In honour of National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW), we spoke with different Postdoctoral Fellows at the CBR to highlight their research, share their stories and celebrate their journeys.
Dr. Anthony Wong – Rossi lab
Tell me about your research
I’m currently studying mechanisms of action underlying the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and generating an immune pipeline that can be used to assess novel vaccine formulations created by my collaborators. Despite well-documented evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, the exact ways through which the contents of the vaccine are carried from the muscle where they are injected to the lymph nodes where a protective immune response is generated, is not fully understood. COVID-19 vaccines contain a genetic sequence from the virus called mRNA, contained in small lipid particles. We’re using cutting-edge techniques to visualize the specific cells in muscle tissue that take up these mRNA-containing particles and their migratory pathway to lymph nodes, which is still unclear. Additionally, we will determine the genes they express at each stage and identify the immune cells they interact with at critical timepoints. This research will help us improve the effectiveness of current COVID-19 vaccines and inform development of all mRNA-based vaccines for the future, whether for SARS-CoV-2 or other pathogens.
What led you to the lab
I was born and raised in Toronto and completed my BSc and PhD in Immunology at the University of Toronto. After living in Toronto my whole life, I wanted to experience living in a new city that would challenge me to grow and make new connections, both professionally and personally. Naturally, I chose Vancouver as it is a beautiful city and left a deep impression on me when I had visited in the past. When I heard of Dr. Fabio Rossi at the University of British Columbia and his lab’s work, I immediately felt like the Rossi lab would be a good fit for my experience and expertise, and I feel grateful to have the opportunity to do a postdoc in his lab.
What do you like to do outside the lab?
I love singing and dancing, and have been performing at local festivals and events in Toronto for the past 10 years! I have also started performing around Vancouver as well, such as at the Richmond Night Market. I also enjoy filming dance covers with friends and getting involved in other projects related to the performing arts. I can also be frequently seen at Studio North for dance classes 🙂
What advice would you give someone still searching for a program/postdoc position?
My advice to undergrads looking for a supervisor for grad school has always been that the PI is the most important factor in your decision, as they determine your research project, when you will graduate, the overall social culture of the lab, and are your primary source of mentorship. However, as a graduate student looking for a postdoc, my priorities were different – while all the aforementioned factors were still important to me, I was now older and more experienced. As a result, I based my decision primarily off of where I wanted to live my life for the next 3+ years – where would I be happy? Where would I feel motivated to conduct my research program? Which institution and mentor would support my long-term career goals? You should remember to consider not only what you can bring to your postdoc, but what your postdoc can do for you. Also, don’t be afraid to show some personality! In a saturated field of academics who all have fancy degrees and high-impact papers – what can make you stand out from your peers is your personality and your soft skills. Being kind and sincere can take you a long way.
Thank you for speaking with us, Anthony! Learn more about National Postdoc Appreciation Week at UBC which recognizes the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to research and discovery.