feel that this course challenged me in ways that other classes hadn’t, focusing more on critical thinking and creative processes than with hard fact-memorization. I appreciated the case studies and specific models we learned about, and it was interesting learning about what researchers in different areas of genetics are currently working on. These specific cases helped me feel what it’s like to be at the forefront of academic research, and feels like a taste of what it may be like to be in academia. Additionally, I do also feel that this is one of the classes where I met the most people and made the most connections with people whom I had not previously known, and a large part of that is because you helped foster this community and safe learning environment. Thank you for a great term, and all the best to you and your future students!
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