- A Ph.D. Candidate at Stanford University
- Working on Nanofabrication, Electrophysiology, Bioelectronics
My Personal story
At age 10, I received a book titled “The Elements”, which introduced me to the wondrous world of chemistry for the first time. I was instantly intrigued by the various existing forms of elements and their close relations with the world. Since then, I have taken a keen interest in science and started conducting home experiments. Realizing that science holds the key to addressing many world mysteries, I attempted at uncovering those mysteries through self-studies and explained the concepts behind in a simpler way to those who would listen.
In high school, I joined the social service club. As the saying goes, with great privilege comes great responsibility. As a blessed individual, I believe that besides knowledge, what we need to develop in school is integrity. The true reward for a blessed life is having the ability to perform altruistic acts. During my three years in the club, we participated in various activities and visited many places. In a rescue operation, we went to a village that was severely damaged by typhoon Morakot to help with reconstruction. I was shocked by the magnitude of the damage. During those few days, I spent time with the local kids, seeing the world through their eyes. The devastating scene reminded me how fortunate I was and how there were still many others in the world in desperate need of help.
I believe there are many ways to give back, and studying science is an extraordinary one. Since high school, I have been involved in many scientific activities, from being a participant in an international Science Youth Forum, to competing in the Taiwan International Science Fair, to winning the International Chemistry Olympiad. During my journey as a chemist, I had plentiful opportunities to learn valuable lessons from Nobel laureates and to share ideas with many great minds.
With a passion for combating chronic diseases, I declared a college major in chemistry. My strong interest in chemistry helped me excel in many courses. In my spare time, I committed myself to becoming a better communicator. Through participating in Toastmasters, I aimed to build motivational and persuasion skills. By learning how to deliver an impactful speech and play a supportive role in any setting, I have endeavored to hone my communication and leadership skills and prepared myself for a more effective exchange of ideas and teamwork. In addition, to gain a better understanding of the biotechnology industry, I was involved in the process of organizing the TRANS Healthcare Conference, where I learned from many outstanding entrepreneurs, startups, and venture capitalists. I was also partaking in a research project in Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s premier research institution and the stronghold for basic research, to study sugar chemistry. With an aim to tackle osteoarthritis disease, the institution set up a multidisciplinary research group. By communicating with professors and students from different fields of study, I learned how to integrate resources to devise a better approach to address problems.
As a researcher, I have devoted myself to attaining scientific success. However, academic knowledge, though necessary, is only part of what makes a great researcher. I see the need for me to receive more problem-solving training and to be surrounded by scholars who I can learn from and have stimulating conversations with before I can become a well-rounded researcher. Like my volunteer work to teach students with learning disabilities and my social service efforts to provide those suffering devastating loss, I want to use science to make a positive imprint, so people can benefit from my research :)