Learn More About the MedGen Program Director, Dr. Erin Styles!
Medical Genomics
Dr. Erin Styles during her time as a Ph.D student in Dr. Brenda Andrews’ lab at the University of Toronto.
By
Vanessa Rokoszak
Dr. Erin Styles is the director of the M.H.Sc in Medical Genomics Program, and has been instrumental in designing and implementing the program. Dr. Styles shares her background and experiences in building and shaping the MedGen program.
Erin completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph, with B.Sc in honours biology and a minor in English literature. In her third year, Erin’s mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer likely resulting from benzene exposure. Her oncologist explained that a TP53 somatic mutation caused the cancer. The desire to understand this diagnosis inspired Dr. Styles to take genetics courses, and she ended up falling in love with the field. In her words, “I felt like all the doors were opening for me, an introductory Mendelian genetics course blew my mind”. She chose to take an extra semester of undergrad to complete a fourth-year thesis, where she worked with Dr. Annette Nassuth on testing the cold tolerance of transgenic grape plants. This thesis work paved the way to pursuing graduate studies at the University of Toronto.
Erin’s time as a graduate student at UofT had a rocky start. In the third rotation of the Molecular Genetics Department rotation system, Erin knew she wanted to pursue research in Dr. Brenda Andrews’ lab. However, one week into her rotation, she got sick with H1N1, and missed most of her time in the Andrews lab. Dr. Andrews took a chance on her despite the absence, and under the co-supervision of Dr. Andrews and Dr. Charlie Boone, Erin spent the next five and a half years studying systems biology, researching genotype-phenotype relationships in yeast. Erin expresses, “I felt like this is where I belonged”. In particular, Erin’s research focused on DNA damage foci, learning which DNA damage proteins ‘race’ to repair damaged DNA. She explains that her time in the Andrews and Boone labs taught her what being a scientist is, and working with Brenda and Charlie showed her how to be innovative and a leader.
After completing her Ph.D, Erin was trying to find a place in academia. She explains that the parts she enjoyed the most during her graduate studies involved talking to other people, and teaching incoming students how to participate in research. Erin completed a short postdoctoral fellowship before she learned about the Teaching Stream at UofT. Dr. Leah Cowen – then Chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics – hired her as the inaugural director of the new M.H.Sc program in Medical Genomics, and Dr. Styles’ teaching career began.
When Dr. Styles began her role as a professor, the skeleton of the MedGen program existed. The Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Molecular Genetics had identified the gap between what undergraduate science programming and medical studies can teach, and what is happening in research. Clinical knowledge is progressing so quickly, doctors coming out of medical school might not have had the chance to learn when to appropriately refer patients to genetics. The MedGen program was developed to bridge the gap between clinical care and research, where students would be able to understand clinical applications, human genetics and genomics, and bioinformatics in order to communicate with clinicians, researchers, bioinformaticians, genetic counsellors, and other professionals in the field. This gap is likely to widen as whole genome testing becomes a first-tier diagnostic test, as there will be a need for people who can conceptualize and work with large quantities of genomic data. Dr. Styles, together with the program’s other two core teaching faculty members, Drs. Johanna Carroll and Martina Steiner, spent a full year building and testing a new curriculum to ensure MedGen students are able to learn these concepts, and lobbied for a full capstone practicum for students to gain real-world experience in a relevant field. The MedGen faculty has continued to connect with stakeholders and genomics professionals across Toronto to understand the evolving needs of the healthcare system and the field of medical genomics. Erin is confident the large network of supporters and guest lecturers will help the program keep up to date on developments in genomic fields.
When asked about her favourite memories from the program, Erin explained that the moments that stay with her the most are whenever students come into office hours. In her words, “I love the opportunity to have students come in and tell me what they’re worried or excited about – every time that happens, I get excited, and it keeps me energetic about teaching”.
Many students have expressed their gratitude to Dr. Erin Styles, reflecting on her mentorship and passion for genomics. We are lucky to have you, Erin!
