The biomedical lab after COVID-19: cascading effects of the lockdown on lab-based research programs and graduate students in Canada

• Main Authors: Vincent Maranda, Edward Yakubovich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2020-10-01
• Series: FACETS
• Subjects: covid-19; canadian graduate students; lab-based research
• Online Access: https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/full/10.1139/facets-2020-0036

In the early months of 2020, the spread of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 shook the world, which responded with various measures of quarantine, social distancing, and mass shutdowns. These measures have affected Canadian graduate students, especially those in lab-based science research programs who have been unable to access their workplaces. As a period of reopening may be approaching, and universities and research centers discuss ways to allow for work to resume cautiously, a discussion on the long-term impact of the pandemic on graduate students is necessary. Many students expressed significant concern regarding motivation with the shift to online courses; financial stress in terms of personal debt, bills, and tuition fees; as well as disrupted education and career plans. Uncertainty over the current economic situation and potential research material shortages lead to worry related to the quality and quantity of results and the impact these may have on funding. Luckily, universities, hospitals, governmental agencies, and employers have implemented a variety of programs and financial aid to help students in these trying times. Assuring the continuation of such measures is critical, and graduate students’ drive to succeed will manifest in novel ways to tackle the challenges that the COVID-19 lockdown has imposed.