What are you studying at LMP and why are you interested in studying it?
I’m currently a 5th year pathology resident. Before I started the program I was interested in pathology because it was a discipline that focused on diagnostics using histology as our main tool. Now I’m most interested in areas of autopsy and forensics pathology, and their use of upcoming tools to facilitate diagnostics.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve done, seen, or got involved with while at LMP?
While I was a junior trainee, I was able to be involved in a sequence of projects looking at the value of using multiplex Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and digital pathology tools to characterize the tumour immune microenvironment. These projects jump-started my learning and got me interested in tumor immunology and digital pathology.
What was the best career advice you ever received?
Be your own advocate.
What has been an important learning experience in your life?
An important aspect of learning for me was to find mentors earlier on in my training. I was fortunate to have met various mentors in service, research, and in my career. Mentorship and finding a safe environment to learn (and sometimes fail) is one of the best ways to progress through various challenges of my training. Additionally, strong mentor-mentee relationships foster valuable professional support when wisdom is needed.
Who is an influential person in your life and why?
Liu Cixin, the science fiction author of The Wondering Earth, The Three-Body Problem, and Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. He is a Chinese Sci-fi writer, with a background in engineering. Upon discovering his body of works, it was inspiring to see how he used his scientific knowledge to flesh out his fictional world, especially for an aspiring writer like me. One aspect I enjoy in his writing is how he weaved in a sci-fi setting and philosophy.
In the Three-Body Problem, Liu Cixin posed the question: "what if the extraterrestrials viewed our privileged solar system as a potential new home?", so they may leave behind a more hostile three-sun solar system. What would be the inevitable existential conflict between humans of the 21st century and aliens capable of cross-galactic travel? Worth a read! (I can’t even talk about the Dark Forest because of the spoilers!).
What would it surprise people to know about you?
I really wanted to be a crime detective as a kid because of cartoons, but apparently that didn’t make much financial sense (according to my parents). So, I compromised with pathology – a disease detective.
What activities do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Since existential dread of living in 2024 invariably kicks in if I’m to go without doing something on my day off. Outside of spending time on my hobbies and following up on friends and family. My partner and I have been enjoying participating in Show Dog events with our American Eskimo dog Mokoko.
What is your favourite album, film and novel?
Film – Lord of the Rings trilogy, extended edition. To me, it’s the greatest representation of Tolkien’s fantasy world in film and set the standards for current day cinema. I revisit this series once a year and probably know most of the lines!
Novel – My favourite book is Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, but my favorite series was the Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. I liked stories that combine history, travel, mystery, and a dash of fantasy. While these two stories have very different target audiences, the writing style was approachable and fun.
My Spotify has a single playlist called “background noise” which goes to show my favourite album!
Who would be your dream dinner guests?
Albert Einstein (the greatest mind in history), Mansa (King) Musa (the richest man in history), and Genghis Khan (the greatest conqueror in history). Assuming everyone was able to communicate soundly, I would enjoy hearing the wisdom from the man who wanted to explain everything, the man who owned everything, and the man who conquered everything.
Where/what is your favourite place?
Tokyo Train Station. For anyone who loves functional infrastructure and more than 4 lines of subways, this place is amazing.
If you were stuck on a deserted island but had all your basic needs taken care of (i.e. food and water), what two items would you bring with you and why?
Assuming basic needs include water and shelter; I would get high-speed satellite internet and a good computer – technically digital pathology means I can participate at sign out no matter where I am in the world right? For everything else, there’s Amazon Prime.
