Dr. Melina Messing, Postdoctoral Fellow, McNagny Lab
Dr. Melina Messing is the 2023 Michael John Page Postdoctoral Fellow Award recipient.
The Michael John Page Postdoctoral Fellow Award recognizes a postdoctoral fellow who reflects Dr. Page’s academic excellence and his passion for life. On Wednesday, October 4, we held an award ceremony and a reception. We got to interview Melina and learn more about her and her journey!
Tell us about your research.
My research focuses on immune responses in several conditions including muscular dystrophy, childhood allergic disease and most recently, COVID-19. One specific focus has been the use of high-dimensional immune cell characterization methods like mass cytometry to uncover skewed immune responses in the context of various diseases as well as immune biomarkers that aid with disease prediction, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. My research on COVID-19 is one such example. During the peak of the pandemic, we obtained peripheral blood samples from ICU COVID-19 patients from which I isolated immune cells for the characterization of the immune response to the virus using a mass cytometry panel containing 40 antibodies. This led to the discovery of a set of immune biomarkers that, at the time of ICU admission, was predictive of disease outcome.
How did you feel when you received the Michael John Page Postdoctoral Fellow Award?
Melina giving a talk.
I felt very excited and honoured. I was not fortunate enough to meet Michael but from what I learned about him; he was an exceptional member of the community. I am truly honoured to receive an award that is given in his name. There are many scholarships/awards that recognize scientific achievements but few that focus on the extra-curricular activities that are such an important part of a scientific career and often go unnoticed. To be recognized for such activities like mentorship, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) advocacy and science outreach has really validated that my time was well spent undertaking those various activities.
What do you enjoy about science?
To me, the best aspect about science is being at the forefront of discovery. While many moments are filled with long hours, unsuccessful experiments, or non-significant data, it is all worth it in the light of a novel discovery such as a disease biomarker or a previously unknown mechanism that changes our understanding of physiological processes or diseases.
Melina in the lab.
What’s your passion in life? What motivates you?
Besides the obvious answer that my passion in life is science, I would say that my passion is to do something meaningful in my life that is challenging but fills everyday with purpose and long-term successes. I highly value my own personal growth even if that means failing at first to achieve something in the future. I am also very much motivated by my family. I have an incredible support system that stands by my side through the toughest of times and it is very fulfilling to me to be able to show them that all their support and efforts are paying off.
What are some of your most significant extra-curricular achievements?
Melina playing the cello.
While I enjoy various extracurricular activities, the one that I cherish the most is student mentorship. I think this comes from having had incredible mentors myself that played such an important part in my career and personal development. Therefore, whenever I see the opportunity to do the same for new students/scientists, I enjoy ‘going the extra mile’ to make a lasting impact and inspire a passion for science. Based on my mentorship, I have been able to witness multiple students become interested in research, win awards, obtain scholarships, and start on the path to become a scientist. Making such a lasting impact on someone else’s scientific journey feels like one of my most significant achievements with regards to extra-curricular activities.
What advice do you have to current or aspiring Postdoctoral Fellows?
Giving advice is tricky because everyone’s experience and scientific path is so different. There were many things that I was told are essential to becoming a successful scientist (such as great networking skills, receiving important scholarships, publishing high impact). I didn’t have any of these things for a long time. My career path deviated from the norm in many ways, and, for a long time, I did not feel that I belonged in this community. As it turns out though, one’s individual path is entirely good enough if you have a true passion for science and dedication to your work. The one thing that I ever needed to be successful was an incredibly supportive mentor that believed in my abilities at times when I did not believe in them myself (Thank you Kelly McNagny!).
L-R: Dr. Ross MacGillivray, Dr. Melina Messing, Roger Page
The Michael John Page Postdoctoral Fellow Award recognizes a postdoctoral fellow who reflects Dr. Page’s academic excellence and his passion for life. In Michael’s memory, each year CBR recognizes a Postdoctoral Fellow who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement combined with significant extra-curricular achievements, both scientific and non-scientific.
An awards ceremony is held in the fall, and the winner will be presented with a memorial plaque and prize. They will also present a summary talk of their career to date together with their extra-curricular activities.