Featured Student: Ching Zhang

What is your field of study and when will you graduate/did you graduate?

I graduated from UBC in May 2026 with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology, with a minor in Oceanography.

What made you decide to enroll in Co-op?

I actually wasn't planning on doing co-op when I started my degree. I enrolled in co-op a bit later - in the 3rd year cycle rather than 2nd year. I was doing research for 2 years at that point with a few labs at UBC, thinking that I would stay in academia. I heard positive feedback from lab mates and friends about what co-op and industry was like, so I decided on a whim to try it out.

Which positions did you work while in the Co-op program?

I worked as an In-Vitro Assay Development Scientist at Xenon Pharmaceuticals in Burnaby for eight months, then spent my last six months as a Platform Biologist with the Encoded Technologies/Affinity Selections and Biophysics Group at GSK in Boston, Massachusetts.

Can you share your favourite experience from your Co-op placement(s)?

At my first co-op with Xenon, it was cool to see how my existing skillsets were translated into high-throughput solutions, and how they played a part in a bigger pipeline. It was eye-opening to see how science and corporate co-existed with each other in a company format rather than a lab alone. I think that some people would probably find corporate style meetings boring, but I actually enjoyed the balance it provided with lab work, and they gave me the opportunity to see the work other people were doing on the same project I was working on.

At my second co-op with GSK, I enjoyed how cross-functional and collaborative the environment was. I got to learn a lot of new techniques from other teams and coworkers because we all collaborated on projects. I also appreciated that with working for a bigger biotech, I got to spend my time learning and working on a variety of projects and targets as opposed to a deep dive on just one.

I got to learn a lot of new techniques from other teams and coworkers because we all collaborated on projects. I also appreciated that with working for a bigger biotech, I got to spend my time learning and working on a variety of projects and targets as opposed to a deep dive on just one.

What was your best achievement in Co-op?

At both my co-op placements, I worked on projects that directly contributed to company portfolio targets. I think my best achievement was being able to summarize my impacts, work and contributions, and present these to my teams, including upper-level management. It was definitely a little anxiety-inducing, and it was the first time I had to present (and answer questions) to a group that large - about 50+ people each time. I think it's easy to have tunnel vision and imposter syndrome when you work on something for a long time, but receiving a lot of positive feedback after both presentations helped me realize that the work I did was important and would be carried forwards in the future.

What about the best day you had in your Co-op city (either in Vancouver or beyond)?

At GSK, I had the opportunity to get involved with community outreach projects. One of these was called "Science in Schools", an initiative to make science more accessible to high school students. I got to spend the day with my coworkers at a college prep academy in Dorchester, MA, where we set up interactive activities for the students and introduced them to lab basics, such as micro pipetting, DNA work, and lab PPE. It was very rewarding to see the students engage and have fun with the experiments we had set up.

What was the most challenging prior or during your Co-op, and how did you overcome it?

Prior to co-op, I had little to no experience working in a corporate environment. As much as the transition from academia to industry was rewarding, it was also a little difficult. I had to relearn some of the skills I thought I was already proficient in, because industry standards are a little different when it comes to regulation and documentation. Being curious, asking questions and overall being open to learn was the best way to overcome it, but it did take a while to get used to!

Managing the balance between academics, co-op responsibilities and a personal life can be hard – what are your self care practices and/or how do you manage stress?

I lived on campus during my first co-op term while working in Burnaby, and my commute time was a big adjustment for me (1h 40m one way transit!). It forced me to rethink and reorganize my routines. I started meal prepping to make more time for my hobbies and hanging out with friends, so that I wasn't stuck in a work-eat-sleep cycle. I think it's really important to have a life and enjoy your time outside of work. As students, it's rare to be able to go home at the end of the day and not have to study, go into the lab, do homework, etc... so make the most of your free weekends while you're on co-op! During my time in Boston, I played a lot of volleyball - tournaments, leagues and open gyms, made a lot of new friends and found a community that I could have fun with when I wasn't working.

In your opinion, how did Co-op help your personal growth?

Co-op helped me visualize what I wanted my career and life to look like after graduation, and made the transition from student to working full-time a little easier. Being able to take a "break" from studying and experience what my day-to-day life would look like working a job helped me become more independent, identify things I valued, and subsequently influenced what I looked for in a career after graduation when job hunting.

Co-op helped me visualize what I wanted my career and life to look like after graduation, and made the transition from student to working full-time a little easier.

How do you feel Co-op has helped your career and professional development?

I think co-op played a big role in helping me learn what I like to do. Prior to co-op, I was doing a lot of pure lab work, experiments, manuscript writing. During co-op, I was still doing a lot of the science in the lab, but also learning more about the theory behind it, being exposed more to the business development aspect of science and biotech, planning and developing the direction of projects depending on collaborators, etc. I learned that I enjoy and thrive working in a collaborative, project focused and cross-functional environment, which helped me decide to pursue consulting.

I think co-op played a big role in helping me learn what I like to do. ... During co-op, I was still doing a lot of the science in the lab, but also learning more about the theory behind it, being exposed more to the business development aspect of science and biotech, planning and developing the direction of projects depending on collaborators, etc.

Which supports from the Co-op program (workshops, practice interviews, etc.) did you find most helpful? Can you talk about the direct impact on your career and/or personal growth?

I definitely found the live resume review with my Co-op Coordinator the most helpful. It was great to get an external opinion from someone who has seen successful resumes, and I believe it was key in getting me the opportunities and interviews that I did.

What advice would you offer to future Co-op students?

Aim higher than what you think you'll reach! Don't just apply for jobs that you are overqualified for, or hesitate on ones you think you'd really like but aren't sure of your skillset. Co-op is here for you to develop yourself, and you can only do that by identifying what you already can do, what you want to learn to do, and finding opportunities that balance these.

Also - SCOPE is not the only place you can find jobs! My second co-op at GSK was actually sourced from their company career site. I wanted to work abroad for my second co-op, so I definitely put in at least double the number of applications to external company sites compared to ones I also did through SCOPE.

Co-op is here for you to develop yourself, and you can only do that by identifying what you already can do, what you want to learn to do, and finding opportunities that balance these.

What are you looking forward to after graduation?

I just graduated this May, and I'll be going back to Boston to work full-time as a consultant with Karchem Consulting, working on lab informatics solutions and workflows. I'm super excited to see all the friends I made while on co-op again, and also just excited in general for the next big step in my career.