As part of the very first cohort of SBS’s undergraduate program, I completed my BSc in Biomedical Sciences in 2020. During my undergraduate studies I also interned as a research student in the lab of Prof. Vincent C.K. Cheung, where I investigated the muscle synergy patterns of the less-affected side of stroke survivors and compared them with those of healthy individuals. This research experience, combined with my concentration in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship, gave me invaluable experiences in both academia and industry.

Wanting to branch out beyond biomedical sciences, I went on to pursue my master’s degree in biotechnology at Lund University in Sweden. During my master’s thesis, I studied avenanthramides as a means to slow rancidity development in oats, which ended up sparking a deep interest in plant research. This ultimately led me to pursue my doctoral studies in plant molecular biology at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich in Germany, where I am currently investigating the role of chloroplast envelope proteins in plant acclimation processes. While my current research interests have diverged considerably from biomedical sciences, the universal nature of the genetic code means that much of the knowledge and experience I gained during my undergraduate studies remains relevant in my daily work.

I am now in my final year of doctoral studies with a planned defence in July 2025, after which I plan to stay at LMU as a postdoctoral fellow in plant evolutionary cell biology. I am incredibly grateful for the way my academic career has unfolded thus far, which would not have been possible without the strong foundation of knowledge and experience I built during my time at SBS.