Rhiannon Cameron

doctoral student in the Faculty of Health Sciences

Scientific research has always played a large role in my life. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Microbiology at the University of Victoria in 2019, during which I had the opportunity to conduct directed research in multiple labs. While completing my degree, I used computational approaches to understand and target infectious diseases through directed research on the genetics of influenza A virus at the UVic Viral Bioinformatics Research Centre. This combination of first-hand experiences with wet laboratory techniques and computational approaches in ontologies, microbiology, biochemistry, and genomics have fed and fostered my primary interest in using computational approaches to understand and combat infectious diseases. I am currently a PhD candidate under the supervision of Dr. William Hsiao with the Centre for Infectious Disease Genomics and One Health (www.CIDGOH.ca). My research focuses on ontology curation and development for outbreak investigation and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 for the Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) and food-borne pathogen risk assessment modeling for the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Genomics Research and Development Initiative (AMR-GRDI), and developing ontology training resources. In my spare time, I volunteer with the Vancouver Bioinformatics User Group and the Neil Squire Society Computer Comforts program, as well study graphic art and UX design.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?

I was at UBC doing a MSc in Bioinformatics when I decided to transfer to SFU in pursuit of a PhD in Health Sciences. My bioinformatics work focused on curation and development of pathogen outbreak investigation and surveillance ontologies and tools. I found myself wanting to develop a greater understanding of the issues of public health and I decided the Faculty of Health Sciences is an ideal place to broaden my understanding and hopefully improve my ability to develop impactful health science bioinformatics applications.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH OR YOUR PROGRAM TO A FAMILY MEMBER?

How do you know what these words mean? Since you are currently reading this, I think it is fair to presume you understand English, the typography of the modern alphabet, and the meaning of the words as they are when laid out in a sentence. But when you see the word “plant” all alone, without additional context a sentence can (and should) provide, what do you infer? Was it a “plant” grown in a garden? Was it a power “plant” sending electricity to your computer? Or perhaps it was the idea of someone “planting” a fence post in the ground? Ambiguity such as this can have a huge impact on genomic contextual data (aka metadata). While genomic data (genetic code) is one important part of pathogen health responses, it is the contextual data that tells us who was infected, where infection probably occurred, what their clinical outcomes were, and what the sampling methodology was. The potential for different contextual understandings can guide individuals and programs to multiple interpretations, increasing uncertainty which can slow down or gridlock decision-making. My work focuses on the development of data structures and tools to harmonize data, the process of reconciling data from different data streams in a manner which allows for meaningful comparison. I do this with the aspiration of improving the efficiency and efficacy of pathogen genomic analyses and data sharing.

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?

I enjoy interacting with my peers, all of whom are motivated, considerate, and passionate individuals who want to improve the lives of others. I also am enamored with the location, Burnaby Mountain is beautiful and I love to take a walk on the trails when I am able.

HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR-FUNDED AWARDS? IF SO, PLEASE TELL US WHICH ONES AND A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THE AWARDS HAVE IMPACTED YOUR STUDIES AND/OR RESEARCH.

I was recently awarded a 2023 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Award (CGS D), valued at $35,000 per year for three years. It has provided a huge amount of relief, knowing that I will be financially stable and able to focus on research, as well a deep feeling of pride that CIHR chose to support me in this way. This will be an incredible asset in my pursuit of health science bioinformatic research.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PROGRAM/POSTDOC POSITION TO SOMEONE STILL SEARCHING FOR A PROGRAM OR POSTDOC POSITION?

The PhD Health Sciences program is truly an interdisciplinary program, so when you enter into it you will be presented with a variety of perspectives, frameworks, and experiences that will help inform your research and/or your understanding of systematic health challenges outside of ones own experience.

Additional Links

• LinkedIn
• My Personal Website