PharmSci student drawn to open science to advance new treatments

Hands-on research and volunteering during her undergraduate degree fueled Meaghan Thompson’s passion for open science and her decision to pursue graduate studies.

Meaghan Thompson, a new master’s student in pharmaceutical sciences, recently began graduate studies with Rachel Harding, assistant professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and principal investigator at the Structural Genomics Consortium. And though her primary interest is in genetics research, she says that she is looking forward to studying in a faculty that encompasses a wide range of pharmaceutical research.

“I really enjoy how this Faculty doesn't focus on just one specific type of research. There are researchers and students doing so many different things, from radiotherapeutics to clinical research. There are so many different types of labs, which I find really interesting,” says Thompson. “Most of my past research has been very focused on cells and histology, and I'm excited to be exposed to different areas of research and gain more hands-on experience with structural and molecular biology techniques.”

Thompson has been interested in pursuing graduate studies and scientific research from almost the beginning of her undergraduate degree in applied genetics and biotechnology at the University of Toronto. As a student, she volunteered in an administrative role at The Hospital for Sick Children, which solidified her interest in doing research that would make a difference for people with medical conditions.

“While I was volunteering, I could see how much patients relied on their treatments and the delivery of these treatments to manage their conditions, and I became interested in pursuing graduate studies in pharmaceutical sciences where I could be involved in improving treatments,” she says.

During her fourth year of the undergraduate program, Thompson had the opportunity to work on a research project with Jeffrey Henderson, associate professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy – her first exposure to research at the Faculty. Henderson’s team studies mechanisms of programmed cell death and delivery of small molecules to target these processes. Thompson’s research project examined the role of an enzyme in programmed cell death, an experience that strengthened her desire to do a graduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences.

Thompson’s interests in genetic disease and open science brought her to Rachel Harding’s lab

Thompson took a number of courses in genetics during her undergraduate degree, and she was fascinated by how one genetic change can result in significant and devastating effects, as in Huntington’s disease.

She learned about Rachel Harding’s research examining the structure and function of the huntingtin protein, which is mutated in people with Huntington’s disease, to better understand the mechanisms of the disease and potentially identify therapeutic targets.

Thompson became interested not only in Harding’s research, but also her commitment to open science as a way to advance discoveries and move them to patients more quickly.

“It’s important to share Huntington's disease information between research teams since it is a very understudied, and the open science approach allows for collaboration worldwide and helps science advance quicker.”

“Her lab is very committed to open science and collaboration as part of the Structural Genetics Consortium, and I admire this as a way to share resources wisely and engage with other researchers and the patient community,” says Thompson. “It’s important to share Huntington's disease information between research teams since it is a very understudied, and the open science approach allows for collaboration worldwide and helps science advance quicker.”

Thompson started in Harding’s lab at the beginning of September. Her project is focused on identifying drug discovery starting points for a protein complex found at higher levels in people with Huntington’s disease, with the goal of developing a potential new therapeutic approach.

“I’m looking forward to connecting with other students and getting involved with clubs and activities,” she says. “I'm also excited to be back at the Faculty and building on the research foundation that I started during my undergrad project to contribute to better patient outcomes.”