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Irene Uchida (Bibliography (“Irene Ayako Uchida.” Science.ca, GCS Research…

- - - - After she was released from the internment camp in 1944, Dr. Uchida went to the University of Toronto to finish her Bachelor of Arts degree (Plokhii, 2013). She planned to pursue a degree in social work, however she eventually made the decision to study zoology instead. (Plokhii, 2013). This decision was influenced by one her professors, who taught her an introductory genetics course. (Plokhii, 2013)
        
        In 1951, Dr. Uchida graduated with a PhD in zoology. (Plokhii, 2013)
  - - - Dr. Uchida worked at Sick Kids until 1959. Shortly after her time at Sick Kids, Dr. Uchida was hired by Dr. Harry Medovy to lead the first National Cytogenetics Lab in Winnipeg. (Plokhii, 2013)
        
        In Winnipeg, Dr. Uchida made a lot of progress in the field of genetics. She made the discovery that radiation is connected to Down syndrome. (Plokhii, 2013) While she was completing research, she also diagnosed patients who had rare birth defects. (Plokhii, 2013) #
        
        Dr. Uchida left Winnipeg in 1969 and worked as a visiting scientists for a short period of time at the University of London in England. (Plokhii, 2013)
        
        Dr. Uchida then returned to Canada and worked at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She collaborated with a genetics professor, Prof. Viola Freeman, who also became good friends with her. (Plokhii, 2013)
        
        Dr. Uchida retired in 1955, after working at McMaster for 22 years, followed by the Oshawa General Hospital at the end of her career. (Plokii, 2013)
        
        Dr. Uchida won many awards for her research. For example, she was named one of 25 Outstanding Women during the International Women's Year in Ontario in 1975, and she was also named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1993. (science.ca, n.d.). Dr. Uchida also published more than 95 scientific papers during her career. (Government of Canada, 2000)
  - - - Japanese Canadians faced a lot of discrimination from other Canadians. (CBC, 2001). Ian MacKenzie, the federal cabinet minister from British Columbia at the time of the attack at Pearl Harbour, said: "It is the governments plan to get these people out of B.C. as fast as possible... Let our slogan be for British Columbia: No Japs from the Rockies to the seas." (CBC, 2001).
      - Living conditions for Japanese Canadians were inhumane during this time. "Hundreds of women and children were squeezed into the livestock building" while waiting to be taken inland. (CBC, 2001). At most internment camps, Japanese Canadians lived in shacks, and many were separated from their families. (CBC, 2001)
      - Dr. Uchida's continued perserverance to study and start her career after leaving the internment camps demonstrated how she was very passionate and determined.
- - - - This links to how discussion around people with disabilities has changed overtime. People with disabilities should be included in society just like anyone else would be, rather than being excluded and isolated as they have been in the past and still are in many situations. Although many people and institutions have started to adapt towards a more accepting and inclusive mindset, our society still has a long way to go. The research of cytogenetics simplifies our way of thinking about the differences between people who are neuro-typical and people with Down syndrome. It demonstrates how people with Down syndrome are just regular people who may have been born with a different set of chromosomes than the typical person.
- - - - Dr. Uchida focused a majority of her studies on what causes the extra chromosome in the human body which leads to Down syndrome.
        
        Humans have 23 pairs of identical chromosomes which contain unique genes. An alteration in the number of chromosomes can lead to genetic diseases such as Down syndrome. (science.ca, n.d.) Down syndrome in particular is caused by the tripling of chromosome number 21 during conception (science.ca, n.d.)
        
        As you can see in the image to the right, a person with Down syndrome has an additional copy of chromosome 21. (GeneEd, n.d.) For this reason, Down syndrome is also known as Trisomy 21. (science.ca, n.d.)
        
        Some symptoms associated with Down syndrome are intellectual disability, distinctive facial characteristics, and increased risk of heart defects and digestive problems. (GeneEd, n.d.)
        
        http://images.parents.mdpcdn.com/sites/parents.com/files/styles/width_360/public/images/wordpress/273/Down-syndrome-karotype.jpg
        
        Dr. Uchida discovered that there is a connection between women's exposure to radiation and Down Syndrome in their children. (McMaster University, 2014) This significant discovery made scientific history and paved the way for further research.
  - - - There are also health risks that come along with using these technologies. For example, radiation that patients are exposed to during X-rays can lead to diseases such as cancer (Mayo Clinic, 2015). These risks are often small and outweighed by the benefits of the X-ray, however for some groups of people, such as pregnant women, the risks are increased (Mayo Clinic, 2015). This links to Dr. Uchida's research about the links between radiation and Down syndrome.
      - According to the Mayo Clinic, "an X-ray is a quick, painless test that produces images of the structures inside your body — particularly your bones." Beams from an X-ray machine pass through the body of the patient and are absorbed in different amounts, depending on the part of the body. (Mayo Clinic, 2015) Information from X-rays can lead to more effective treatment of patients, as problems within the human body can be more easily detected.