Planting Science - Members: View: Cameron So

Cameron So

Profile

Profile

Time Zone

Eastern
Organization

McGill University
Role

Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online
Research Interests (300 words)

At the University of Toronto, I studied the capacity for adaptation to future climate change using outdoor, experimental approaches. To investigate whether plants can adapt to a warmer climate, I exposed a pedigreed population of field mustard (Brassica rapa) to a future climate scenarios (+4C, IPCC RCP8.5) and quantified how their expression of fitness and functional traits changed.

I have broad research interests that intersect conservation, climate change, and genetics. I'm also quite interested in agriculture alongside natural systems (growing your own food is always fun!)

I recently started my PhD studies at McGill University.
Profile Question 1

Can you describe your attitude toward science when you were in high school?
Answer the question you selected for profile question 1 here (300 words):

In high school, my approach to science was to memorize, memorize, and memorize. As an amateur scientist now, I've learned that memorizing only gets you so far. You need to memorize the basics, but more importantly, you need to know how to think **critically**. To truly understand how our universe works, you need to draw from all of your knowledge to form a hypothesis, to design an experiment, and to interpret your findings.

High school forms the foundation to your scientific journey. As you learn about Newton's Laws, how DNA replicates, and how organic compounds interact to form other substances, you will realize that our universe is pretty complex. If there's one thing I can suggest to any curious young scientist, it is that you should explore as many areas of science. We as human species have learned so much about our universe in the past hundred years, but there's so much that we DON'T know! As you get older, you'll realize that the busyness of life can draw you away from truly investigating the universe. Be sure to explore as much as you can, so that if you do pursue science, your pursuit is truly something that you care about - something that you're interested in. Venture on!
Profile Question 2

What lessons have you learned in your career about how science works?
Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):

Science isn't about memorizing all the facts in your textbook, but rather using the tools and knowledge in your textbook to solve problems, and learn new things!
Profile Question 3

Can you share a funny/interesting lab or field story?
Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):

One time I was clearing a beaver dam that was flooding one of my team's research sites (we were working in a fen). Once we moved all of the giant logs and sticks, the water had receded at least a meter. I was just AMAZED how beavers could change a landscape. Canada, eh?
Help represent the outreach efforts of your societies. Please click all those organizations you are a member of:

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In addition to English, I am comfortable communicating with students in the following languages:

None of the Above
Capacity: How many teams at a time are you comfortable working with?

1

Cameron So

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