2022 Undergraduate Summer Studentship
Project title: Towards a novel therapy for chronic hepatitis B virus – targeting the chronic form of hepatitis B virus
How would you describe your research project to someone without a scientific background?
Chronic hepatitis B is an incurable infection in the liver that results in severe liver scarring and is the leading cause of liver cancer. Right now, the treatments for chronic hepatitis B slow down the progression of scarring and cancer, but they do not cure the infection. My project focuses on a new target for treatments of hepatitis B.
What impact do you hope this project makes once completed?
I hope that this project can serve as a stepping stone for new strategies to treat hepatitis B as well as other diseases. Ultimately, I hope some part of this project will help decrease the disease burden of chronic hepatitis B.
How will the support from Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology help you?
The Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology (LKSIoV) is a first-class science network that has local, national and international connections and collaborations. This means that recognition and support from the LKSIoV could lead to this project making waves beyond the University of Alberta, which is always the goal in research right? That being said, this could also mean that people who may be doing similar work, or have similar interests from all over, could collaborate. Additionally, the LKSIoV gives me the opportunity to indulge and learn more about my own field first-hand, as well as other research interests through seminars and various events.
What first attracted you to science?
Learning about the history of science and technology throughout my entire life has been fascinating. The famous line from Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” really sums up how my interest was piqued: scientific pioneers such as Aristotle, and proposed theories, approaches, and methodologies that we are still applying (to a certain extent). Today, I am constantly being reminded of how far we’ve come because of the contributions of scientists from the past, and I’m excited to hopefully be a part of the scientific community that contributes to our understanding of the current unknown(s) of today.
What are you inspired by? Who inspires you? Why?
I am inspired by anyone’s ability to persevere in the midst of adversity. Someone who comes to mind is one of my older brothers who has lived with a physical disability for his entire life. His constant willingness to learn and adapt is an inspiration to me everyday.
What is your favorite distraction or hobby?
Cooking and baking. It’s funny because when you think about it, there are a lot of similarities between cooking/baking and running experiments. I started to cook on my own when I was about 10 years old. Albeit, at 10, I experienced many, many failures, but it only pushed me to try again and improve. I also loved seeing my family members' reactions (good and bad) when they would try the food, and I especially appreciated their praise and criticisms. This is something that I still do today, and I still feel the same way. I’m constantly seeking new recipes for new foods to try out, just to see what I can do, while improving on the foods that I’ve been making for over 10 years now.