QAEHS in Focus shines the spotlight on QAEHS staff and students to showcase the expertise and talent within our Centre
How long have you worked at QAEHS?
I have been working with QAEHS for 2.5 years.
How do you explain your job to people?
An immigration officer once asked me something similar, and this was my response: "I am like a border security officer for harmful chemicals in your body. I screen urine and blood for chemicals from products or the environment that we are exposed to and evaluate whether the exposure is within safety limits. I also do some detective work, piecing together cluses on how and why we get exposed to these chemicals."
What is your favourite thing about working with QAEHS?
What I love most about QAEHS is its supportive learning environment. Before joining, I had no hands-on experience with LCMS or GCMS. QAEHS has taught me so much, and while I'm not yet at the expert level like the analysts, I can now use the instruments with some degree of independence. We all start somewhere, and I am grateful to the analysts who have taught me patiently and without judgement. Learning is truly enjoyable when you're in an environment that fosters it.
What is something that you learned in the last week?
I've learned how to solve a 3x3 mirror cube! Recently, I've developed an interest in speed solving intuitive puzzle cubes, particularly the 3x3 Rubik's cube. The 3x3 mirror cube is quite different from the standard 3x3 Rubik's cube because you solve it by shape rather than colour. If you're interested, feel free to approach me, and I can teach you various algorithms for solving it. My next goal is master the 4x4 cube.
What has been your career path that led you to your current position at QAEHS?
Since you asked, I will indulge. I love Physics and always wanted to pursue Applied Physics during my undergraduate studies. However, opportunities in this field were limited at the time. I ended up choosing Chemical Engineering as my major. Unfortunately, it felt like I was on the wrong bus. I switched to Biological Engineering instead which was still engineering but with a splash of biology and more chemistry in the curriculum.
In my third year, I was an exchange student at two Taiwanese universities, working on my thesis about biological assays for environmental monitoring. This led me to pursue a master's in Environmental Engineering in Taiwan, focusing on air pollution and toxicology. I then pursued a PhD in the same field but later realised that the professor, research topic, and the work environment were not a good fit. I wanted a PhD experience with supportive mentors, a passionate research field, and a conductive learning environment. These are crucial considerations before starting a PhD as they can make or break you.
I did some human exposure/biomonitoring projects on the side and have always been interested in this area. Discovering QAEHS research papers led me to join QAEHS. Now, I have an amazing supervisory team, colleagues, and a fantastic work environment!
It's funny, but out of all the chemistry majors during my bachelor's, Analytical Chemistry was my weakest subject. I always told friends I'd never pursue a research field centred on it - oh, the irony! A large part of my current research heavily relies on it!
What I realise now is that back then, I didn't have access to resources that could have made engaging with this subject effective. At QAEHS, I am privileged to have first-hand access to instruments and opportunities to be trained on them by experts. Working with QAEHS is an invaluable opportunity and experience.
What research are you working on now?
My research focuses on human exposure to contaminants of emerging concern, such as flame retardants, plastic additives, and personal care product additives. A significant part of my project involves developing methods to quantify these chemicals in various human matrices (human biomonitoring applications) to address hypothesis-based research questions.
What is your favourite movie?
It's so hard to choose between Contagion and Gattaca since I've watched both an unhealthy number of times.
Random fact you'd like to share about yourself.
Sometimes, I sleepwalk at night.
