Humans of RHSE: Introducing Samantha Li
Our Research and Health Science Education (RHSE) community is a diverse but close-knit group of undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, faculty and staff. In this series, we introduce you to some of our members, talk about their roles in the university and share a few fun facts about them. Today, we introduce Samantha Li who is a second-year graduate student in the Master of Science in Biomedical Communications (BMC) program in the Institute of Medical Science at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
The BMC program, the only one of its kind in Canada and one of the few accredited master’s level medical visualization programs in the world, is a professional program that challenges students to create and evaluate visual tools like medical illustrations, animations and virtual simulations.
With an undergraduate degree in biomedical discovery and commercialization from McMaster University, the allure of world-class research faculty and top-tier training in medical anatomy drew Samantha to the BMC program at U of T.
Supervised by Dr. Jodie Jenkinson, a professor and director of the BMC program, Samantha is completing her major research project with VISABLI, a research collaboration network. Headed by Jenkinson, VISABLI aims to improve instructional multimedia in undergraduate biology education, a mission Samantha passionately shares.
Reflecting on her aspirations, Samantha articulates a vision of nurturing visual science communication skills among undergraduates at U of T, recognizing them as the future scientific and clinical leaders.
“Effective science communication,” she explains, “is crucial to building trust in the many life-saving innovations and discoveries that support societal health and wellness.”
Samantha’s dedication and expertise were honoured with the Eila Hopper Ross Memorial Award, which recognizes excellence in visual communication, professionalism, team participation, leadership skills and commitment to the profession. She later received the Vesalius Trust Research Grant for her research project, titled, The SciStory Laboratory, a scrollytelling website that teaches undergraduate life science students scientific storytelling skills.
Despite her successes, Samantha wrestles with the intricacies of time management, acknowledging her ongoing battle to surmount this hurdle.
“Unlike undergrad,” she reflects, “most of my time now is spent working independently on my long-term projects and assignments.” Using productivity and time tracking apps, she has made substantial improvements to her efficiency.
For undergraduate students contemplating grad school, Samantha has some sound advice. She believes it’s essential to recognize your worth and she warns not to allow Imposter Syndrome to sneak into your life.
She recommends talking to alumni and current students in the programs you’re considering and evaluating the professional and personal opportunities the programs afford.
A true nature lover, when Samantha is not studying, she finds solace in nature’s embrace. She relishes moments of exploration and discovery, recently visiting Banff where she was mesmerized by the scenic mountain ranges and glacial lakes. Her love of nature resonates in her hobbies, hiking and running, and her favourite colour – sea foam green. Even her hidden talents, imitating a loon and whistling with grass, conjure images of a tranquil moment lost in the respite of nature.
