What’s your background?
I’m a North York native born to Jamaican parents that instilled in me the importance of pursuing higher education. I obtained an undergraduate degree in Forensic Science from UTM and went to London, England to complete a Master’s in Forensic Science.
Why science?
In high school I fell in love with science, specifically Biology. It was the first time I was completely absorbed in everything I was learning pertaining to the human body and DNA. Once I discovered Forensic Science it combined my love of Biology with my fascination with murder mysteries and the rest is history.
Do you have any advice for someone interested in a career in research?
If you want to pursue a career in research, you need to determine what topic or topics you would like to study and why. Find an issue or lack of progress in an area that makes you question why things are or aren’t done a certain way and how things could be changed in the future. Then try to contact people in that area to get exposure to the field as a volunteer or intern to see if this is something you really want to research.
What do you like to do for leisure?
You can always find me reading novels or listening to podcasts on my commute to work. I love going to comedy shows and taking drop in dance classes downtown.
Any song or book recommendations?
Any John Sandford novel in his Prey series, I’ve read all 27 of them and was hooked from the first one I picked up back in grade 10.
If someone were to make a movie about your life, what would the title be?
The Monique Johnson Files: From Test Tube to Testing You