“Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything.” the aphorism by Magnus Carlsen always resonates with me. I am always seeking opportunities to strengthen my capability. Seeing improvements as well as overcoming challenges have always given me a sense of satisfaction. This has pushed me to achieve anything I am eager for, especially while pursuing a research career stepwise to decipher the enigma of molecular mechanism and its modulation for better understanding and effectively targeting cancer. Over the years of my research career, I have realized that to acquire a comprehensive view of the clinical evolution, an ideal model is needed to integrate signal modulation, biomarker assessment, and therapeutic strategy. …show more content…
With laboratory work and solid training in PIER, I believe I can broaden and deepen my abilities to sail the immense ocean of knowledge and beyond. My determination of becoming a scientist was concrete after being a cancer volunteer with my aunt in a local hospital in my senior year in university. While assisting my cancer patients’ daily life, their agitation, depression and suffering motivated me to pursue a career in studying the progression, prevention, and therapy of the disease. More precisely, in bacterial and viral pathogenesis research. To practice this goal, I enrolled in the medical college of National Taiwan University, renowned for its hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) research. During my study, I learnt that HCC is prevalent in Taiwan, and it is often diagnosed in late stages due to limited biomarkers available, lacking specificity and accuracy. Hence, the chance of cure is relatively low. Knowing this, I focused on developing quantification platform to discover and validate potential biomarkers and/or combining several biomarkers as a detection panel for HCC early detection. I