Each month, we highlight a current student in the Translational Research Program (TRP).
Meet second year student, Mikhail Lobo.
“Translational Research” can mean different things to different people – what does it mean to you?
For me, it’s empathizing with the people you want to help to create solutions that are not only effective, but also favourable to that community. It’s about immersing yourself in the current state of the topic you want to explore and finding pain points that may be indicative of unmet needs and problems.
Unmet needs are definitely key in this process – akin to market pull – something so essential that all factors point to it being the solution. It’s tough in the real world, a lot of the problems we face are systematic and nuanced – it’s not just a single pain point but to move forward you must navigate an interconnected knot of problems looking for the right string to pull to unravel it.
What inspired you to join the TRP?
In 4th year I took an undergraduate course called “Health in the Community” with Professor Franco Taverna. Dr. Taverna teaches human-centered design thinking to science students. The class equipped us with those tools and put us in a community context (whether that be an organization that works with food, security, ageing disability, etc.). From there, we did a lot of the things we do in translational research: immersing ourselves in the context, empathizing and talking to stakeholders and participants and finding unmet needs. TRP Program Director, Dr. Joseph Ferenbok and some TRP students attended our class presentations which was my first introduction to the program. That exposure made me very interested in continuing this lane of problem-solving and generating unique solutions.
What has been a highlight for you in the program so far?
The highlight of the program for me is how much I am encouraged to work and collaborate with others.
I love how welcoming everyone in the program is to feedback and to giving you constructive feedback to improve your project. It’s forced me to become a lot clearer in how I articulate my ideas. One thing Joseph always says is, “if you want to go fast go alone if you want to go far go together”.
What opportunities have you found most valuable in the program so far?
Opportunities to explore unique aspects of healthcare and health innovation.
Getting more involved in extracurriculars related to startups and healthcare was something I never saw myself doing, but over the summer I worked with Joseph and other collaborators in a project called the African Impact Challenge, specifically the health entrepreneur stream. I was given the opportunity to facilitate discussions regarding the translational process and how that can be applied to unique problems faced by early-stage businesses. I am not a business expert, and it really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I learned a lot, and I had a lot of fun.
How has your journey in the TRP so far influenced your approach to healthcare challenges and patient care?
I feel like a lot of the time the healthcare system is geared to efficiency rather than to the people within it. Often it feels like a case of “how many patients can I see quickly”. But through this program, I feel like I’ve learned the importance of highlighting the needs of each person, and how we can redesign our systems to be more focussed on individual human needs.
How do you see this program influencing your career trajectory in healthcare?
Prior to joining the TRP, I didn’t understand how broad healthcare was and how many stakeholders are involved in its design and delivery. It’s not just doctors, patients and nurses – there are so many other parts of healthcare from private companies, start-ups, health tech, med tech administration, governance, and more. Healthcare is a lot more holistic than I envisioned it and this program has opened many more pathways to generating a positive impact on, not just patient outcomes, but population level healthcare outcomes.
What excites you most about the future of healthcare, and how does the TRP fit into your vision?
I’m excited about the increasing involvement of technology and computer-based solutions. I think there is a whole world we have yet to explore with regards to upgrading the tools and technology we use in health management, diagnosis and preventative care.
How are you balancing taking part in the TRP with your current career stage?
As many of us in the TRP are balancing work and studies, the instructors are very understanding of competing deadlines as long as you can justify your needs, which has been really helpful in managing assignments.
In second year, it’s a lot of self-management and managing group time with everyone’s schedules has made us all very efficient in our time management. We update each other regularly rather than working long hours with long meetings so we can get the most out of our time together. Blocking time for myself to do things that are important to me like working out, eating or resting has been essential to staying on top of things.
What advice would you give to others considering this master’s program?
I think it helps to be curious coming into this program. You learn much by asking a lot of questions and that will take you far in a program like this.
