Studying at the graduate level involves taking courses, doing research, and perhaps some teaching work. Aside from this, get to know the people around you, talk to your professors and find out more about what they do; attend a lot of seminars and conferences; read broadly outside your own particular area of research. As much as possible, spend your time doing something that you are passionate about!
- Farouk Nathoo,MMath (Statistics) '00
At UWaterloo I was able to take courses and work with some of the very best researchers in biostatistics. I saw how real problems generate interesting statistical questions, and I learned to appreciate the applied aspect of research.
Waterloo had an excellent reputation and offered a large number of graduate courses. I was also interested in doing a co-op graduate program, which is something that Waterloo offered.
With the rapid advancement of modern biotechnology, the world is witnessing an explosion of data. This wealth of information represents an abundant resource for tackling many of the most fundamental scientific questions, for example, questions about how the brain works, or questions about how genetic variation influences the brain. As a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Biostatistics for Spatial and High-Dimensional Data, I develop methodology for the analysis of modern neuroimaging datasets, which can help to address such questions. The skills obtained through my degree from Waterloo provide part of the foundation for the work I do now.
It’s an excellent choice. You will have a broad range of courses to choose from and be able to interact with top researchers. In addition, the faculty and staff are very warm and supportive.
