Many Canadians know of Sir Frederick Banting’s pivotal role in the discovery of insulin, but aren’t always aware the former Western instructor was also an accomplished amateur artist, who often painted with the Group of Seven.
Banting’s affinity for both the arts and science was a welcome surprise to Karen Huo, a third-year medical sciences and museum and curatorial studies student.
Karen Huo (Submitted)
“I like how it speaks to the idea of being interdisciplinary. You can be both a doctor and an artist,” said Huo, whose own range of interests merge volunteering at Banting House, in London, Ont. The national historic site marks where Banting conceived the idea to extract insulin from the pancreas and thus be able to treat diabetes.
Huo became a Banting House volunteer not long after coming to Western to study physiology and pharmacology, and hopes to become a doctor, like her mother and grandfather.
“But now as I have different experiences, I realize it doesn’t have to be a one-track pursuit,” said Huo, who has expanded her learning, working in interdisciplinary medical sciences professor Faraj Haddad’s Teaching and Learning Lab.
Haddad’s work aims to improve the state of science communication training in postsecondary institutions. Huo joined his lab as an undergraduate research assistant in 2023 and has remained part of his team.
“Working in the Haddad lab has made me fall in love with science communication and helped me realize there’s so many ways to integrate all my passions into a meaningful career. It’s also relevant to what I do at Banting House, where I act as an interpreter, translating the ‘science speak’ for people who are not in the science world and perhaps more interested in history or literature,” Huo said.
Telling stories in English and Mandarin
Besides working as a guide, Huo trains other Banting House volunteers and takes on special projects.
“It’s a great place to put the skills I’m learning at school into practice,” Huo said. But the best part of her role, she adds, is the people she meets.
“There’s always someone new coming in, and as much as I teach about diabetes and science, we learn so much from our visitors.”
One particular visit stands out.
“An entire family – grandparents, parents and children – had been recently diagnosed with diabetes and they came into Banting House, wanting to learn more about the disease. That was really impactful.
“I’ve also seen how this is not just a museum, but often a place of pilgrimage for those living with diabetes who want to pay homage and respect to Dr. Banting.” – Karen Huo, Banting House volunteer and third-year medical sciences and museum and curatorial studies student
Terry Lynn Clarkin, volunteer coordinator at Banting House, said she appreciates the enthusiasm and passion Huo brings to the organization.
“Karen is an amazing long-standing volunteer,” Clarkin said. “She’s reliable and dependable. We are so fortunate to have her and other Western student volunteers at Banting house, where it’s all about telling stories.”
Clarkin appreciates Huo’s ability to tell those stories in both English and her first language of Mandarin. It contributes to Banting House’s point of pride in being able to provide tours in languages beyond English and French for visitors who come from around the world.
“For me, it’s something I’m happy to offer as part of providing accessibility in education within the museum space,” Huo said. “Visitors may speak and understand English, but Mandarin may be their preferred method of communication.”
Huo said that becomes important during the summer months, when Banting House welcomes many visitors from China. They often come to London after first visiting Bethune House in Gravenhurst, Ont., the birthplace of Norman Bethune.
Bethune is a Chinese cultural icon. He is revered for his work as a battlefield surgeon and his pioneering use of mobile blood transfusion units in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He was also Banting’s classmate in medical school at the University of Toronto, where they graduated together in 1916.
“Once Chinese tourists learn about that connection visiting Bethune House, they come here to learn more about Banting, giving me the opportunity to practice my Mandarin,” Huo said.
Excited for the future in medicine and more
Huo’s love for museums was cultivated as a child, growing up in Mississauga, Ont. Her mother prioritized regular excursions to the Royal Ontario Museum and tours at the Toronto Zoo.
A first-year elective course in museum studies taught by Michelle Hamilton, a professor of public history in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, sealed Huo’s decision to continue museum studies as a minor.
“I’m really interested in how we can incorporate academic education in medicine and STEM into the museum setting,” Huo said.
She’s also looking forward to expanding her expertise in science communications working in her current role as video content manager and editor at King of the Curve, an education technology company developed to help students like Huo prepare for their MCAT exams.
As Huo reflects on her experiences and the connections she is cultivating within the academic and broader community, she’s excited for her future.
“I’m so inspired to keep moving on,” she said. “There’s so much time to do what I want to accomplish in this life.”
