Identified by the Mistletoe Research Fellowship (MRF) Reward Committee for her “collaborative spirit, intellectual curiosity, and resiliency”, Dr Loo Shining has been selected as a Mistletoe Research Fellow for the 2021-2022 cycle. Congratulations!
Currently a Research Fellow at Professor James P Tam’s laboratory, she is also an alumna who pursued both her B.Sc and Ph.D with NTU School of Biological Sciences (SBS). We spoke to Dr Loo to hear her story on how she cultivated her passion for science, and why she chose to further her studies with NTU SBS.
What inspired you to pursue a career in science?
Despite having an unabated interest in science since young, pursuing a career in it never crossed my mind until I entered university. It was in my undergraduate studies where I learnt about Chinese medicine and its many scientifically unexplainable therapeutic effects. During which I also received an invitation to join URECA, a program which provided invaluable experience for hands-on research. My project was focused in providing scientific evidence for the ethnomedicinal uses of a traditional medicine. I find it oddly satisfying when I was able to provide a scientific explanation to those who asked me about the herb’s therapeutic effects. Since this inception, research became an extended avenue of my interest and an inspiration as a potential career path.
How did you first become interested in biology/sciences?
Growing up with an inquisitive nature, I loved reading and figuring out how things worked. To satiate my many ‘whys’ and ‘hows’, scouring through encyclopedias was my go-to pastime. I think my incessant questions drove my parents crazy that they enrolled me into a science club for kids. I had so much fun participating in the outdoor learning expeditions like insect catching, seed collecting, star gazing, and hiking through swamps and forests.
Why did you choose to do your B.Sc and Ph.D. with NTU SBS?
I chose to undertake my undergraduate studies with NTU SBS due to the unique bilingual five-year double degree program that is exclusively offered here. Having no prior exposure to Chinese medicine, curiosity led me to embark on this innovative amalgamation of biomedical science research and Chinese medicine.
For my biomedical science degree, I am trained in the areas of biology and chemistry which expands to various fields of life sciences, physiological sciences, and bioengineering. Moreover, focused courses in human biology such as pathology and anatomy, complemented my second degree in Chinese Medicine where I learnt the principles and practice of the trade.
During my undergraduate studies, the URECA program and FYP exposed me to evidence-based scientific research. This laid the foundation for me to pursue postgraduate studies in a related field. It was a timely opportunity when I was offered both a Ph.D. position in NTU SBS and the prestigious Nanyang President’s Graduate Scholarship. Coincidentally, Professor James P Tam was awarded a 10-million-dollar CRP grant for natural product research which is of my interest.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working in Professor James P Tam’s laboratory, co-leading the drug discovery team in the studies of peptidyl biologics from medicinal plants. My latest venture expanded to the field of proteomics which has greatly broadened our team’s research scope and skills. Using our in-house high-resolution liquid-chromatography-mass-spectrometer, I worked with our collaborators to establish different chemical, functional, and structural proteomic and computational methods for deciphering the functions of these natural-occurring peptide biologics.
What is your long-term research goal/what are you seeking to accomplish in the long run?
My long-term research goal is to be able to translate my research knowledge into applications that can potentially benefit the society and/or solve real-life problems.
Any advice you might have for others interested in science or this fellowship?
The intention of this fellowship grant is to collaborate with international start-up companies and provide hardware solutions for their products. To those who are interested, my advice is to keep an open mind and be receptive in collaborating and working on projects outside of your comfort zone. These projects can be in any field including engineering, chemistry, design, computational and even environmental science.