Focus speaker (Life)
Prof. Yi-Chin TOH
Assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, NUS Profile Yi-Chin Toh obtained her B.Eng in Chemical Engineering and PhD in Bioengineering from the National University of Singapore in 2001 and 2008 respectively. She did her post-doctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2008 before joining the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, A*STAR as a research scientist in 2010. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Design and Innovation Centre (EDIC) at the National University of Singapore. Her research interest is in the application of microfluidics and BioMEMs to understand the spatio-temporal relationships between cellular microenvironments and stem cell fate specification during normal and pathogenic embryonic tissue patterning. These micro-engineered stem cell models will in turn be translated into organs-on-a-chip platforms for drug testing applications. Dr Toh is a recipient of the National University of Singapore Research Scholarship, A*STAR Graduate Scholarship and A*STAR International Fellowship. Abstract Making life after PhD to be one with endless possibilities Obtaining a PhD – the highest academic degree - is supposed to open many opportunities for us in life. The fact that we have received a rigorous training in analytical thinking, problem identification and solving, communication skills is supposed to equip us with the capability to be a leader in any career that we choose to undertake. But sometimes the life with endless possibilities can degenerate into one fraught with endless uncertainties. How do we tackle the question of figuring out what are the professions that we can go into and more importantly, what are the jobs that we will love to do, besides the obvious academic route? This talk will share some lessons I have learnt through my personal experiences or vicariously through others. |