This year, there are two deserving recipients of the Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WiEST) Development Grant from the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Congratulations Sint Thida Bo (Alice) and Wong Chui Fann!
The award ceremony took place during the Promotion of Women in Engineering, Research and Science (POWERS) panel discussion with Guest of Honour, Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower on 8 April 2022.
Established back in 2018, the WiEST Development Grant aims to encourage early-career engineers, scientists, and technologists to expand their network and continue to persist and innovate in the curiosity-driven world of STEM. Grant awardees will receive a one-time grant of S$3,000 that will cover conference-related fees as well as professional and personal development courses that offer expanded exposure and learning opportunities to acquire essential skillsets to succeed in STEM.
Sint Thida Bo, Alice (Left) and Wong Chui Fann (right) being presented with the award.
While both women are passionate in their field, their journeys have been very different. Alice did not start out her tertiary education liking Biology – she studied engineering in polytechnic as Mathematics was her favourite subject. She then made a major switch to Biological Sciences at NTU for her degree and is now in her final year pursuing a PhD in the field of immunology at Associate Professor Su I-Hsin’s lab. On the other hand, Chui Fann’s passion in Science developed early in her polytechnic days, which led her to pursuing a Bachelor and Master’s degree from NTU SBS and is now a graduating PhD student in Professor Gerhard Gruber’s lab.
Let’s continue hearing more from the both of them.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD here at NTU SBS?
Alice: I decided to pursue a PhD because of my desire to contribute to creating scientific knowledge and improving human health. The decision to continue my PhD here is mainly because there is a research project that I am keen to work on and I was offered a research scholarship.
Chui Fann: Pursuing a PhD was not something I had in mind. But when I first took up Molecular Biotechnology at Nanyang Polytechnic, I was fascinated. The experience in research, collaborations, and broadening my knowledge were all very challenging. I became a challenge junkie.
I realised that I needed to widen my knowledge and open new horizons and experiences to be able to take up future challenges. The PhD programme offered, provided an avenue for accomplishing these ambitions of mine. The research question direction taken by SBS has always been exciting and inspiring. The choice eventually to stay at SBS after my undergraduate education here was clear. There is also further joy in having a professor who challenges me and channels my energy in the right directions.
How did you first become interested in biology/science?
Alice: Up until high school, I didn’t really like biology because there was too much memorisation required. Mathematics was my favourite subject, so I opted to study an engineering diploma at Singapore Polytechnic. Only there, I happened to read the book “The Double Helix” by James Watson. It was a personal account of the discovery of DNA structure. I realise how exciting it is to unravel what is going on in the cells in our body. Since then, I started reading more books and articles on life sciences and became sure that it was something I wanted to pursue.
Chui Fann: What is far more amazing than the study of life itself? I was always drawn to biomedical sciences particularly since biology is very integrative now more than ever. A good example is the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted people’s lives. How does a virus, smaller than the size of dust particles affect humans so significantly that economies came to a halt, health care institutions were put to overdrive and disrupted the social interactions with one another?
Why did you choose to do your B.Sc with NTU SBS too?
Alice: After getting my engineering diploma, I decided to make a switch for my degree and applied to biological sciences. I am grateful that SBS accepted me despite not having a relevant diploma. I had a great time during my undergraduate degree, taking courses in different areas of biology and trying out research projects. So, I decided to continue my PhD studies at SBS.
Chui Fann: I did apply to other universities at the same time after my diploma. However, NTU stood out when I was applying as it was establishing itself as a young rising university. Today, we have seen the results clearly from ground-breaking research that have cemented NTU’s place in the global stage. I am glad that I was in this journey together with NTU and that I contributed to the research scene in the university to the best of my abilities
Could you share with us another achievement that you are proud of?
Alice: We applied for the Ministry of Education (MOE) Academic Research Fund (AcRF) Tier 2 grant using the data that I generated during my studies and was awarded. It is a great feeling to get recognized for the significance of our project. As a research fellow position is available under this grant, I intend to continue working in my PhD lab at SBS for some time upon graduation. Afterwards, I will be applying for postdoctoral fellowships in the US.
Chui Fann: My proudest achievement is that I was able to publish over 7 papers during my time here at SBS. My main driving force for this achievement would be the complexity of the research question. In research, the longing to understand is a common factor that drives all scientists, and I am no different and I cannot discount sheer determination and a lot of hard work.
Furthermore, I still have various unanswered questions that I am trying to figure out. Also, it helps that in such a challenging journey to have a professor who motivates and guides me when the going gets tough.
How are you planning to utilise the grant of $3,000 awarded?
Alice: I intend to attend a conference “Gene expression and signaling in the immune system” organized by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. Many renowned experts in my field will be there. It will be my first overseas conference. I’m excited to share my work and looking forward to fruitful discussions with fellow immunologists.
Chui Fann: This award serves as an investment to expand my skillsets and widen my outlook on my research area. The various workshops and conferences opportunities provides a platform to achieve these goals. The ability to lessen financial pressure is a boon for any scientist.