Convocation ‘24: Matthew David Harrison, BSc Honors, Neuroscience, Lieutenant-Governor's Gold Medal

Matthew David Harrison, BSc Honors, Neuroscience, Lieutenant-Governor's Gold Medal

"There is still so much more to learn, which is equally intimidating and compelling to me."

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From an early age, Matthew Harrison has been laser focused on studying neuroscience — fascinated by its complexity and also the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing the ravages of neurodegenerative diseases. 

Attracted by the University of Alberta because of the cutting-edge Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and the honors neuroscience program through the Faculty of Science, Matthew knew he would be well prepared for an eventual career in neurodegenerative research.

“The program empowers students to participate in research," he says, adding that he was the beneficiary of several summer studentship grants which allowed him to put these research opportunities into action. 

“I was heavily involved in investigating how processing MRI images could improve the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” he says. “By far, the most rewarding experiences I had over this process was interacting with and learning from patients suffering with the disease.”

Matthew’s dedication to his studies was recognized this spring with the Lieutenant-Governor's Gold Medal in Science, awarded to the convocating student from an Honors program in the Faculty of Science who has shown the highest distinction in scholarship.

Following graduation, other than catching up on his movie watching (and perhaps boning up on his dodgeball skills) and working as a laboratory assistant in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry,  Matthew will begin a master’s program “on computational side” of neurodegenerative research.

Congratulations Matthew!

What program are you graduating from?

Bachelor of Science with Honors, Neuroscience.

What led you to choose your current area of study, and why the U of A for your studies?

Neuroscience has always been something that I have been deeply fascinated by. It is such a kinetic field that is continually evolving in an effort to tackle the complexities of the nervous system. Despite years of effort, there is still so much more to learn, which is equally intimidating and compelling to me. In particular, neurodegenerative diseases are still not well understood. This sizable gap in knowledge intrigued me and guided my studies to focus on this area over the course of my degree. 

The University of Alberta’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and its diverse range of neurodegenerative research inspired me to study here. Additionally, I grew up in the Edmonton area surrounded by a strong support network, which helped make the decision for me.

Tell us about your experience in your faculty.

Reflecting on my time within the Faculty of Science, I am incredibly grateful for the experiences and knowledge I gained while studying here. Specifically, the honors neuroscience program offered me a great opportunity to explore the field. This included everything from small scale molecular events, up to the clinical manifestations of neurodegenerative diseases. 

In addition to this strong foundation in neuroscience, the program also empowers students to participate in research. Through research courses and summer studentship grants, I was heavily involved in investigating how processing MRI images could improve the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. One project I took on examined how intrinsic textural changes of structural MRI images could be leveraged to uncover signs of degeneration. Another worked to unravel how the underlying connections of the brain are affected by the disease. But by far the most rewarding experiences I had over this process was interacting with and learning from patients suffering with the disease. 

What is one of your favourite memories from your time at U of A?

Walking into the Campus Cup thinking we would dominate and then getting utterly annihilated was a flashbulb moment for me. “People don’t take dodgeball that seriously right?” They in fact do and really know how to whip a dodgeball. I can’t really describe it, but there is something incredibly endearing about getting humbled like that as a group. Watching the stages of grief in full motion, everyone in different parts of their eventual acceptance cycles. It was a great bonding experience if anything else.

Tell us about your favourite professor and/or class.

I was incredibly fortunate to work under the supervision of Sanjay Kalra during my two-part undergraduate research thesis project in neuroscience (NEURO 498 and 499). Through his knowledge and support, I had the opportunity to perform research in computational neuroscience. This project involved evaluating how the white matter connections between cortical regions are disrupted by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This enriching experience ignited a love for computational research that I plan to carry into my future. Without Sanjay’s aid, encouragement and confidence in me, I would not have been able to tackle the project I did. His mentorship has left a lasting impact that I am extremely grateful for.

What advice do you have for current and future students?

Find things you are passionate about and embrace them wholeheartedly. That is absolutely easier said than done and the path to discover what gets you out of bed is rarely linear or predictable. But, university and student life becomes more manageable if you actively enjoy the things you are doing. Obviously you won’t like every aspect of your degree, and university can be suffocating at times, but having a strong motivator through this really helps. Enjoying the process and not worrying too much about the end destination is what got me through my degree. 

How do you plan on celebrating convocation?

I am constantly battling against a growing pile of movies that I want to watch and I really fell behind last year. With a bit of reduced workload, I’m trying to work through David Lynch’s and Wes Anderson’s back catalogue. Additionally, finding some time to play spikeball in the nice weather. 

What's next after graduation?

I am pursuing a master’s degree in neuroscience where I will continue working on the computational side of neurodegenerative research. There is still so much to learn in this field and I am incredibly excited about what potential breakthroughs lie ahead.

Matthew joins fellow medal recipients Kai Sven Luedemann (Gold Medal in Science) and Brian Cheuk-Yue Kong (Dean’s Gold Medal in Science).