My name is Farhaan M. Khan and I am an MSc Student in the Cardiovascular Physiology Lab, supervised by Dr. Victoria Claydon. I was born and raised in Vancouver, and spent a lot of my childhood either on the slopes, in the water, or camping in the back country with my outdoorsy dad. I did my BSc in biology at UBC, and minored in Kinesiology in my final year. I immediately fell in love with the field and wanted to learn more, particularly through research where I could investigate the unknown. I also always wanted to go to SFU as I’ve only heard great things, so here I am!
What you do:
My research examines the autonomic regulation of blood flow to the brain in order to understand the physiology behind fainting. Fainting is experienced by approximately 1/3 of the population and can be debilitating to those who experience recurrent episodes. My research focuses on the effects of postural sway and emotional stress on fainting, as well as the relationship between unexplained cardiac arrests and fainting in young adults. This can increase our understanding of the mechanisms behind fainting in order to improve the quality of life for those who experience fainting regularly, and to provide a possible explanation for young adults who experience cardiac arrests after a faint.
Any advice you would give to starting graduates:
Your passion for research can suck you right in, so make sure to set up safety nets for yourself so you can give time to your other passions as well, whether that is playing sports, enjoying the outdoors, or spending time with loved ones. But above all, make sure to set aside some time for yourself, every single day :-)
What hobby have you picked up during quarantine?
I started my own clothing brand!
This post was originally posted on the SFU BPK Instagram on April 14, 2021.