Nurturing the next generation of scientists

Returning summer students. From top left, these students include: Claudia Paterson, Therese Featherston, Hugo Humphries, and Sabrina Koh.

Our summer student programme is an integral part of the GMRI’s activities. Every year we welcome up to 6 exceptional students to take part in a 3-month research placement. They impress and amaze us with their ability and capacity. Some of them return for a second and sometimes third summer.

Let us introduce you to four of our returning students. And just before we do, we’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Lady Gillian and Sir Roderick Deane, who have supported the summer studentship programme since it began in 2013.

We love the enthusiasm and skill that our summer students bring to the GMRI. They’re without exception inquisitive and highly capable.

Claudia Paterson — learning from people who think outside the box

How many years have you been part of the summer studentship programme?

Two years, over the 2017/2018 summer and 2018/2019 summer.

How did you first get involved in the programme?

I heard about the GMRI and its summer studentship programme during the 2017 New Zealand Medical Students Association Conference, at which Swee delivered a keynote address. I had also met Swee when I was 9 or 10 years old, when he operated on me for a small infantile haemangioma (strawberry birthmark) on my face.

I really liked the idea of learning about the scientific research process as opposed to simply taking textbook information for gospel. I was also interested in learning from people who thought outside the box and wanted to make real scientific progress that would be able to help a lot of patients one day. Medicine is fantastic, but I’ve noticed that often you’re only helping one patient at a time, and you’re doing this based on clinical guidelines written by other people. Scientific research is different as it has the potential to really shake up clinical guidelines for a lot of people.

What did you get out of being in the programme more than once?

It was really beneficial for me to be involved for more than one summer. I understood the overarching concepts a lot more the second time, and had learnt what to do and what not to do in order to be efficient and rigorous with my research.

Have your experiences in the programme influenced what you’re doing now?

I’m now in my fifth year of medical school but my experiences at the GMRI have opened my eyes to how important research is, and how I want research to be a part of my career. I’ve learnt how to conduct research properly using databases and how to reference and write a paper. These are all really valuable skills that I will be able to use and build on forever.

What good do you believe your work has done?

I’ve done two research projects — Cathepsins in Keloid Scars (2017/2018 summer) and Cancer Stem Cells in Lung Adenocarcinoma (2018/2019 summer). A manuscript from the first study has been submitted to the international journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and we are working on a draft manuscript for the second study.

I think that both research projects are important pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that will hopefully result in effective treatments for patients one day. The cancer stem cell hypothesis (the fundamental concept at the heart of the GMRI’s research) is being adopted throughout the world. These two projects contribute to this increasing body of evidence.

What do you feel is your highest achievement from your time in the programme?

It hasn’t happened yet, but my paper Cancer Stem Cells in Lung Adenocarcinoma has been accepted for oral presentation at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, in May. This will be a fantastic opportunity. I’m really lucky as the Deane Endowment Trust have very kindly offered to sponsor me to go and present our findings.

Therese Featherston — an extra step towards relieving human suffering

How many years have you been part of the summer studentship programme?

Three years, from the summer of 2015/16 through to 2017/18.

How did you first get involved in the programme?

I had completed an extended essay for my International Baccalaureate Diploma with Swee and his team at the GMRI during 2013-2014. When I started university, Swee suggested I apply for the summer studentship.

What did you get out of being in the programme more than once?

Each year my confidence and understanding grew stronger, as I became more familiar with the lab and learnt more through my degree. This allowed me to be more intuitive and ask more questions, making sure that the results we got were well-analysed.

Have your experiences in the programme influenced what you’re doing now?

Yes, they have! I am now completing my honours degree in biomedical sciences, hoping to continue to follow my passion for research.

What good do you believe your work has done?

It has provided an extra step towards the overall goal of the GMRI, to relieve human suffering. Each individual project gets us that bit closer to helping more people, which gives you a pretty good feeling inside.

What do you feel is your highest achievement from your time in the programme?

My three publications and presentations at the NZAPS and ANZSOPS Joint Scientific Meeting in Queenstown in 2017. It was a great learning experience for me, as it was the first conference I had ever presented at.

Hugo Humphries — sparking a paradigm shift

How many years have you been part of the summer studentship programme?

I participated in the programme over two summers, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.

How did you first get involved in the programme?

I got involved after hearing about the programme through my father, a radiologist who had worked with Swee in the past. I then went for a tour around the lab and applied for the next summer studentship programme.

What did you get out of being in the programme more than once?

Participating in the programme twice helped to consolidated all the valuable information that I gained from the previous summer. This included learning more about the nature of the research at the GMRI, and the principles and main themes of the GMRI community. And I learnt more about the process of research and how an initial clinical question can spark research and a whole new paradigm shift.

Have your experiences in the programme influenced what you’re doing now?

My experiences have given me a new perspective on how research influences the best practice through which modern medicine is run. I am in my fifth year of medical school and my two summer studentships have inspired me to continue my endeavours with future research and to closely follow the trajectory of GMRI’s work.

What good do you believe your work has done?

I believe my work has contributed to the body of knowledge that all aims to learn the pathogenesis of disease including cancer.

What do you feel is your highest achievement from your time in the programme?

I feel that my highest achievement in the programme was being fortunate enough to present both of my summers’ research at the Royal Australian College of Surgeons conference in Sydney in 2018.

Sabrina Koh — recognising the important role research plays in the progress of medicine

How many years have you been part of the summer studentship programme?

I have spent three summers at the GMRI, between 2014 and 2018.

How did you first get involved in the programme?

During my second year of medical school I had the privilege of listening to Dr Swee Tan speak about his experiences and pioneering work in the field of vascular birthmarks, fibrotic conditions and cancer at a medical students’ conference.

Having personally witnessed the debilitating effects of some of these conditions on individuals and their families, I was eager to contribute to and learn more about this field of research.

What did you get out of being in the programme more than once?

During this time I have been involved in research in Dupuytren’s disease, glioblastoma, and head and neck skin cancer. The summer student programme offered by the GMRI is a well-structured and supportive programme which helps nurture the next generation of scientists. Having the opportunity to be a part of the programme has been an enriching experience. These summers have been challenging yet exciting and have taught me skills that I would otherwise not have acquired in my medical degree. During this time I have been able to consolidate my understanding of various laboratory techniques, and learn how to conduct robust scientific research.

Have your experiences in the programme influenced what you’re doing now?

My time at the GMRI has helped me to recognise the important role research plays in the progression of medicine. I am now in my final year of medical school, and while the career paths after medical school are endless, I know I will continue to incorporate research into my clinical life.

What good do you believe your work has done?

The projects I have been involved in are only a few pieces of the puzzle which, in conjunction with the rest of the GMRI’s research, will help pioneer the future of cancer treatment. We have now identified stem cells in a multitude of cancers and fibrotic conditions, which we believe could serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for these diseases through simple, affordable, non-invasive treatments.

What do you feel is your highest achievement from your time in the programme?

A particular highlight was being awarded the 2017 International Dupuytren Award for our research ‘Embryonic Stem Cell-like Population in Dupuytren’s Disease’. Also, having the opportunity to present and share our work with the rest of the world at the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons Winter Scientific Meeting 2017.