Research Assistant

Discover how Co-op students in BC transformed wildfire challenges into opportunities for change. From DIY air cleaners to community connections, their story will inspire you.

I’ve spent the last eight months working an SFU research group on fulfilling projects focused on identifying barriers and opportunities to vehicle electrification in BC. What is research work like, and should you consider pursuing a research position?

Do you feel out of place at your workplace? Perhaps even like you don't belong? You’re not the first nor the last to feel this way. It is completely normal; you just landed a job working alongside people with more experience than you. Keep reading to find out how Alan overcame these insecurities.

In this Q&A, undergraduate student Kayli Jamieson talks about her experience as an Honours Communications student and her current role as a research assistant focusing on disinformation. 

Being able to keep an optimistic outlook was the key skill Sandy discovered that would help her weather the changes the pandemic brought earlier this year. As a research assistant promoting physical activity and social connectedness among seniors in BC, she had to figure out how to switch tracks quickly and easily without loosing sight of her team's objectives. Read on to learn how she found the silver linings to her new remote working situation.

Cory Henderson has been interested in politics since she was a young girl. She was a Grade 10 student in the French immersion program when a representative from Simon Fraser University’s French Cohort Program (FCP) visited her school in Penticton, B.C. 

After listening to the presentation, Cory was so sure that SFU was the place for her that she didn’t apply to any other universities. Cory graduated from the FCP, a bilingual program in public and international affairs, in Summer 2019 with a major in Political Science (Honours), and an extended minor in French. Many factors played a role in getting her to that point, but the biggest one was having a sense of community at SFU. Her university journey was challenging, but she was not without support. 

Of the many career paths to try, research is an opportunity to apply lessons learned in the classroom to the real world. Matthew Malinab shares how a co-op with FAISAL opened his eyes to new career possibilities. 

Yasmin Khalili had her career mapped out way before she came to SFU, but the experience of coming to university and enrolling in the co-op program demonstrated that there are hundreds of paths and opportunities one can follow. Read Yasmin's story to learn about her co-op journey with ChANGEpain Clinic.

Health Sciences student, Philipp Michaluk discusses the value of searching for co-op positions close to home from his experience as a research assistant at SFU's Epigenetics Laboratory. 

Are you a Health Sciences student, fascinated by Reproductive Medicine and Clinical Research? So is Miranda! In this article, Miranda shares her experiences working for a Fertility Centre as a research assistant, and all that she learned along the way. 

Feeling stuck on the outside of the job market looking in? Need experience for a job but a job for experience? Read how one Master of Resource Management candidate made his way out of “the trap”.

The department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology (BPK) will be hosting its 8th Annual Research Day on Friday, March 31. Twelve BPK undergraduate students were asked a simple question: What do you like about research? After compiling all of their responses, I present to you six reasons why we like research!