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October
2004
 Job
Title and General Description
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Job Description
Academic research and teaching
Research - Development of novel technologies and methods
for genomics and analysis of biological macromolecules
such as DNA and proteins.
- Development of single molecule analysis techniques
using nanopores and nanosensors.
- Instrument development for genomics.
- Research in non-linear electrophoresis.
Teaching
Instrument development for Engineering Physics (Phys253)
see http://www.engphys.ubc.ca/phys253/
What specific skills and qualities are
needed to do your job?
Patience, a sense of humor, and passion for science. Also
useful is broad base of knowledge and expertise in engineering,
biophysics, and molecular biology. My background is primarily
in electrical engineering and physics, so my depth of expertise
is in that core area, but my applications of this expertise
is entirely in the life sciences, so some understanding and
passion for molecular biology and genomics is essential.
What do you like most about your work?
I love working on science and technology problems that have
never been solved, and coming up with crazy and occasionally
useful ideas to solve these problems. I also love teaching
and interacting with the excellent students that we attract
to UBC.
What don’t you like about your job?
Not much. Even when things in the lab don't work, you know
there is always a success around the corner on one project
or another. One advantage of academic work is that if one
project fails, we always have the freedom to switch tracks
and pursue more interesting and successful avenues.
Where do you see your career going from
here?
I expect to continue the type of work I do now - the projects
will certainly evolve and change, but I intend to continue
to operate at the interface of biology and the physical sciences.
What is the range in salary that comes
with your job?
I don't know what starting salaries are like now. I would
guess starting is around $70-80,000 and the high end (here
in Canada) is ~ $150,000
When did you know you wanted to work in
sciences?
From very early on - I've been playing with electronics since
1st grade, and have had a passion for science and electromechanical
projects throughout grade school and high school. I discovered
molecular biology after my physics Ph.D., and decided very
quickly that this was the most exciting area of science I
could possibly apply my skills to.
What is your educational background? Degrees?
Specific courses?
B.A.Sc. UBC, Engineering Physics (Electrical engineering option)
Ph.D. Stanford, Physics (specializing in particle accelerator
design and free electron laser physics)
Post doc / staff engineer Stanford, DNA Sequencing and Technology
Center (this 4 year work experience was my introduction to
genomics and my first experience in instrument development
for the life sciences).
What was your favorite course(s) and why?
The Engineering Physics project courses APSC459, APSC 479
at UBC were by far my favorite courses, as they allowed us
to work on real research within the framework of an undergraduate
course. My APSC 479 course even led to an issued US Patent
which was pretty exciting for an undergrad.
What other hobbies and interests do you
have?
- Cars
- hiking/camping
- rock climbing
- canoeing
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- model airplanes / rockets
- folk/rock guitar
- electronics
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Do you have any advice for young people thinking about getting into your line of work?
Yes - get to know researchers and profs in your community and see if
you can visit a lab (maybe as a school field trip?) and see what we
really do. Also, keep an open mind about science and what is exciting -
science in general is poorly portrayed in high school and may not seem
very exciting, but real science is an absolute adrenalin rush. I was
turned off by biology in high school, only to find, ten years later,
how exciting it really was.
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