This summer, our Work Learn student Jocelyn Chan celebrated five years with ICORD in her role as Knowledge Translation and Social Media Coordinator. Recently, she was featured in an article by the UBC Career Centre, where she shared her experiences balancing her studies and her work at ICORD.
Jocelyn began her journey with ICORD in 2019 while completing her undergraduate degree in Integrated Sciences at UBC, combining pharmacology and physiology. She continued in this role during her MSc in Experimental Medicine while conducting microbiome research in the Vallance Lab at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHRI), and now as a UBC medical student in the Class of 2028.
Reflecting on when she first joined ICORD, Jocelyn said, “I was initially drawn to this position because it was a unique opportunity to work on my ability to convey scientific findings to the broader community, also known as knowledge translation. I really think being able to communicate ideas simply and effectively to the people the research directly impacts is an invaluable skill for any science-related field—whether in academic research, industry, or healthcare.”
Jocelyn manages our icord.org website, creates content for ICORD’s social media platforms, and contributes to the quarterly community newsletter, the ICORDian. On her growth in this role, she shared: “Communication skills are something we continually work on. But I do believe my ability to explain scientific and medical concepts to a general audience has improved tremendously since joining ICORD.”
“The ability to explain niche subject matter has come in handy for presentations, whether that’s for school or at scientific conferences, and now it’s also very helpful when interacting with patients during clinic visits,” said Jocelyn.
Read more about Jocelyn’s contributions to ICORD and her experience in UBC’s Work Learn program by clicking here.
