To start off, say a little about yourself, your interests, undergraduate degree and what you are doing now. “I grew up in Quispamsis, New Brunswick and attended the University of New Brunswick Fredericton for my undergraduate degree; which was a Bachelor of Science, major in Biology. I was generally interested in biology, although I wasn’t certain of which field in biology I wanted to pursue. As I progressed through my degree, it becoming increasingly apparent that I was mostly interested in human biology, which had initially led me to medicine. Today I am at medical student at Dalhousie University, at the Saint John Campus (DMNB).”
How did you decide to attend medical school? “Deciding to attend medical school was not a clear decision from the beginning. Over time, with more scientific and academic experience and trying a variety of things outside of school, I became more closely drawn to medicine. I was very fortunate to have valuable mentors (both on and off campus) who supported me in my pursuit of medicine, and who allowed me to try new things.”
What organizations were you involved in outside of campus? “I was involved in a few different groups on and off campus during my undergraduate degree. Most notably, I was involved in starting the Atlantic Student Research Journal as one of the two co-founders and eventual chair of the ASRJ during my time at UNB. I was also active on campus in a few different groups and societies, as well as student politics through the UNB Fredericton Senate. Outside of campus, I became involved in research early on in my degree with a focus on both geriatric research, and neurorehabilitation quality improvement & research. My research experience in many ways pushed me to pursue medicine as it showed me how practicing medicine helps others.”
What would be the best experience you have taken away from the ASRJ? “The best experience I have taken away from the ASRJ was being able to work with a very intelligent, very engaged and excited group of students who are eager to learn and be impactful in their community. Being able to see how students are learning so much about what is going on around them, and encouraging them to not only be able to work with the ASRJ on highlighting local research, but also wanting to get involved in research and join these hardworking teams.”
What does research look like in your field? “Research in medicine is incredibly varied. It can consist of core basic science and developing the cutting edge in understanding human physiology, or it can be as concrete as looking into how a particular medical technique should be modified to be improved. Research in medicine can encompass almost every type of basic science and applied science, with examples being psychology, engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, economics, philosophy and more.
My research interests are primarily focused on applying technologies to treating neurologic disease, optimizing rehabilitation for patients with neurological diseases, or developing care strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.”
Jeremy can be reached at jslayter@dal.ca for further questions.