Profile

I grew up across the continents of Asia, North America, and Africa before I moved to the UK to start university. Most people I meet in the UK think I have an American or Canadian accent, but I’m not sure I do!

I became interested in medicine and health after I was treated for a spinal condition as a teenager. When I met other patients with my condition, I realised that I was very lucky to have the treatment I did, so I wanted to act to make sure that everyone has the chance to make their health better.

I have picked up a lot of random hobbies. I did a lot of music when I was younger and continue to play the piano and guitar, both for myself and for others. I also took some art classes and find that the things I draw have become more and more simple over the years. I used to read a lot in my spare time, but I read a lot when I’m working now, so I don’t pick up many books for fun.

I work with a team of scientists from different backgrounds, and we mostly work on computers. We design nationwide experiments and observe what happens to blood donors over the years so that we can make the donation process better for everyone. We collect data from people (mostly adults) who volunteer to give blood in England. You might know someone who is in our datasets!

I like to work on harder things in the morning because I think I focus better. In the afternoon, I do things that need a little less concentration because I feel a little sleepy after lunch. I also like to keep a hot drink with me when I work because it helps me get into a routine.

I use a programme called R to write code (or instructions for my computer) and find out more about relationships between different parts of my data. I learned R when I was in university, and I find coding fun. But when R doesn’t work, I sometimes feel very frustrated. Luckily, many of the scientists I work with are much better at programming than me and can help.

I also write as much as I can during my working day. I write about what the relationships in my data mean for other scientists and for people who are involved in my research, like people who donate blood. I also write down silly ideas and random thoughts in case they become useful later.

During the week, I go to my office as much as I can so that I can connect with other scientists and learn from their work. When I’m not in my office, I go to libraries in other places to work, and I sometimes practice piano nearby during my lunch break.