Henry Bio

Hello, my name is Henry Withers and I am 24 years old.  I grew up in Syracuse, New York and graduated in 2007 from Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario) with a BScH in biology.  Throughout my undergraduate years I had the opportunity to work on multiple cancer related research projects, including a manuscript at SUNY Upstate Medical University and a fourth year honours thesis at Queen's University.  Much of this work focused on the metabolic flux of specific cancer cell lines under various treatments and environmental conditions.

In search of some adventure (and income), I decided to try my hand at field work after graduating.  I ended up working a couple of contracts as a biological observer for the National Marine Fisheries Service onboard commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea.  It was a great experience in which I was able to see an amazing part of the country while living and working with interesting people from all over the world.  After a good amount of hard work and time at sea, I was ready to return to life as a student.  In particular, I was eager to return to the ever growing field of cancer research.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute appeared to be the right place for me to pick up where I had left off.  I started the Natural Sciences Masters program at Roswell Park this past September ('09) and assumed that I would be spending the two years in Buffalo completing my masters.  As the semester progressed, I received word about the new CanSys program being established by Dr. Moray Campbell and his colleagues.  Despite our many questions about details and logistics, I quickly decided it was an opportunity I could not pass up.  Now I am living in Luxembourg, one of the major cultural centers of Europe, and I have the privilege of studying as part of an international cohort of students and established scientists.

Expectations:
I believe my personal expectations for the program are closely aligned with the CanSys program mission itself.  First, I hope to further develop my skills as a scientist, particularly in the discipline of Systems Biology and its application to cancer research.  As our understanding of cancer is rapidly growing in both complexity and breadth, I am quickly realizing the appeal of Systems Biology as a powerful new approach in addressing important questions of the cancer "black box".  Second,  collaboration is an integral part of the scientific process and so I look forward to developing productive relationships with fellow students and researchers in an international setting.  Finally,  I am very excited about the opportunity to experience the many cultures found across Europe.  I have plans to travel extensively and brush up on my French.

Look forward to posting more soon!

-Henry