Vaish Vijayan

What is your name?

Vaish Vijayan

What is your role in the department?

In the Department of Immunology, I serve as both the Administrative Coordinator and the Academic Appointments Coordinator. I am adaptable and involved across operations. I oversee event logistics for seminars, meetings, and departmental gatherings, and manage key academic HR for faculty and trainees, including appointments, onboarding, and lifecycle processes. I also support communications and marketing across internal and external channels, and handle core administrative and financial tasks from records management and day‑to‑day operations to processing invoices and honoraria. My role touches nearly every corner of the department; think of me as the “mitochondria,” powering the work behind the scenes.

Does your scientific background in the Department have an impact on your life outside of your work and how?

Over the past two years in the department, I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of the scientific world our researchers navigate every day. Being closely connected to their work has given me valuable perspective on what the research process truly demands - the level of precision, perseverance, and intensity required at every stage. I’ve come to appreciate not only the technical rigor involved but also the emotional landscape of an academic career. With time, I’ve learned to empathize more fully with the rollercoaster of highs and lows that accompany research: the excitement of discovery, the frustration of experiments that won’t cooperate, the pressure of deadlines, and the satisfaction of progress, no matter how incremental. Seeing these moments up close has allowed me to better support the people behind the science and to understand how much dedication goes into the breakthroughs that often appear effortless from the outside.

How have your perspectives on science and research been influenced by culture, community, and personal values?

I believe my perspective on science has been shaped largely through a Westernized lens, as I moved frequently growing up and primarily attended international and American schools. Even though my current work isn’t directly research‑based, scientific thinking influences my daily approach, whether it’s understanding the distinction between correlation and causation or recognizing how evidence‑based reasoning shapes the way I interpret the world. I also strongly believe that equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to scientific progress; although meaningful strides have been made, there is still significant work ahead. Because I grew up in a predominantly Eurocentric environment, I’m increasingly aware of the importance of embracing the ways different cultures, knowledge systems, and communities contribute to and elevate scientific discovery.

What is something surprising about you that most people in our community don’t know?

There are quite a few fun facts about me that people in our community might not know, so here are 10 of them:

1. I moved around a lot growing up; I’ve lived in Delhi (India), Trinidad, Oman, Mumbai (India), and eventually made my way to Canada.
2. The first time I ever saw snow was in the winter of 2017 when I moved to Canada for university.
3. I have two guinea pigs named Winston and Wallace (Wally).
4. In the summer, I help with weddings on weekends as a day‑of coordinator.
5. My favourite artist is Taylor Swift, and I am a HUGE Swiftie.
6. I absolutely love going to concerts!
7. I love bingo and trivia and play both on a very regular basis.
8. My favourite drink is an Aperol Spritz, and I take it so seriously that I have a Beli ranking of the best and worst Spritzes in the city.
9. I love fitness, working out, and staying active.
10. I love talking to people and can happily yap about pretty much anything and everything.

How do you hope your work will impact society?

I hope to contribute more meaningfully to EDI initiatives and further integrate them into my everyday work. Within academic HR and labour relations, I want the big‑picture ideas I bring forward to challenge the status quo and inspire changes that genuinely benefit more people. For example, I would love to streamline certain HR processes and critically review policies that were written in a very different time. Modernizing these practices, not only to create more efficient hiring and administrative workflows, but also to ensure policies better reflect the world we live in today, has the potential to support a broader, more diverse community.

Another priority for me is bringing more empathy into HR. There is often a stigma that HR stands against employees, and I want to help shift that narrative for the better. I truly care about people - their lived experiences, their unique contributions, and the value of diversity in helping individuals and teams thrive. By listening with empathy and approaching HR work through a people‑first lens, I hope to help create a more inclusive, supportive environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.

If you had to summarize your journey in a song title, what would you call it?

I can’t pick just one between “Dancing Queen” by ABBA and “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus - both feel equally meaningful to me in different ways.

My life has been a journey; a true roller coaster filled with challenges and hurdles that I’ve learned to navigate and grow from. As stressful as life can get, I try to remind myself to let go, take things in stride, and find moments of joy in the chaos. “The Climb” reflects that sense of resilience and moving forward, while “Dancing Queen” reminds me to have fun, be present, and enjoy the lighter moments. I also love to dance with my friends from time to time, and I’ll never say no to a good dance party.