Julia's advice to incoming students would be to take time for non-academic activities you enjoy. Unexpected glitches may occur in your academic life; these activities will help keep things in perspective. Also, take advantage of your graduate school experience as it allows opportunity for collaboration with faculty, professors and other students from multiple disciplines.

Julia Bickford exemplifies the model of a balanced, well-adjusted, tenacious graduate student. After completing her Masters in 2004, she applied her skills as a full time research coordinator position in the Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences for 3 years before commencing her doctoral degree in Health Professional Education in the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program at Western. During her first year as a PhD student, she became a first-time mom. After a brief time away, Julia returned to school full-time this past fall. She is currently in her 2nd year of her doctoral studies where her mentor and advisor is Dr. Jeff Nisker a physician at LHSC as well as the coordinator of Bioethics and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UWO.

Julia's research is situated in the area of science and technology studies (STS), with a focus on the study of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. PGD involves testing embryos for heritable genetic conditions prior to implantation through in vitro fertilization. Only the embryos deemed `normal' or `healthy' are then transferred to a woman's uterus, thereby avoiding debilitating hereditary diseases. The objective of this research is to compare the experience of PGD as it is perceived by multiple actors (e.g., infertility patients and other women trying to avoid having a child with a genetic condition, scientists, physicians, media, and the public). Julia will follow the technology around as it moves between various people and places using an ethnographic approach; in this way, insight can be gleaned into the idiosyncratic meanings of PGD in the everyday social worlds of these various actors. This practice of "following the object" (in this case PGD) across many contexts or boundaries is a common method in ethnography. "This is an opportune time to study socio-cultural perceptions of technologies involved in assisted human reproduction, as Canada has only recently (2004) passed a Human Reproduction Act and even more recently (2007) forged a new board of directors advising Health Canada on related issues". PGD is just now emerging as a clinical tool in Canada, and guidelines for its use are being developed. As such, this is a burgeoning field of study with a myriad of complex questions about the social, political, ethical, and cultural contexts of new reproductive technologies.

Julia's choice to apply to Western for her doctoral degree was an easy one. While growing up in London, her father, a professor in the department of Psychology, spoke very highly of the University. Her long term goal is to become a professor at Western. Her favourite graduate course is in the Department of Anthropology, called Theorizing Ethnography, with Professor Regna Darnell.

In her spare time, Julia's favourite pastimes include enjoying time with her family, hiking, quilting and pottery. She is part of London's Potters Guild, Unitarian Fellowship of London and is a volunteer at Women's Community House.

Her advice to incoming students would be to take time for non-academic activities you enjoy. Unexpected glitches may occur in your academic life; these activities will help keep things in perspective. Also, take advantage of your graduate school experience as it allows opportunity for collaboration with faculty, professors and other students from multiple disciplines.