IMS Magazine - Summer 2012 edition in PDF format - Institute of ...

SPOTLIGHT
Wenjun Xu
The best of both worlds
I
t is no secret that the world of
science can be a frustrating one in
which every successful experiment is
preceded by numerous experimental failures.
Whenever frustration threatens to spoil her
day in the lab, Wenjun Xu – a PhD student in
the IMS – simply reminds herself of a different
world that she experienced during a volunteering
trip to Nicaragua and Costa Rica
last year. “I think of how people there make
the most out of what little they have every
day, and how in comparison my problems
can all be overcome.”
The two-week long trip, which Xu organized
through VIDA (a non-profit organization
that facilitates volunteer-based public health
STREAM PhD student
SUPERVISOR Dr. Cindi Morshead
services in Central America), is a highlight
of Xu’s graduate experience. Along with 15
students from various graduate departments
within the Faculty of Medicine, Xu and her
peers traveled through remote regions in the
two Central American countries, stayed in
local homes, visited orphanages and AIDS
centres, worked with local medical personnel,
and helped to set up mobile clinics. It
was long hours of hard work every day under
smothering heat, but the group’s efforts were
returned in the form of warm smiles and
appreciation from the local communities.
When asked how the experience had influenced
her research and outlook on graduate
school in general, she offered: “Although we
were physically exhausted every day during
the trip, at the end of the trip I felt as though
my mind was recharged. I came back with a
new perspective and more ready for the challenges
and potential frustrations ahead.”
Not that Xu has ever really minded the challenges
of science in the first place: “I love basic
science because it answers fundamental questions.”
Having completed her undergraduate
degree in forensic science at the University of
Toronto, Xu chose to pursue graduate studies
at the IMS rather than a CSI-style career.
In particular, she was fascinated by regenerative
medicine and stem cell research. “I took
a course that focused a lot on stem cells and
biotechnology, and after that course there
was no turning back – I was determined to
take part in stem cell research,” Xu recalls.
That opportunity arrived when she met with
her now supervisor, Dr. Cindi Morshead, an
expert in neural stem cells whose energy and
passion for science Xu found inspiring. Xu
has been a happy member of the Morshead
lab ever since.
Now in the third year of her PhD studies,
Xu is involved in two distinct projects. She
is exploring the activation and mobilization
of endogeneous spinal cord stem cells in spinal
cord injury by infusion of cyclosporine
A; at the same time, she is investigating a
novel adult neural stem cell population that
expresses markers of pluripotent stem cells in
mice. Xu finds her involvement in these two
simultaneous projects both challenging and
satisfying, as they allow her exposure to both
translational and basic science.
Despite her strong commitment to research,
Xu is also determined to find the time in her
schedule to continue to gain inspiration outside
of the laboratory through her work with
VIDA. She is currently working to organize
another volunteer trip that is planned for
next year. With her efforts, she hopes that
more graduate students will be inspired to
get involved and take part in the unforgettable
experience (for more information on
VIDA, please contact Xu at wenjun.xu@utoronto.ca).
Asked when she expects to finish her PhD,
Xu smiles, “Hopefully in about three years.”
Undoubtedly, the next three years for Xu will
be as stimulating and exciting as the past
three have been.
By Karrie Wong
Photo by Brett Jones
25 | IMS MAGAZINE SUMMER 2012 GENOMIC MEDICINE