AKA The students that had no idea what they were getting into
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Smaranda-Ruxandra BadeaSmara serves as co-chairperson together with Hweih this year (Women in STEM FTW). She is starting her 4th year as a PhD student in the School of Biomedical Sciences, working on strategies to overcome the neurodegenerative response that occurs after injury or immune attack in the nervous system.
She studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Bucharest, Romania, then took a year's sabbatical to travel and enjoy life. Smara chips in with Nerd Nite Hong Kong and is a resident tutor at Chi Sun College, where she helps students reach their full potential with a mix of tough love and copious amounts of chocolate. Her goal is to ultimately an oral presentation without having to speak a single word herself, even for Q&A. "Please add a nap room for the postgrads, thanks!" |
Lee Hwei HuihHwei co-chairperson with Smara this year. She is entering her 4th year of PhD in the Department of Microbiology, working on discovery of novel viral metagenomics from middle eastern animals. Growing up in a multicultural country which is also rich in biodiversity, she completed her MSc in Genetics and BSc in Industrial Bioinformatics at Malaysia. She works closely with CEDARS for the We Are With You Project to promote and preserve Hong Kong historical attractions to the publics and HKU newly admitted International students. On top of that, she serves as RPS SOC for the fourth year in a row, contributing her time to learning and growing through Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine events. Everyday is a new challenge, embrace them with passion and keep smiling!
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Fatima-Tuz-ZahraFatima serves as Secretary of this year RPS. She is a 1st year PhD student in the School of Biomedical Sciences, working on the molecular basis of Asporin as genetic risk factor of intervertebral disc degeneration. Her goal is to come up with therapy for IDD to reduce the socio-economic burden from society. She secured Gold Medal in her MPhil with double major in Molecular Biology and Forensic Sciences and BS in Biochemistry, from Pakistan. Outside of lab, she is humble, friendly and love to help others that’s why elected as residential committee member in Graduate House on people’s choice. She enjoys self-analysis with a cup of coffee and “The Forty Rules of Love”. Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you.
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Maja Højvang SørensenMaja is a 1st year PhD student at the School of Biomedical Sciences, where she is studying the role of alpha-synuclein in neurodegenerative diseases. Her long fascination of the human brain is evident in her previous studies, where she has spent one year in Beijing studying Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, besides holding a MSc in Biochemistry from the University of Copenhagen. When not in the laboratory, Maja is contributing to Nerd Nite Hong Kong or out finding coffee. Her philosophy in life is to embrace every challenge with a smile.
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Daisylyn Senna Young TanDaisy is a 1st year Mphil student and holds a BSc in Biochemistry from De La Salle University. She is currently studying the mechanism behind the enhanced activity of artificially evolved transcription factors. Outside of lab work, Daisy enjoys participating and helping out in events and social activities, mostly hosted by her home away from home -Chi Sun college. Hailing from the Philippines, she enjoys spending time out in the sun at the beach. She is generally a free spirited animal lover who greets everyone with a smile and if warranted, a hug. Sidenote: Isn’t Zozo (doggo in the photo) the cutest.
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Brian M. WorthingtonBrian is a 2nd year PhD student studying virology in the School of Public Health. Originally from the US, he came to HK for the amazing biodiversity. He’s interested in the evolutionary ecology of zoonotic infectious disease and intends to pursue a career in research at the animal-human interface of public health and veterinary medicine. Ultimately he hopes to become actively involved in disease ecology research, environmental education, and wildlife conservation. When not in the lab, he can be found in one of HK’s beautiful country parks or on a paddleboard somewhere...
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Candy Ziqi ZhouI am a second-year PhD student from school of Public Health, studying virology. Staying positive and enjoying the life would come first during my PhD study. I can be nerdy as a conventional PhD student who always explores and reflects on something unknown in the research field but also can be enthusiastic about joining various outdoor activities.
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Vox TingVox has traveled various journeys before starting this permanent head damage one. As a 2nd year PhD student in Medical Oncology, she has found her interests lying in cancer and immunology. Being involved in the age while immunotherapy attracts higher attention as cancer treatment, she hopes to contribute in establishing a systematic protocol for personalized cancer treatment. In order to work better, food and friends are a must. Outside the campus, she also writes articles for food and travel (selling travel photos would help your future travel too =]) Oh by the way, coffee is a choice, always.
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Nicodemus WongNicodemus is a stem cell enthusiast. As a 2nd year Ph.D. student in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, he studies the intrinsic cellular defects in children suffering from congenital heart diseases using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes. He aims to alleviate the agony and improve the quality of life for these sick kids by furthering our understanding of the pathological mechanism and developing medical interventions that are more suitable for these kids. Outside the lab, Nicodemus loves the sun and enjoy extreme sports such as wakeboarding and snowboarding. He is also an incredible beach volleyball player and ready for his next challenge.
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