Q: Is MCB what you expected?

A: I'm enjoying it immensely. What I like here is that people are really trying to ask big questions and are going at some of the fundamental concepts involved.

Q: In your lab, what is that question that's being asked?

A: Several things. The project that I'm working on is looking at a transporter involved in the immune system. It's important for how the immune system surveys cells to see if they're affected with viruses or whether they've become tumorgenic. We're trying to determine the structure to understand the mechanism of how this particular protein works and also how it can therefore fit in with an immune response.

Q: Did you come to MCB having already studied that field or is this something that you found when you got here?

A: It's a mix. My background is in immunology, and this project is definitely with an immunology theme, but it's also a structural biology project. I came here with the specific purpose of wanting to do structural biology, and it's been good because I've been able to find a project that links my background in immunology with structural biology, which is what I wanted to pursue. So that's been excellent.

Q: Did you know when you came here that you wanted to end up in Rachelle Gaudet's lab?

A: When I came I decided to go into Rachelle's or David Jeruzalmi's lab, being the two structural people in this department. There's also Greg Verdine [professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology], but I felt the questions he was asking were more chemistry-based, the mechanisms of enzymes and such, whereas I wanted to look more at a biological level, trying to get structural information with implications for the biology of systems.

Q: How much interaction have you had with the chemistry department through MCCB [Molecular, Cellular, and Chemical Biology Training Program]?

A: Well, all of my classes so far this semester are in chemistry. We also have a joint group meeting, which is beginning today; a crystallography group with some people from Greg Verdine's lab, from David's lab, and from Rachelle's Lab; and we're getting one person each fortnight to choose a topic, initiate discussion, and present information on that topic. So I think there could be a fair bit of interaction. I've also got some good friends in my class who've joined Greg's lab, so there's that link to the chemistry department as well.

A: It's pretty much as I expected. I could tell when I came to interview as a prospective student--now, keep in mind, you're talking to an Australian here--that, based on the weather, you would be limited on what you could do during winter. So, I'm eagerly waiting for summer. The aim of the class is that we'll all get out and start doing things.

Q: What about things that happen within the building?

A: They're excellent. They have excellent seminar speakers, and the lunches with the seminar speakers are great. I enjoy getting to meet and chat with those people. Also, there's just a good feel as well in my particular lab and the lab next door. It's a good social environment.

Q: What was your experience at the MCB research retreat?

A: The retreat was fun. We did the night swimming with the glowing algae. [laughs]

Q: Now that you've selected a lab and are spending all your time in one lab, how much do you still interact with your G1 classmates?

A: So far we still interact a fair bit because we still have classes going on. Later on, when we start working out different living arrangements, with people staying with other people, etc., it could end up being loads of fun. We'll be able to get together at people's places, watch movies, and do stuff. We'll see how it all turns out.

Q: Did you get a chance to talk to any of the prospective grad students when they came to visit? What kind of questions did they ask and what did you tell them?

A: I mostly talked with students who are interested in structural biology, so therefore the questions they had were about our particular structural biology research in the department. Mostly I gave them references to papers and took them on tours of the facilities.

Q: What would you say to prospective students about what they could expect from the overall experience at MCB?

A: I think it's excellent. For the most part, certainly on the academic side, I've thoroughly enjoyed the past six months. I'm getting a buzz out of my project. I think it's important to pick a project that you're enthused about, to choose a lab and supervisor that you know is going to be right for you, and to really ask a question that is buzzing in your mind about how something works--and then go about working on how best to answer that question.

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