Science is Rad: Meet Javier and Jessica, the next generation
Strengthening and advancing research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) happens in part because of the courageous and curious nature of our students and trainees. At the LTRI, there are more than 200 students embedded in the labs of our world-leading researchers. That collaboration and combination of energy and fresh thinking greatly benefits the LTRI, our hospitals and ultimately our patients.
We caught up with students Jessica Gosio and Javier Hernandez who both work in Dr. Jeff Wrana’s lab, which focuses on the complex network of molecular/cellular pathways that, when disrupted, lead to diseases such as cancer. Dr. Wrana and his team play a leading role in ensuring researchers have access to the most sophisticated technology to analyze genes, proteins and new models of disease. His research aims to discover new diagnostic tests and test novel treatments.
Jessica and Javier discuss their research, what inspires them and why being a scientist at the LTRI is the coolest job in the world.
Q. Tell us about the research you conduct and what impact it could have on health and disease?
Javier: My research focuses on a process called cellular reprogramming, which refers to the conversion of one cell type into another. Specifically, I’ve set up a method where I collect urine samples from patients, isolate cells that are shed from the kidney and then convert them into stem cells. Once stem cells are made, I use them to generate specialized tissues such as neurons, liver cells or heart cells. More recently, we have been able to generate 3D tissues, called organoids, which behave as miniature versions of their anatomical counterparts. This allows us to study diseases with a more complex nature.
This research is expected to be a powerful tool in the field of regenerative medicine. Given the samples come directly from patients, it is possible to model patient-specific diseases in cell culture and move us closer towards personalized medicine.
Jessica: The research I am conducting at the LTRI challenges the way scientists around the world commonly study brain tumours. I have been working with Glioblastoma, a very aggressive brain tumour. Most testing for new therapies is conducted in mice, but very few drugs make it to the clinic. I have chosen to address this issue by creating a human-model system, to see if patient cells might respond differently to drug testing once they are in the proper human brain microenvironment. To do this, I use human stem cells to grow 3D brain tissues called “cerebral organoids.” These “mini-brains” are a replicate of the human brain, but in a dish! We are excited to begin the next stage of testing new therapies for patients to see if we can predict better outcomes. We are very excited to see what the future holds for these little organoids.
Q. What has been your biggest “aha” moment so far?
Javier: It was definitely the first time I got to meet a patient that would directly benefit from the work I was doing. Our lab collaborated with a clinician who introduced me to one of his patients, a very young boy. My purpose was to collect his samples, generate a stem cell and ultimately make heart cells, so we could study how his disease is affecting them. I got the chance to explain to him personally what I was doing. Watching his face light up in bewilderment left me speechless. It’s rare for a young scientist to see his work immediately jump from bench to clinic, and I was lucky to have been given that opportunity.
Jessica: I would say I have had different kinds of ‘aha’ moments that really impacted me as a scientist. The first is when we discovered using a human model system can really capture aspects of disease that animal models were unable to. There is something unique about the human microenvironment, and I think this has inspired me to dig deeper into the question of what makes us human, from a biological point of view.
The other ‘aha’ moment is regarding personal growth that my supervisor taught me. As a junior scientist, I am learning so much about what it means to trust in yourself and let go of the idea of “perfection.” I feel we have been raised our whole lives to strive for some idea of perfection, whether it be in our work or how we are perceived by others, but the truth is there is no room for perfection in science! In fact, if you end up with an “imperfect” result and decide to throw this away, you could throw away a cool and important new discovery. Rather, I have learned to focus on being curious, and that when something doesn’t come out as expected, work hard to understand why it turned out that way. This goes for experiments in the lab and in my personal life.
Q. What made you want to be a scientist?
Javier: This may sound silly, but it started when I was a kid and saw the movie Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman. At first, I wanted to study veterinary medicine, specifically virology and epidemics. I joined a lab in the Vet College in Guelph to do research on vaccines in the poultry industry, and fell in love with research. That’s when I then decided to get my PhD, so I made my way to UofT where stem cell biology hauled me into this new and exciting field.
Jessica: Science has always been my passion. I was a very curious and imaginative kid. I used to do a lot of art, and design contraptions in my notebooks when I was 10 and try to build them. Then my school bought giant telescopes for us to see Saturn, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! I remember thinking that science was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. From that point on, I have followed my passions and what makes me most excited. I have fallen in love with understanding the brain and cell biology.
Q. What makes the LTRI so special?
Javier: The people, hands down. There are some real rock stars leading their labs at the LTRI and its quite surreal to be able to work side by side with them. Having experts in every field at just arm’s reach is such a great resource and elevates our science to a whole new level.
Jessica: I enjoy working at the LTRI immensely. There are few places in the world where so much expertise and game-changing discoveries have taken place. The sense of community here is also amazing. Everyone is very encouraging of collaborations and sharing of ideas, I think that’s what sets us apart from other institutions around the world where inter-institute competition can be damaging to progress. Here, we aim to advance the scientific community, but we do it together. I don’t think there is anywhere I would rather work in the world than the LTRI.
Q. What is on bucket list as a researcher?
Javier: First and foremost, I would very much like to graduate. But if we’re dreaming bigger, I’ve always wanted to name something. Whether it’s a gene, a cellular process, an equation or even a virus, it would be nice to baptize it myself.
Jessica: I want to really make a discovery that will be of value to people’s lives. I want to contribute in a large way to how humanity understands the natural world. I will be most fulfilled if my work can provide inspiration to future aspiring scientists. I think this is what makes science so exciting, even a little new piece of knowledge can lead to something bigger than we can imagine.
