Niki Hajmoshir, BMLSc’19, MDS (Comp Ling)’20
As part Amazon’s Alexa natural language understanding program, Niki helps build the speech and language solutions behind Amazon services. Learn how the BMLSc Program helped get her to where she is today and some of her favourite memories from the Program.
What is your current career or current educational program? (please include where you work or study)?
I work as a Language Engineer at Amazon. After completing the BMLSc Program, I pursued a Master of Data Science at UBC.
If you are working, please describe what you do, in a few sentences.
I work at Alexa’s natural language understanding team. Our team builds the speech and language solutions behind Amazon services. We help Alexa develop logical and stable language modelling. What I love about my work is I get to impact customers directly and help to build a better experience for them.
How did your BMLSc degree help you to get where you are now?
The BMLSc Program helped me develop an analytical and logical point of view when dealing with complex problems. The Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Seminars in Current Topics courses motivated me to understand statistics better and become more data-driven.
What is the most valuable experience you gained from the BMLSc Program?
The BMLSc Program is a very intense program and the most valuable lesson I learned during the two years was how to prioritize and plan. I learned how to discipline myself to maintain focus for long hours of studying and work, I see its benefits to this day.
What did you enjoy most about the program or what is your favourite memory from your time in the BMLSc Program?
The close friendship that our cohort had together! I really cherish the memories.
What do you see yourself doing in the future with respect to your career?
My focus is to accelerate developing my career and pushing myself forward. I see myself working and leading more impactful projects.
Name one thing on your bucket list.
I would love to go to Egypt and see the great pyramids.
Stayed tuned for more stories about BMLSc alumni as the Program celebrations its 40th anniversary in 2021!
Dr. Tim Seabrook, BMLSc’95
When Dr. Seabrook recounts his time in the BMLSc Program, he points to how his degree gave him the confidence to pursue his passion in research. Dr. Seabrooks shares how his BMLSc degree led him from Vancouver to Toronto and eventually Switzerland in pursuit of a career in scientific research.
What is your current career or current educational program?
I am currently residing and working in Switzerland as a clinical scientist.
If you are working, please describe what you do, in a few sentences.
As a clinical scientist I am involved in the design, writing, conducting, and data analysis of clinical trials. My focus is rare diseases. These diseases usually have insufficient research and a high unmet medical need, whilst predominately affecting children. To date, I have worked in large pharmaceutical companies, but currently work at a small biotech company.
What has been your journey, since graduating from the BMLSc Program?
After my BMLSc degree, I was accepted into the PhD program at the Department of Lab Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. After graduation, I did a postdoc and was an instructor at Harvard Medical School. I then became a laboratory head/researcher in various pharmaceutical companies. I transitioned into clinical research, which allows me to be involved in research that may directly improve patient’s health. During this time, I also obtained a Masters degree in Clinical Research at the University of Liverpool.
How did your BMLSc degree help you to get where you are now?
My BMLSc degree directly helped me as it gave me a wide background in pathophysiology and laboratory methodologies. This helps me on a daily basis as I review and analyse subject data during clinical trials. As well, the undergraduate research projects which I performed with Drs Ong and Gyongyossy-Issa introduced me to research and helped me make my decision to apply for graduate school.
What is the most valuable experience you gained from the BMLSc Program?
The BMLSc Program helped me to obtain confidence to go further with my education. The support by the faculty and teaching staff was instrumental in allowing me to think that I could do graduate studies.
What is your favorite memory from your time in the BMLSc Program?
My favourite memory was discovering a group of laboratory technologists that were also interested in further education in our profession. This group was welcoming and very supportive of each other.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to BMLSc students and recent graduates?
Don’t be afraid to move beyond the lab and maybe even Canada. The world is wide open to you and is waiting to be explored.
Name one thing on your bucket list.
To do a hike around the base of the Matterhorn.
Stayed tuned for more stories about BMLSc alumni as the Program celebrations its 40th anniversary in 2021!
Dr. Adeera Levin
Dr. Adeera Levin is a 2020 recipient of the UBC Medical Alumni Association Honorary Medical Alumni Award.
Dr. Levin is a Professor of Medicine, Head, Division of Nephrology at the University of British Columbia, and Consultant nephrologist at Providence Health Care/ St Paul’s Hospital, in Vancouver Canada.
She is the Executive Director of the BC Renal Agency, which oversees the care, planning and budgets for Kidney services in the province of British Columbia
She is active in international activities across the spectrum of kidney activities, and has served as in leadership roles at the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), most recently as President ( 2015-17). She was one of the founding members of the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group (DICG), and served as one of the first Co-Chairs of that Group. She has been active in both ISN and DICG concerning advocacy for patient rights for equitable access to care, and in the prevention of exploitation of vulnerable populations.
Her major research interests include non- traditional risk factors for CVD in CKD patients and progression of CKD variability, as well as models of care. She has over 600 peer reviewed publications, and numerous book chapters. She is the Principal Investigator on a large national SPOR network grant CAN SOLVE CKD focusing on patient oriented research. She collaborates with investigators across Canada and internationally.
She has received numerous teaching and research awards, from Canadian Society of Nephrology, Kidney Foundation of Canada, British Columbia Health Research Institute and was inducted as a fellow into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and, for her contributions to the life of Canadians, she was awarded the highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada in 2015.