Bioinformatics

The co-op experience has been incredibly valuable, providing hands-on experience that went beyond classroom learning. Working in Optima Living for my co-op allowed me to collaborate with diverse teams across the company and strengthened my problem-solving skills. I feel well-prepared to apply these experiences to future roles and make a tangible impact in my career. Additionally, it opened doors to roles I might not have encountered otherwise, sparking new interests and possibilities for my future. 

As a bioinformatics student at Langara College, I secured a co-op position at STEMCELL Technologies, one of Canada’s largest biotech companies. This experience greatly boosted my confidence in my academic knowledge and technical skills while also increasing my passion for bioinformatics. I also feel more prepared to enter the job market after graduation. Co-op work experience is something you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

As a bioinformatics intern at GenXys, I am grateful to receive support from understanding managers during my co-op work terms. I gained crucial insight into current pharmacogenomics technologies and practices. Through the co-op program, I developed soft skills from collaborating with various departments at the workplace. By onboarding clients onto the GenXys' clinical decision support system, I contributed to improved patient outcomes.

My co-op experience with ProCogia has been playing a significant role in shaping my professional development in bioinformatics. Working on large-scale omic data processing applications and optimizing single-cell RNA sequencing pipelines allowed me to apply my academic knowledge in a practical setting. This placement not only deepened my technical expertise but also gave me insight into cloud-based bioinformatics solutions. The skills and experiences I gained through this co-op have significantly impacted my academic and career aspirations, and I highly recommend the program to anyone looking to bridge the gap between education and industry. 

I had the opportunity to work with two co-op students from Langara College’s Bioinformatics program, and I was thoroughly impressed by their preparedness and capability. From day one, the students came equipped with a solid understanding of the foundational skills required to approach complex scientific questions and build effective solutions. 

For their project, I presented them with a challenging bioinformatics problem focused on identifying novel biomarkers and gene loci of interest. After providing them with a brief overview of the requirements, as well as some recommended papers and resources, we divided the tasks between the two students. They collaborated efficiently, demonstrating strong teamwork and a remarkable ability to learn and adapt quickly. 

Within just two months of starting their co-op, the students successfully developed a functional solution that met the project’s needs. Their work has since been integrated into our internal processes, contributing significantly to our ability to identify new biomarkers. 

The professionalism, dedication, and technical skills displayed by Langara’s students were exemplary, and I would highly recommend future collaborations with students from this program.

GenXys Health Care Systems has had two Co-op students from Langara Bioinformatics program work with the company over the last three years. Both students have been exceptional. The skills displayed, the work ethic, the collaborative skills, and the overall contribution to the company were impressive. Their background knowledge of informatics and biotechnology have meant that they could start work within days. Within weeks they were taking on complex tasks and providing potential solutions to the team. We have no hesitation in recommending Langara Co-Op students to BC biotech companies.