People of Amgen: Christy Thomson
People of Amgen: Christy Thomson
Growing up in a small town on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, Christy Thomson didn’t have too many opportunities to see science up close. But she had curiosity and talent — and today she’s a research scientist at Amgen’s facility in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Christy is passionate about science learning and encouraging young people (especially girls) to pursue STEM education. She passes her knowledge and experience to a future generation by participating as a mentor in the Let’s Talk Science program. Watch as she explains how Amgen’s company culture encourages her to give back.
Hi, I'm Christy Thompson. I'm a principal scientist at ME. I lead a team that's part of a larger research facility in British Columbia. So I grew up in a small town on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.
I was always good at math, um, and I potentially could have been an accountant and maybe a really good accountant. Uh, but I needed something more fulfilling. During high school, I had teachers that really sparked an interest in science and really got me on the path going forward.
During my PhD studies, I was in a faculty that had some phenomenal scientists. However, during the bulk of my time during my studies, there was not a single female professor in the department.
Now I want to provide a positive female role. To new scientists and students, that was something that was missing during my own studies.
In volunteering with Let's Talk Science, I really want to give something back. Let's Talk Science is a national mentorship program to introduce students at a young age to STEM careers. The idea is to get them curious about science and technology.
There is nothing more fun than doing a DNA extraction. For strawberries with an elementary class of students. Uh, being a scientist who's been able to progress a career, I want to show others that you can do it from no matter where you come from.
I've been watchful of the impact of gender and some of the barriers that have to be overcome. And over time, I can see these barriers being broken down. There's still room for growth, and there's still room to Show students early on that they can become scientists too.
Amgen has really encouraged us to be diverse, to encourage diversity, and also to take part in our communities. Being part of a company like Amgen that does basic research and discovery research in Canada is amazing.
Having the opportunity to do what I love. To do research and do it at home in my community has really helped me to grow.