With a packed clinical education program, it may be challenging for Master of Science Applied (M.Sc.A.) students to engage in regular research activities during the intensive academic semesters. In order to enhance student exposure to research, McGill Faculty of Medicine offers a summer research bursary program, giving professional health students the opportunity to work in scientific research for eight consecutive weeks during the summer break. In 2016, seven M.Sc.A. students from the School for Communication Sciences and Disorders (SCSD) were supported by the Faculty summer bursary program to participate in hands-on research with SCSD faculty members.
The Power of Curiosity
Interest for summer research mainly stemmed from students’ desire to delve deeper into their own personal interests. Evan Kennedy was generally interested in working as a clinician specializing in voice disorders. Working alongside Dr. Nicole Li-Jessen, he observed how mechanical properties of the vocal folds affected cell growth. “Because I didn’t have the broadest background in cellular biology – I studied linguistics and psychology as a background - I thought taking on a project like this would do great things for developing my personal understanding of wound healing”. For Huong Hoang, working in Dr. Aparna Nadig’s Psychology of Pragmatics lab was a chance to explore a question she has had since her undergraduate years. “I always wanted to know more about narrative skills in bilingual children with autism. The lab was already undergoing a project that aligned with my interests”.
Inspired by their supervisors’ work, the projects were a unique chance to expand beyond what was learned in the classroom. Jamie Russell studied how linguistic background affects emotion recognition in speech in Dr. Marc Pell’s Neuropragmatics and Emotion Lab. She explains, “I was curious about the work that goes on in our school outside of the clinical program, and thought this would be a great opportunity to get involved”. Omar Orbegozo-Zavala, who worked with Dr. Susan Rvachew on transcription data for children with Down Syndrome and apraxia of speech, adds, “It was a good experience to be exposed to that kind of environment, to be around researchers, and to see what kind of things they’re working on”.
Challenges and Excitement Never Expected Before
At first, the learning curve was steep. Students needed to not only know the subject material itself, but also the technical skills involved in organizing the research project. Lisa Martignetti and Meagan Honigman worked together in Dr. Karsten Steinhauer’s Neurocognition of Language Lab. They explored the neuroactivity of French second language speakers in comparison to native French speakers when presented with agreement errors. As Lisa states, “there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes, and if you haven’t been the one back there doing the research, you don’t realize how much goes into every step that you have to do”. Like any research project, the students met challenges along the way, ranging from time expectations to participant recruitment. However, mentors and lab members were great at providing resources and training, and students felt at ease discussing alternative solutions together as a team.
After their summer research experience, the students had a greater appreciation for inter-professional collaboration. “There is so much that I don’t know,” Evan says, “and there’s a real joy in getting to engage in a process where you collaborate within a team to build a collective understanding”. Jamie agrees, “It’s easy to get overwhelmed and think we have to figure things out for ourselves, but we’re surrounded by smart, caring people who are willing to help”. For others, the research opportunity gave a taste of what it would be like to pursue a research career. “I’ve always been considering a PhD”, says Lisa, “but this made me consider it even more”. The experience allowed for a better understanding of how research articles are developed and published. “It’s easy to say this paper has these issues, they should have solved this, they should have had more participants… but then I look at what we’re doing, and it’s hard to find participants”, says Omar.
Overall, the students were grateful for the support system created by their supervisors and lab members. Such research experience has inspired the students to integrate their honed research knowledge into future clinical practice. “We talk a lot about research and evidence-based practice”, Jamie says; “being involved in a project every step of the way affords you insight into the process that you might not otherwise have”.
Summer research is available at the SCSD every year for M.Sc.A. students, whether they are considering the thesis option or simply want to explore a research topic. As Meagan states, “I think it’s a good experience – good to open your eyes a little bit to the world of research”. Evan adds, “if you have an inkling of something that sparks your curiosity, I’d ask about it and see how you can get involved!”
To learn more about the labs featured in this article, please visit the following links:
Huong Hoang (in collaboration with Ana Maria Gonzalez-Barrero), Dr. Aparna Nadig’s Psychology of Pragmatics Lab
Evan Kennedy, Dr. Nicole Li-Jessen’s Voice Lab and Dr. Christopher Moraes’s Cellular Microenvironment Design Lab
Lisa Martignetti and Meagan Honigman, Dr. Karsten Steinhauer’s Neurocognition of Language Lab
Omar Orbegozo-Zavala (in collaboration with Marla Folden), Dr. Susan Rvachew’s Child Phonology Lab
Jamie Russell, Dr. Marc Pell’s Neuropragmatics and Emotion Lab
