Student profiles

Name: Sara Patti

Nationality: American

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-patti/

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I worked in early drug discovery for several years at a large pharmaceutical company in their Inflammation and Immunology research unit.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I wanted to do a PhD at a university with a strong immunology department. I was also interested in moving to London.

What will you be researching for your PhD? My project combines immunological and bioinformatic techniques in order to understand the molecular signals that operate during a range of chronic lung diseases to facilitate successful resolution and effective tissue repair and thus prevent harmful fibrosis, disease progression and organ failure.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? It allowed me to gain experience working in data science before starting my PhD.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Determine if you are keen on doing an MRes prior to starting your PhD work.

What do you enjoy most about doing research? I enjoy learning new and interesting things about human disease. More importantly, I enjoy working on projects that have direct translational capabilities to address unmet clinical needs.

What would you like to do after your PhD? I would like to go back into early drug discovery in industry or potentially in venture capital for biotechs.

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? I love how many things there are to do in London- gigs, restaurants/markets, and museums. I also love how easy it is to travel around Europe from London.

Name: Lorenzo Alonso Requena

Nationality: Spanish

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenzo-alonso-requena-810336177/ 

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? An MRes in Translational Cancer Medicine at KCL.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? My dream has always been to do research and get a PhD, and the focus of the MultiSci on interdisciplinary science as well as its focus on biomedical research perfectly aligned with my interests. Additionally I wanted to do rotations before my PhD project and this program offered them.

What will you be researching for your PhD? I will be exploring and developing new statistical methods for multi-omic data integration in the context of hormone dependant breast cancer awakening. This type of cancer has a constant rate of recurrence which does not go down with time, and this issue is thought to be caused by cells entering dormancy, avoiding treatment; and then awakening, leading to a relapse. Exploring this phenomenon through multiple layers of gene regulation is key, and in order to extract as most information as possible from them, in the most rigorous way, solid statistical multi-omic integration methods are required. I will be focusing on the analysis of the data joining the expertise of mathematics groups with experience in integration with the data produced by a biology focused lab, developing the algorithms to explore this phenomenon.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? I enjoyed very much my two rotations, one in a biology group and the other one in a mathematics group. Me and the supervisors planned these rotations in advance in the hopes that if everything went well, a PhD project could happen as a collaboration between them. Fortunately everything did, and I was able to join the two fascinating focuses of the groups. Additionally, the rotations were a great opportunity to see if the supervisors, their groups and me were compatible, which is one of the most important things in choosing a PhD project!

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Make sure you have the passion and drive to pursue a PhD. The first year Master's is not easy and a PhD is hard work, so the thing that is going to keep you going is real passion for science and research. Once you have that, everything else will follow, both in you PhD applications and future PhD work.

What do you enjoy most about doing research? I actually really enjoy the day to day; writing code, learning about interesting topics, having meetings and talking with my colleagues.

What would you like to do after your PhD? I would like to either continue in research and pursue a post-doc, or combine my interests in science and politics and go into science policy.

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? London is a huge city full of things to do. After 6 years her, I keep discovering new places to go to and things to do almost on a daily basis. The diversity in the city also makes me feel at home, despite me not being British, it is a city for everyone.

Name: Tom Studd

Nationality: British

LinkedIn profile: www.linkedin.com/in/toms1997

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? Working in a Covid-19 testing laboratory.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I had wanted to pursue a PhD for a number of years and I liked what MultiSci offered.

What will you be researching for your PhD? The JNK kinase phosphorylates the c-JUN proto-oncoprotein, activating c-JUN and switching on the transcription of genes that control cell proliferation, leading to tumourigenesis. c-JUN expression and activity is augmented in many tumour types and JNK kinase has been a desirable drug target but so far JNK inhibitors have not been translated into clinical use. Thus, there is an urgent need to generate knowledge that will enable the design of novel cancer treatments targeting this important pathway. Our Lab recently demonstrated that the temporal multisite phosphorylation of c-JUN by JNK controls c-JUN activity via cofactor recruitment. The aim of my project is to study the function of these novel phospho-c-JUN interacting proteins in order to address the mechanism by which c-JUN activity is switched on and off by phosphorylation, and how it gets jammed 'on' making cells cancerous, which up-to-now remains elusive.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? I was unsure of exactly which subject area I wanted to commit to for a PhD. The MRes year allowed me to hone my interests and find the best project for me.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Make sure to demonstrate your enthusiasm and excitement for the science that you are passionate about.

What do you enjoy most about doing research? The flexibility and variety in the work.

What would you like to do after your PhD? I'm still deciding.

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? There is always something fun to do/somewhere interesting to go.

Name: Julia Laskowska 

Nationality: Polish

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-laskowska/

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I was in the process of completing my first Master's degree. I was also working full-time at the same time.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I realised that doing a PhD was the next 'logical' step in my career, however, I was not certain which areas of biomedical research interest me. I wanted to explore a bit before settling into a topic that I would work on for the next three or so years!

What will you be researching for your PhD? My PhD will be focusing on understanding the effects of microplastics as a part of air pollution on the human lung. The aim of this project is to understand and predict how the increasing concentrations of microplastics in the air will impact our lungs, given that currently there are no effective legislations curbing the production or effective disposal of plastics.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? I used the MRes year as an 'exploratory' year, whereby I pursued two topics that I knew nothing about - the intention was to learn as much as I could and get out of my comfort zone. I broadened my horizons, but most importantly, I grew more confident as a scientist, which ultimately helped me to develop my PhD proposal, as I was able to reach out to different PI's and ultimately, 'craft' a project that was perfect for me.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? I would say that it is okay for you to not know what you want to do your PhD in. This programme is perfect for people like that!

What do you enjoy most about doing research? Although scary at first, I enjoy diving into the unknown and finding answers to questions that no one has answers to. I particularly enjoy looking at some of my findings and make sense of them.

What would you like to do after your PhD? Currently, I am not entirely sure what I would like to do. However, I know that I would like for it to be a mixture of working in research but also I would really like for there to be a 'human aspect', where I get to interact with others (presentations are my forte - literally ask anyone).

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? London is incredibly green - there are parks everyone. That is what I enjoy the most about it. After spending long days in the lab or in the library, I love to disconnect from science by strolling in the park or walking in the forests surrounding London.

Name: Amelia Lias

Nationality: British and Swiss

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-lias-50351b109

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I was working as a Research Assistant in a malaria vaccine development lab at the University of Oxford.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I applied because Imperial carries out world-leading research in my area of interest (infectious diseases and immunology) and because being able to rotate through two different labs in the first year, before committing to a PhD project, was really important to me.

What will you be researching for your PhD? I will be researching the mechanisms underlying the development of adaptive immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes. This is something that is currently not well understood, but is information that would greatly assist vaccine development efforts.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? Although I knew I wanted to pursue a PhD in infectious diseases and immunology, I wasn’t sure which specific area to focus on. Being able to carry out two research projects in my first year was key in helping me narrow down on my PhD topic.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Read up on the research taking place at Imperial to make sure there’s something there that aligns with your interests (and then mention that research in your application!).

What do you enjoy most about doing research? The collaborative nature of the work and the fact that you’re always learning something new.

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? London is a great place to study and work because there’s always lots going on, both academically and socially.

Name: Shirine Merlo-Nikpay Aslie

Nationality: French

LinkedIn profile: www.linkedin.com/in/shirine-merlo

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I completed my BSc and MSc in Bioengineering/Regenerative Medicine at UCL.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I wanted to evolve in a highly interdisciplinary research environment for my PhD, where different perspectives could shape more innovative research. The rotation year was a bonus, as I wanted to try different projects (and labs) before choosing the right PhD!

What will you be researching for your PhD? I will be trying to enhance the regeneration of the spinal cord after injury using bioelectronics.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? The MRes year helped me determine which research lab I wanted to stay in. I ended up staying in my first rotation lab, and my PhD project is based on similar concepts to my MRes project. Thus, I have already determined some knowledge gaps (and which specific aspects I would like to work on!).

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Have a look at Imperial's research groups and evaluate whether your research interest aligns with at least one or two labs (which I am sure it will!). Also, do not hesitate to contact potential supervisors before the interview!

What do you enjoy most about doing research? Being able to understand new pieces of the puzzle.

What would you like to do after your PhD? A mix of academia and biotech, although I am not sure how this will look like yet.

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? Each neighbourhood has its own atmosphere, and you can almost feel in a different country by changing neighbourhood, which I love. There is also plenty of fun activities to do, and so many museums to explore!

Name: Laila Evangelista

Nationality: British

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laila-evangelista/

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? Before joining the MultiSci, I was working as a computational research assistant looking at metabolomic signatures of type 2 diabetes onset and progression in a lab based at TwinsUK, King's College London.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I applied to the MultiSci because I knew I wanted to stay in London for my PhD, Imperial has an excellent reputation, and the programme allows for the opportunity to try out different labs/projects before committing to one.

What will you be researching for your PhD? For my PhD, I will be studying the molecular effects and efficacy of metabolic therapies in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) - the most prevalent and aggressive type of ovarian cancer - using a range of wet lab and computational techniques, such as mass spectrometry imaging.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? By being able to do two 5-month rotations in labs of my choosing, the MRes year of the programme helped me to decide the combination of the research field I wanted to pursue for my PhD, the techniques I wanted to learn and develop, as well as the research groups and supervisors I wanted to work with longer term.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? I would say be open to and proactive in trying new things and enjoy the different kinds of experiences on offer as it's a very diverse and multidisciplinary programme!

What do you enjoy most about doing research? I like the excitement of potentially being the first person to discover something for the first time and contributing something new to an area of research that I'm interested in. Research life can be tough... but also fun because you're constantly learning and trying new things!

What are your hobbies? Outside of the lab, I like to unwind by taking long park walks with my dog, reading (anything but science!), watching films/tv, playing piano and travelling when possible.

Name: Valentina Giunchiglia

Nationality: Italian

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-giunchiglia-b59747150/

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I was working as research technician in a computational neuroscience lab.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? Multiple reasons. First, I was interested in completing a PhD at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence and this PhD program highly supports interdisciplinary PhD projects. Then, this program did not require to finalise a project at the start of the PhD, which allowed me to further investigate my research interests before making a decision. In addition, the program gives flexibility regarding what project can be completed during the PhD, with the possibility to also collaborate with industry partners. Finally, it was at Imperial, which is the university where I wanted to study.

What will you be researching for your PhD? I will develop multimodal foundational artificial intelligence models to learn how changes at the single cell level are then translated into different cognitive impairments in patients affected by neurodegenerative conditions.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? During the MRes I had the possibility to extend my knowledge in specific AI techniques and data modalities that I then included in my PhD project proposal

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? If you are not sure about what you want to work on during your PhD at the time of application, it is fine, and this program is probably the right fit for you. Give yourself the opportunity to work on different fields and try different research areas before you make your final decision on what to do the PhD on.

What would you like to do after your PhD? A postdoc.

What are your hobbies? Creative writing, tennis, and reading.

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? In London there is always something new to do and there are many opportunities. You just need to look for them :)

Name: Abigail Goodship

Nationality: British

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-goodship-7820981b5

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I completed an MSc in Reproductive and Developmental Biology and then worked at a life sciences consultancy called Protagoras Group.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I really liked that you could have so much freedom and input in choosing who and what to work on for your PhD and I also appreciated the focus on multidisciplinary research. There were also several lab groups at Imperial whose research aligned well with my interests.

What will you be researching for your PhD? My PhD project will be researching how the immune response affects the menstrual cycle. I will use a combination of wet and dry lab techniques to investigate how vaccinations and autoimmune diseases affect the hormones involved in the menstrual cycle.

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? For my second MRes project, supervised by Dr Viki Male, I investigated how the menstrual cycle affects the symptoms of Long COVID and ME/CFS. I enjoyed this so much that I decided to continue in the Male lab for my PhD and stay working on how the menstrual cycle and the immune system interact with one another.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Tailor your application to the MultiSci programme, making it clear why you are applying to this PhD in particular, not just any PhD programme. Mention faculty whose work aligns with your interests and think carefully about where you spend your 2 MRes projects.

What would you like to do after your PhD? I’m passionate about addressing the gender health gap and I would like to continue working in women’s health - which could look like staying in academia, working for in industry for a pharmaceutical company or start up, or working in public policy.  

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? I love living in such a vibrant, diverse city - there are always new places to visit and new things to do. There so many incredible restaurants, museums & galleries, and events - ballets, theatre performances, lectures and conferences. As a global business hub, it also makes it easier to find companies to collaborate with on the PhD and I’ve enjoyed attending multiple FemTech networking events. 

Name: Ashleigh Green                

Nationality: British

LinkedIn profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-green-987a94147

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I was a lab technician in the Critical Care Research Group at Imperial. This is how I became interested in the field my PhD will be in.         

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? Although I had a clear idea of what sort of topic area I wanted my PhD to be in, I liked that I could try other things and gain skills from people outside of the group I’d previously worked in. I think this is as useful even if you don’t know what you want to do within your PhD just yet.       

What will you be researching for your PhD? My PhD will focus on the integration of multi-omics data to better understand sepsis phenotyping. Sepsis is a highly heterogeneous syndrome with a high mortality rate, and we are looking to use this data to understand the trajectories of patients during their illness. I’m interested in the host response to infection, how this differs among individuals and how this could potentially shape the medical care they receive.          

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? I chose the Data Science (DS) stream of the BMR MRes. The DS MRes has set me up with the skillset required to handle large complex datasets throughout my PhD, and this helped me consolidate a project proposal too.     

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Do it! My advice when applying would be to not just highlight what you’ve done until this point (of course this is important though) but to think about what you’d gain from MultiSci when applying. Ask yourself “what kind of researcher do I want to be as a result of the programme?”                      

What do you enjoy most about doing research? I enjoy how creative you can be in research when tackling some of the world’s most complicated problems, even in a small way. It’s particularly good when you’re fortunate enough to work in a collaborative manner with people whose expertise differs to yours. I really like that I’m always learning.                      

What would you like to do after your PhD? I’m still not sure what I’d like to do after my PhD! Regardless of where I work afterwards, I find the interface of biology and data science interesting and my career will likely revolve around something that slots into that.

What are your hobbies? I’m a keen runner and an avid reader. I like hiking and being outdoors generally.                  

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? When you’re a child it’s so much easier to try extracurricular activities with people similar to you than it can be as a grown up. Living and studying in London makes this a lot easier, it’s normal to try so many hobbies as a beginner with other people here. I also quite like that the calibre of food from other cultures is pretty high in London.

Name: Ellie Sweeney                   

Nationality: British        

LinkedIn profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ellie-sweeney-8b43341b0?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? BSc- Biological Research before MSc- Genes, Drugs and Stem Cells Novel Therapies.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? Knowing that I wanted to continue my studies and eventually do a PhD but unsure in what field/ research area, MultiSci gave the perfect opportunity to explore a wide range of research topics and lab placements in my first year and continue this with the multi-disciplinary aspect of MultiSci throughout my PhD. The unique supplement scheme provides an amazing opportunity to develop and explore other skills and experiences alongside my PhD          

What will you be researching for your PhD? Developing CDK7 inhibitors for cancer. The host laboratory, in the Department of Surgery & Cancer, together with colleagues in the Department of Chemistry at Imperial College, has developed a selective CDK7 inhibitor, Samuraciclib, which has been progressed to early-stage clinical trials, showing patient responses in breast and other cancers. Focusing on breast cancer, I will use transcriptomic and proteogenomic approaches for identifying modulators of response to Samuraciclib. Follow-up mechanistic studies will be used to define the cellular signalling pathways driving cancer cell responses to Samuraciclib.    

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? The two 6-month lab placements gave the me the opportunity to explore two different areas of research and decide what sort of lab and supervisors I wanted to continue my PhD in. I am now continuing my PhD in the lab that I did my second lab rotation in.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Make sure that you are passionate and driven to do your PhD and continue research, but do not worry if you do not know exactly what you want to do your PhD in - the MultiSci programme provides the perfect opportunity to explore your interests and decide this through your first MRes year.                                                    

What would you like to do after your PhD? Currently I’m not entirely sure what I would like to do - definitely stay in the scientific field whether this is a post doc or working for a company.     

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? Living in London there is always something going on and endless opportunities to meet new people or try new things/hobbies etc.

Name: Laia Rigat Nogareda

Nationality: Spanish

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laia-rigat-nogareda/ 

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? I was working as a Research Assistant in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London.

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? Having worked at Imperial before, I was confident that I wanted to do the PhD here, as the research environment and available opportunities were excellent. More importantly, MultiSci facilitates both personal and professional development while also ensuring a good support net is in place throughout the program. Besides, MultiSci's interdisciplinarity will enable me to do the PhD project between two departments to broaden the project's perspective.

What will you be researching for your PhD? For my PhD, I will work with modified nucleotides for RNA vaccines and therapeutics. I will assess their impact on RNA function and test novel ways to improve the RNA platform. 

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? The MRes year helped me set the groundwork for my PhD project and do a rotation in each of my future supervisors' labs. The knowledge gained during the MRes year has helped me take more ownership of the project direction of my PhD and be convinced I am doing the project I would like to be doing with the people who can best support me.

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Show you are passionate about your topic and enthusiastic about science, but don’t worry if you don’t exactly know what you want to do; that’s what the first year is for.

What do you enjoy most about doing research? The capacity to generate new knowledge and deepen the understanding of my topic to enable meaningful contributions and advancements in the field.             

What are your hobbies? Anything sports-related! I have played basketball all my life, and it takes up most of my free time. And when I get the opportunity, I love to get into nature and go hiking or cycling.

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? It is a really diverse city with lots of opportunities and things to do, you just can’t get tired of it.

Name: Lauren Mason                  

Nationality: British        

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-mason-733496177/

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? As part of the MRes in Clinical Research (also at Imperial), I was working on a project investigating the effects of a dietary intervention on bone turnover in the elderly.       

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? Through my research experiences during my undergraduate and first MRes, I was confident that I enjoyed research, but I wasn’t sure which area I wanted to focus on. MultiSci provides the opportunity to carry out rotations during the first year, which I felt would help me figure out exactly what I wanted to (and didn’t want to!) work on for the rest of my PhD.

What will you be researching for your PhD? I’ll be researching how the commensal microbiota in the gut protects against colonisation by drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and in turn how antibiotic treatment disrupts this ‘colonisation resistance’ conferred by the commensal microbial community. The aim of this research is to develop novel microbiome-based strategies for preventing and treating gastrointestinal infection with P. aeruginosa.       

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? My background is in Exercise Science and Nutrition, so the MRes year was essential for me to get to grips with lab-based research and to help me transition from studying humans to studying bacteria! I’ll be doing my PhD in one of my MRes labs, so my proposal is a natural progression from my MRes project. 

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? Don’t feel like you need to have extensive experience in the area you think you want to research before applying and interviewing. This program is great for giving you opportunities to explore different areas before committing to a PhD project.      

Who or what has been the biggest inspiration in your scientific career to date? My 7th grade science teacher was the person who first introduced me to the idea that a career in science was possible! She was kind and encouraging, as well as being incredibly knowledgeable, and that combination sparked my enthusiasm for science.             

What do you enjoy most about doing research? Getting to work with people who share my excitement and enthusiasm about my area of interest, and have interesting discussions on a daily basis is definitely one of my favourite aspects.                                 

What are your hobbies? Rock climbing, yoga, camping and spending time in nature, gig-attending, meditation, reading, guitar, and hunting down the best vegan food in London.        

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? I've lived here nearly my whole life and am still always finding new things to do and experience!

Name: Lingyi Wang                      

Nationality: Chinese

LinkedIn profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/lingyi-wang-6683821b9

What were you doing before joining MultiSci? Before joining MultiSci, I did my undergraduate at Imperial studying Biochemistry, during which I did a placement year at GSK. After this, I did the MRes Biomedical Research also at Imperial College London.        

Why did you choose to apply to MultiSci? I think the MRes year is a highlight of MultiSci. Having two research projects and the diverse modules during this year would greatly help me to enrich skills inside and outside the laboratory. I also like the variable training opportunities, in which we could interact with our peers and meet new people. I think the feeling of within a cohort is unique, because in most other PhD courses, students usually only engage in their own research group. Further, the supplement scheme offers greatly flexibility, which allows me to acquire requisite skills to not only become a good researcher but also be capable of exploring other opportunities alongside research in the future.      

What will you be researching for your PhD? My PhD project is about the metabolic regulation of T cells in type 1 diabetes. I am investigating how the impaired metabolic environment in type 1 diabetes may alter the functionality of T cells, and the involvement of different metabolic pathways on cytokine production by T cells. Furthermore, as miRNAs are emerging as important biomarkers of type 1 diabetes, I will also explore if miRNA contributes to T cell dysfunction during type 1 diabetes pathogenesis.   

How did the MRes year of MultiSci help you in developing your PhD project proposal? I think the MRes year provides a really good opportunity to learn new techniques and explore different research areas. Most importantly, this allows us to test the research areas before fully committing for a PhD. I also really enjoyed the MultiSci activities provided during this year, which also provided a good opportunity to network with my course-mates.  Before joining MultiSci, I did the same MRes Biomedical Research course for masters - having the same MRes twice allowed me to work for 4 different projects, and I find this greatly improved my research skills and let me network with more people!

What's your top tip for anyone considering applying to MultiSci? I would suggest understanding why you would like to pursue a PhD and how MultiSci suits your goal, and any potential areas you are interested in. Do research about the course details and prepare carefully for the interview. Finally, be confident, and show your enthusiasm about research during the application, and good luck!  

Who or what has been the biggest inspiration in your scientific career to date? Jennifer Doudna who discovered the genome editing tool CRISPR-Cas9.    

What do you enjoy most about doing research? I find it fascinating to try new things during research, sometimes we could find something and become the first person to witness this in the world.       

What animal best represents you and why? I would say rabbit maybe. I describe myself as an extroverted introvert, it takes some time for me to open up myself during socials. I think this reflects the quiet but active feature of a rabbit :).

What would you like to do after your PhD? For now, I am thinking to stay in research after the PhD, and plan to find postdoc opportunities. I am also trying to explore other science-related work, and plan to utilise the MultiSci Supplement Scheme to undertake internships and see how I like it.          

What are your hobbies? In my spare time, I usually practice figure skating, go swimming or cooking. I also love outdoor sports, including skiing and hiking.  

What do you enjoy most about living and studying in London? In London, there are always a lot of new things going on. Most people in London are quite friendly and open-minded. I love how lively London as a city, and it is so convenient to travel from London to other cities to explore other places.