Academic X’Cellence: Meet Lauren Pictou
It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with StFX that our campus is filled with highly engaged students, educators, researchers, and leaders. Academic X’cellence shines a spotlight on members of our educational community to find out more about their unique experiences—both inside and outside of the classroom. (To see the full series, please click HERE.)
Here we meet Lauren Pictou, a third year honours biology student from Yarmouth, NS who has plans to pursue a career in healthcare, specifically as an OB-GYN physician. Lauren has already been involved in undergraduate research. She received a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERCP USRA award to fund her project and spent this past summer conducting research in gastropod neuroanatomy on the freshwater pond snail. She has also been a part of the X-Oceans team, a science outreach group that runs activities to educate students of all ages on ocean literacy. She is also a recipient of the Biology Department’s achievement awards, presented to students with the highest average in the program.
Lauren Pictou—Exploring biology and the complexity of life
What drew you to this subject area?
I knew early on that I wanted a career in healthcare, and science has always been my favourite subject. During my first biology class in high school, it clicked, and I knew this was the subject area I wanted to pursue in university. I am absolutely fascinated with anatomy and physiology, and I love learning about how it corresponds with health. The complexity of life is an intriguing idea, and biology was the perfect place to begin exploring.
Have you had a favorite class at StFX? What made it a highlight?
My favourite class has been human anatomy and physiology. This course is exactly of my interest and why I love biology. Studying human anatomy and how it affects physiology has been a rewarding experience and has allowed me to feel closer to my healthcare career goals. The professor for this course (Dr. Tammy Rodela) has also been a huge highlight for me. She has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of human body systems.
Tell us about some of your highlights, involvements, and accomplishments.
One of my biggest accomplishments in my time here at StFX has been conducting research and receiving a NSERC USRA award to fund my project. I conducted research in gastropod neuroanatomy on the freshwater pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis in Dr. Russell Wyeth's lab. My research has been a challenging yet fulfilling experience. This area of research has allowed me to strengthen my understanding of anatomy in an animal that I would not have thought of to investigate. Another one of my accomplishments has been receiving a biology achievement award from the biology department. Each year, the department gives achievement awards to the students with the highest average in the biology program. Receiving this award was definitely a positive motivator in continuing to work diligently.
Do you feel your student research experience impacted your studies?
This research experience has also allowed me to develop laboratory skills and use apparatuses I would have not been exposed to in regular courses. This has been a significant benefit to my education and has allowed me to be more confident in course laboratories. These skills have helped me develop my hands-on skills and challenged me to think critically about the results of my procedures. I have since applied these skills to each of my courses, and I feel I am a more well-rounded student because of it.
Do you have future career plans?
After StFX, I would love to attend Dalhousie Medical School. I have a passion for female reproductive health and would love to be an OB-GYN.
Is there an opportunity that stands out for you so far?
My research experience has definitely been a standout, but another experience that has been very fulfilling is being a part of the X-Oceans team. X-Oceans is a science outreach group where we run activities to educate students of all ages on ocean literacy. I love biology and I love talking about it even more. Being involved in the process of educating students on aspects of environmental biology has been very rewarding and I always look forward to working with new students and learning about their experience with the ocean. Seeing the students learn how to run experiments and being proud of their work brings me joy, and I always leave an X-Oceans program feeling refreshed.
Would have advice for a first year student?
My advice for a first-year student would be firstly to breathe, and second, to make use of their campus resources. How you interact with your resources, peers, professors, and other aids offered by the campus can really change your experience in university. Being detached from your campus ultimately detaches you from the community and university can quickly become a very lonely and unwelcoming place. As someone who is more introverted it was definitely more comfortable to sit in my room and hope for my people to find me. Once I started reaching out and trying to fully embrace what the campus has to offer, I found my community and I finally felt connected to StFX.
