Students

After graduating from college in Nepal and researching schools in Vancouver, Samata Bajracharya discovered that Langara’s data analytics program was best structured to help her achieve her goals.

She started her work with the Applied Research Centre during her second term and despite having previous work experience, ARC has been a brand-new opportunity for her. The new soft and technical skills Bajracharya has since developed are particularly rewarding for her because they enable her to prepare for the real world and contribute to her schoolwork.

Bajracharya explains, "In the real world, data is rarely perfect. This realization has been pivotal for me to enrich my work experience and enhance my academic projects. It has sharpened my critical thinking skills, teaching me to navigate and interpret imperfect data effectively."

Through her ARC experience, Bajracharya gained invaluable skills and confidence to move forward with pursuing a future in data analysis work.

Andres Viloria Garcia, graduated from Langara with a diploma in data analytics in 2023. This, along with a previously earned bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, made him a leading candidate when ARC sought to add to their team of research assistants.

At ARC, Garcia works with Python, a programming language widely used in the data field that he has successfully made use of in a scientific laboratory setting. Garcia says, “There was a requirement to automate data transformation and visualization for the information obtained from the global case management system for Langara’s hops and cannabis projects. I utilized Python to accomplish these automations.”

Garcia has also worked for the Applied Research Technology Partnership (ARTP), a fund for data analytics research. Garcia explains, “During my time at ARTP, I had the opportunity to apply my data analytics skills to three different projects in Canada. These projects aimed to develop systems that assist healthcare companies with their data analysis requirements, especially in clinical decision support. Additionally, I was also involved in performing a data migration process for a psychological services clinic."

Anmol Singh began her time at Langara studying biology before transferring into bioinformatics. She started working for the Applied Research Centre (ARC) when her biology instructor, Dr. Ido Hatam, asked if she would be interested in helping with his research.

Singh says, “I was the researcher. I was in charge of researching which algorithms we would use, what the best way to go about things was, and created standard operating procedures.” She adds that her time with ARC was a rewarding experience, because it was an opportunity for her to begin working on a project that was pioneering at that time, and there were daily updates on how the project was evolving.

After graduating, Singh wants to pursue a career in the healthcare system, and specifically on bridging the gap between the current healthcare system and the Southeast Asian community – helping overcome language, cultural, and other barriers.

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Anja Duminy enrolled at Langara to broaden her worldview by pursuing a non-scientific credential. Having previously obtained a bachelor of science in human life sciences with a major in physiology and a minor in genetics, Duminy also worked on a research project on Cape honey bee spermatology.

Duminy works under the leadership of Dr. Ji Yong Yang, making steady progress in propagation methods of feral hops, focusing on tissue culturing, and investigating methods of eliminating viruses, viroids and fungal pathogens from hop plants. Through this project, Duminy has learned various horticulture, botany, and molecular biology skills.

Duminy has found that her science background and associate of arts degree complement each other and her work at the ARC. Having a non-scientific degree offers a new way of thinking when approaching research. Duminy hopes to continue to work alongside Dr. Yang after graduation to see the outcome of the research and help others access the amazing training opportunities offered at the ARC.

During his second year at Langara, Mike Wu was encouraged by a classmate to apply for a student researcher position with the Applied Research Centre (ARC). As of December 2022, he is working with Dr. Ido Hatam on building a pangenome for the crop plants Cannabis sativa (cannabis) and Humulus lupulus (hops).

Wu is grateful for being able to apply his current studies in bioinformatics to real-world cases. He has gained valuable hands-on experience analyzing genome sequences using high performance cluster computers.

Wu encourages other students who are interested in gaining similar experiences to reach out and inquire with the department about research projects and where they need help.

When Gokce Alp began her studies in bioinformatics at Langara, she was quick with her discovery of the Applied Research Centre (ARC).

Having previous experience working in a wet lab, she spoke with instructor Dr. Jessica Kalra and has since been working with Dr. Kalra on designing and developing lipid based nanocarriers for drug delivery systems.

Alp says she loves working with ARC and has a passion for research and lab work. “That’s why I wanted to continue doing research while studying – I didn’t want a break from research," she explains. Alp has plans to combine knowledge from her doctorate in chemical engineering and her diploma in bioinformatics to continue working in research facilities using data analytics.

She says that if younger students are curious about lab work, they should reach out to the instructors and ask for opportunities, adding that ARC is a great chance for students to build up their CVs and themselves.

Prior to attending Langara College, Lydia Chau spent three years working in Hong Kong in the banking industry. She felt she was more interested in studying data analytics and enrolled at Langara to study the emerging field. Soon, she was selected to work as a student researcher on a project entitled “Immigration, Education & Employment Pathways of Urban and Rural International Students in BC: What is Going On?”

Chau's work with ARC involves collecting data to consolidate with other data tables into documents. From using previous data findings, Chau joined the research team creating documents regarding international students and what their education, career, and immigration paths are.

Chau’s main focus is also on formulating a visualization of the research results from the data she collected – a format of “data visualization." With Chau’s assistance in the research, the project is paving a pathway to fully understanding academic and migration processes. This development can help the public, government, the College, or other organizations be able to assist international students with their current needs.

During his second year studying at Langara, instructor Dr. Stephanie Cheung, introduced Max Besarab to her colleague, Dr. Ji Yong Yang. Ever since, Besarab has been working with Dr. Yang on feral hops research. Besarab’s role in the project is to analyze the chemical properties of the feral hops, such as terpenes and the bittering acids, which determine the flavour and aroma of beer.

Besarab and the hops research team are also developing new techniques to investigate the most efficient and accurate methods for extracting terpene oils from hop cones. He is investigating two methods of extracting terpene oils: solvent extraction and steam distillation. The goal of this study is to discover which method is more efficient and effective in extracting terpene oils from hop plants.

He is planning to attend medical school and has found that working with ARC has helped him to develop lab skills and the work ethic that would enhance his application. “I want to contribute to the research, to the team's work, and contribute to ARC's success in any way I can,” says Besarab.

While taking general sciences at Langara, Gareth Tang transferred into bioinformatics after attending his first dry lab (a lab that requires computer data work) in General Biology 1. Tang says he got to see DNA in from a new perspective while conducting a “blast search.”

ARC struck Tang’s interest when he first attended Applied Research Day in 2019. Tang says, “I got to see all these different faculties that had their individual booths, and I was quite amazed at what they had to present. Rather than simply being from science, you could see people that were from business, people from the arts. There was even a 3D printer there.”

Tang began working with Dr. Prashant Kumar when the latter needed students for his work on novel antimicrobial compounds of cannabis. The research tested samples of cannabis against bacterial species to find out the lowest concentration needed to prevent bacteria from growing. Tang says if the research has promise and can show concrete results, there could be development of an antimicrobial product.

He adds that working with ARC has helped him decide to further his career in data science.

Second-year biology student, Parleen Mand, is studying at Langara to pursue a career in physiotherapy. Through the Student Work Assistance Program (SWAP), Mand heard about the Applied Research Centre (ARC) and wanted to gain experience working inside a research lab.

Through her work with ARC, Mand has enhanced her academic opportunities and hands-on skills, and is now considering a career in analytical chemistry. Alongside studying organic chemistry, Mand’s work with ARC has offered her a first-hand understanding of how lab-based instruments and the scientific method create the link between biology and chemistry.

Mand sees ARC providing fantastic opportunities for Langara’s community partners to collaborate with the College and to engage students in meaningful work. With her research experience in cannabis, Mand sees the potential for crossing over to work in the pharmaceutical industry. Mand’s current project offers customers a chance to find cannabis products that match their needs, providing knowledge of their potency. Mand says, “There is a need to understand the effects of any substance before actually putting it into your body.”

From one of her biology instructors, Yukiko Inokuchi learned about the ARC and its search for high-performing students to apply for opportunities to work in the College’s research labs. Inokuchi was hired to work with Dr. Ji Yong Yang on a project looking at the commercialization potential of feral hops from British Columbia. Specifically, she is working on identifying if the hundreds of BC feral hops are genetically unique and different to the known commercial varieties. She is using a DNA fingerprinting methodology involving SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) to determine the genetic identities of these feral hops.

Though Inokuchi did not initially have plans to become a researcher, she enjoys working with ARC because it is an opportunity for her to apply what she has previously studied in both chemistry and multi-biology by using a hands-on scientific approach.

Inokuchi says, “You can learn a lot of things beyond [the] textbook,” and plans to apply what she has learned from her research through ARC to other companies that she may work for in the future.