Student of the Year Award: Carly Pistawka (Biotechnology) + ACE-WIL Student of the Year in BC
March 30, 2021
Carly Pistawka is a fourth year undergraduate student in the joint UBC-BCIT honours in Biotechnology program. As a physically disabled student with chronic pain, Carly is passionate about pain research and clinical treatment approaches. Through research on her own condition, Carly found Dr. Caroline MacCallum, a physician specializing in medical cannabis, whose interests also included chronic and complex pain. During her 8-month co-op opportunity with Dr. MacCallum, she has worked on projects, presentations, and publications involving cannabis product safety, neurocognitive impairment, special populations, and opioid-cannabis synergy in chronic pain patients.
Carly hopes to pursue genetic counseling or clinical research in pain after her bachelor’s degree. In 2020, Carly co-founded the nonprofit project ‘Moon Time Sisters BC’, which fights against menstrual inequity by collecting and sending menstrual products to remote Indigenous communities in Northern BC and the territories.
Additionally, we congratulate Carly on her additional ACE-WIL Student of the Year Award in their University category! The team at Science Co-op wishes her the best on her bright future ahead.
Learn more about Carly's co-op experience on her award page!