Cohort of 2022
Hello! My name is Sophie Albert and I was born and raised in Ottawa, ON. I graduated from Concordia University in 2021 with a BSc Honours in Cell and Molecular Biology. I completed my senior thesis in a synthetic genetics lab, where I worked on yeast humanization studies — meaning to replace the yeast’s native genes with their human orthologs as a way to model and study human diseases. This experience taught me a lot about molecular genetics, but also that I have a strong desire to be more directly involved with the “human” part of human genetics. This was especially reinforced when I gained counselling and advocacy experience while volunteering with McGill’s Sexual Assault Centre and Kid’s Help Phone’s crisis text-line.
I was very lucky to have spent the year following my graduation working as a clinical research coordinator for a pilot project offering genetic counselling and testing to women diagnosed with breast cancer in Montreal, under the supervision of Dr William Foulkes. During this year, I was allowed to shadow numerous appointments with genetic counsellors and geneticists in both clinical and research settings. I loved learning about the field itself and the wide range of roles that genetic counsellors can take on in the world of patient care. All these experiences have provided me with a solid foundation that I cannot wait to build on during my training, and I am very thankful to be a part of UBC’s genetic counselling class of 2024.
Outside of my studies, I enjoy spending time outside, hiking, camping and skiing (down-hill or cross-country!), as well as reading, knitting and spending time with my cats, Stanley and Newton.