不良研究所

• Above: Nicole Burma, recipient of the Governor General's Gold Medal, recently defended her PhD in neuroscience and started medical school at the University of 不良研究所's Cumming School of Medicine.

Imagine you are 80 years old. What do you want to be remembered for? 

This was a key question that helped guide Nicole Burma, PhD, toward the educational and career path she is on today. 

Burma is the recipient of this year鈥檚 Governor General鈥檚 Gold Medal at the doctorate level at the University of 不良研究所, an award recognizing the graduate student who achieves the highest academic standing. Encouraging outstanding scholarship across the nation, the Governor General鈥檚 Gold Medal has become one of the most prestigious awards available to post-secondary students in Canada, and will be awarded to Burma at U不良研究所鈥檚 fall convocation ceremony. 

Interest in science began early 

A lifelong passion for science has been a constant in Burma鈥檚 life, even though she says there have been times when she faced indecision about her educational path and her future career. 

鈥淭hat question, 鈥榃hat should I do with my life?鈥� hasn鈥檛 always been easy for me to answer,鈥� says Burma. 

This year, Burma defended her PhD in neuroscience and started medical school at U不良研究所鈥檚  (CSM) in July as part of the Leaders in Medicine program. 

From a very young age, her attraction to science was inspired by and shared with her dad, an engineer who loves science. 鈥淲e bonded over science. My dad always encouraged me to go for it, in all areas.鈥� 

The path from undergrad to PhD 

As part of her undergraduate program in biological sciences at the University of Victoria, Burma entered a co-op program that sparked her interest in neuroscience. An opportunity to study neuroscience at the master鈥檚 level at U不良研究所 brought her to Trang鈥檚 lab, where she and Trang, PhD, and his research team focused on opioid withdrawal. Burma鈥檚 master鈥檚 project soon evolved into a PhD because of her passion for research, allowing the scope of her project to grow beyond the realm of a master鈥檚 thesis.  

鈥淲orking with Dr. Trang was a fantastic opportunity,鈥� she says. 鈥淒r. Trang recognized my potential from early on. He encouraged me to be involved in multiple projects and present my research on many occasions, and helped foster my success in graduate school.鈥� 

Ground-breaking discovery 

In 2017, Trang 鈥� a chronic pain researcher with the  鈥� Burma and the  discovered that an existing anti-gout medication is effective in reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent rodents. This research launched the development of a clinical trial at the 不良研究所 Pain Clinic. 

鈥淚 love the study of neuroscience 鈥� researching the brain. I find it fascinating because there are so many unanswered questions; you can go in many different directions of inquiry and analysis, and there is always more to explore.鈥� 

Keeping life balanced 

Beyond her enthusiasm for neuroscience, what does Burma say is the secret to her success? On balancing school, stress and life, her best tips are these: 

• 鈥淏e as prepared as possible. I know it sounds obvious, but it makes such a difference. And you can apply this to any situation, whether it鈥檚 a quick meeting or an interview for medical school. Being prepared helps the stress dissipate quickly." 

• 鈥淎lso, make time for yourself 鈥� your down time/fun time.鈥� 

Burma admits it can be challenging to squeeze in 鈥渟elf鈥� time, but identifying the things that keep her grounded and investing time in those activities has helped her achieve goals and simultaneously keep her life balanced. When she鈥檚 not publishing articles or spending hours in the lab, she enjoys cross-country skiing, playing volleyball and dabbling in creative work like throwing pottery and computer graphic design work. 

Her newest endeavour 鈥� studying medicine at U不良研究所鈥檚 CSM 鈥� is a path she is still adjusting to. But she is thrilled to have been accepted into the program at the CSM, her number-one choice for medical school. 

鈥淭he program at the CSM attracts a community of like-minded individuals; everyone supports each other. And I am so pleased to stay at U不良研究所 for medical school, as this allows me to maintain activity in research projects still ongoing from my PhD, and stay connected with Dr. Trang and my lab colleagues,鈥� she says.

A bright future ahead 

As the recipient of the Governor General鈥檚 Gold Medal, Burma beams and says it鈥檚 quite an honour. 鈥淭o have my research acknowledged at this prestigious level by the university is absolutely astounding, and while it presents some pressure to live up to greatness associated with this award, it also pushes me in the right direction and gives me confidence that I am on the path that I am meant to be on.鈥� 

When asked where she ultimately sees herself, she says the answer to that key question 鈥� Imagine you  are 80 years old. What do you want to be remembered for? 鈥� helps her stay focused. 

鈥淚n an ideal world I hope to cure a disease, or markedly improve outcomes for patients with persistent conditions. However, I also recognize that factors such as diligence and empathy can go a long way for patients, too. My goal is to ultimately make a difference in people鈥檚 lives, no matter how large or small.鈥�

Tuan Trang is associate professor, Physiology and Pharmacology,  and Cumming School of Medicine, and a member of the  and the .

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) at the University of 不良研究所 consists of more than 150 scientists and clinician-scientists who are dedicated to advancing brain and mental health research and education. The institute鈥檚 research strengths, in Brain and Behaviour, Neural Injury and Repair, and Healthy Brain Aging, are leading to a better understanding of the brain and nervous system and new treatments for neurological and mental health disorders, aimed at improving quality of life and patient care. 

 is one of six research strategies guiding the University of 不良研究所 toward its Eyes High goals. Led by the HBI, the strategy provides a unifying direction for brain and mental health research at the university and positions researchers to unlock new discoveries and treatments for brain health in our community.