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The Amgen Scholars also had the chance to present their research at UCLA. Photo: Supplied.

When undergraduate student Laetitia Satam was learning about the developmental origins of health and disease, the instructor acknowledged the paternal influence on prenatal health was largely unknown. It was a novel area of research that Laetitia was immediately keen to explore.

This passion for studying the developmental origins of health and disease was further cemented when she earned a spot at the highly competitive Amgen Scholars Program at the University of Toronto this past summer — the only student selected from Western Canada. It was a unique opportunity to become part of a community of young scientists conducting research and learning about lab-based scientific discovery.

I honestly couldn’t get enough of my project — and I’m continuing this research at the U of A,” says Laetitia. “Perfecting the methods, taking the time to read all the literature and feeling confident in my analyses really showed me what it’s like to be a scientist.”

Meet Laetitia Satam.

Tell us about your research activities this summer.

The is an international program funded by the Amgen Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by Harvard University. I was 1 of 11 scholars selected from across Canada, and the only student from Western Canada, selected to conduct 10 weeks of cutting edge research at the University of Toronto. I worked in ’s lab and for my project, I looked at how what a father eats during the prenatal period affects their child’s future cardiometabolic disease risk. Towards the end of the program, I had the privilege of attending the North American Symposium in Los Angeles at UCLA where I got to connect with scholars from across North America and learn about their projects!

Beyond being a typical research program, Amgen fostered a sense of community. Each week, the group and I would go on an activity, including trips to Niagara Falls, Canada’s Wonderland and canoeing to the Toronto Islands. Living in residence with other scholars fostered a sense of community, and connecting with alumni made me feel part of a larger network. I am beyond thankful for the lifelong friendships I’ve made through the program.

What’s your favourite part? Did anything surprise you?

Picking a favourite part is hard! Travelling to Los Angeles to present at the national symposium at UCLA was an amazing experience, especially since I connected with scholars from across North America. It was mind-blowing to hear about the breadth of projects, everything from microbiology to AI in healthcare! It made me excited to be part of science and learn about others’ passions. Of course, visiting Santa Monica Pier and visiting In N’ Out definitely helped sweeten the deal!

I think what surprised me is what goes behind conducting novel research, especially in a new field. I honestly couldn’t get enough of my project — I loved working on it and I’m continuing this research at the U of A, but perfecting the methods, taking the time to read all the literature and feeling confident in my analyses really showed me what it’s like to be a scientist. I am immensely thankful for the support I received in the Miliku lab, because it was a safe space to learn new things, take the lead on my project and also to make mistakes!

Was there a particular moment or influence that sparked your interest in this work? Is it related to your passions and/or will it support your career goals?

I remember sitting in class the semester before the summer learning about developmental origins of health and disease, where the conditions we experience during the periconception period can affect our future chronic disease risk. My professor ended the section noting that the paternal origins of health and disease was a novel field, and I was immediately drawn to learning more about it. Little did I know at the time it would be a summer project that I am continuing into the year!

Conducting novel research absolutely drew me to the field. The Amgen program was also unique because we had professional development sessions each week, where I got to learn from researchers in academic, private industries and more. Seeing all the different places research can take me showed me all the options out there, and many were careers I barely knew existed before! As someone going into their last year of their degree, eventually you start thinking of the dreaded “What’s Next?” question, but the Amgen Scholars Program helped make that question a lot less dreadful.

Being part of the Amgen program, all of our projects worked towards UN SDG Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. With my project specifically, it is so important to study how the father’s health prior to having a child can affect their child’s health in the future. By studying this, it can help inform policies to provide fathers with prenatal dietary guidance, so everyone in the family dynamic has healthier outcomes!

What skills or experiences have been most valuable to you in this work?

Prior to this summer anything with the words ‘stats’ intimidated me. So, when I spent the summer learning how to use tools like R and SPSS, it not only challenged me to build upon the skills I had learned at the U of A, but helped build my self-efficacy. I also learned how to scrutinize scientific literature and think critically about what I’m reading. Even if something is published in a high impact journal, I’ve learned how to delve deeper and form my own opinions. Having this confidence as a researcher is something I look forward to building on. Even being able to lead my own scientific inquiry, and having the confidence to learn the skills I need to be successful has been eye opening.

What advice would you give to someone considering working in this field and/or taking up summer research?

Don’t let imposter syndrome get the best of you and apply for everything! Even when I got accepted to the program, for the first few days it didn’t feel real. As I adjusted to living in Toronto, I learnt to lean into my expertise and have confidence in my skills. The real pro of undergraduate research is having mentors who understand what it’s like doing new experiments or methods for the first time, and summer research is a great time to hone into new skills.

I’d also remind folks to keep an open mind about what their fields ‘looks’ like. Biotechnology seemed like something outside of my scope, but I quickly saw the role of nutrition in developing novel methods and contributing to the field!