I have been into all things wildlife and outdoors for as long as I can remember, and flung myself into organismal biology at Yale- NUS. Organisms I have worked on include stick insects and otters(!). I mainly study their behaviour, and I am grateful for the many research opportunities Yale-NUS has made available to me, such as the Summer Research Programme. Even though we area small College, there are always opportunities to connect with faculty to work on just about anything! My favourite life sciences class so far has to be Field Research. Take it.

I chose Life Sciences as my major because I have always been fascinated by human health and medicine since childhood. The very idea of discovering a drug or a therapy that can alleviate the suffering of patients excites me and propels me to explore research in biomedicine. Besides, I believe majoring in Life Sciences is the best way to understand and appreciate life. I find it meaningful to attempt to understand the intricate workings of different biological systems on a microscopic level. As I continue to explore biomedicine, I hope to apply my academic knowledge to not only research, but healthy living in a scientific way.

While I exploring the various molecular mechanisms that underlie life processes, I always find myself in a situation with more questions than I began with, and this really motivated me to delve deeper into this field. But perhaps the real reason I find myself being drawn to this field is that, despite finding deeper explanations to various questions, I still find myself being taken aback by just how amazingly coordinated and capable different molecular processes and pathways are in creating and sustaining life.

I have always had a passion and fascination for the human body and health. Through the diversity of courses and research opportunities offered at Yale-NUS College, I was able to develop my interests in the medical, public health, and mental health sector. Starting from my first year, I began working with Associate Professor Jan Gruber on ageing at his biology lab at NUS; during my second year, I worked with Associate Professor Christopher L Asplund on exploring human being’s cognitive abilities and their severe limitations (which holds clinical significance in understanding people with Autism Spectrum Disorder); from a public health course I took during my second year, I had the chance to work on publishing a paper with Professor Jeannette Ickovics. The liberal arts education at Yale-NUS College has allowed me discover and fuse my interests in all three sectors relating to human health–something that may not have been possible anywhere else.

Life Sciences in Yale-NUS equipped students to understand the mechanisms and foundations that determine the complexities of life. The insightful courses, abundant research opportunities, and the richness of discussions here strengthened my critical thinking skills and creativity. The skills cultivated through course work and hands-on research also developed my abilities to formulate ways to answer interesting questions. In addition, as a liberal arts and sciences college, Yale-NUS provided many opportunities for me to study disciplines outside of science. Throughout the process, I was able to discover interesting intersections between life sciences and other disciplines.

Since high school, I have been fascinated with health and the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases—I suppose this was the primary impetus behind my decision to major in the Life Sciences. Science has always been a major part of my life, and I remember constantly trying to find explanations for phenomena that happen in the biological world. Thankfully, this childlike curiosity has not vanished. I love how probing deeper into my unanswered questions on a cellular and molecular level leads me to even more questions. As they say, the more you know, the more you know you do not know. This is precisely what drives me forward in the Life Sciences.