Robin Chan
Nationality:
Singapore
Current Job:
Vice President
Strategic Partnership, AliveX Biotech, China
Graduation:
2009
Degree:
PhD
Faculty and Department:
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Undergraduate University:
National University of Singapore
“Always be open to new learning experiences and make efforts to network.”
In retrospect, would you still have chosen to do a PhD? Why?
Yes, I would still do a PhD because I really wanted a research career in the biomedical field at that time. Even though I am not personally doing research anymore in my current job, my background is still helping me to speak with scientists and understand what they are doing.
On hindsight, would you still have chosen NUS to do your PhD?
Yes, NUS was a really good choice for me. I wanted to continue staying in Singapore, and NUS had the best reputation and some of the best researchers in the country.
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research topic for your PhD?
Yes, at the time lipidomics was a very new field and I applied the technology in the study of retroviruses. Subsequently when I was doing my postdoc in neurodegenerative diseases, I was still using lipidomics in my work. So overall, learning about lipidomics brought me a lot of success in my science career.
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research supervisor for your PhD?
Yes, my PhD supervisor Markus was a great mentor and we still keep in contact till today. His field of expertise (lipidomics) was very interesting to me, and more importantly he supported me a lot during my time in NUS and even after I became a postdoc at a new university, I still spoke to him for career advice.
Suggest 2 or 3 things that graduate students should do to prepare for their professional careers?
1. There are many jobs in the biomedical field that do not involve research. Use some of your time as a graduate student to explore these options and determine if they are a good fit for you.
2. If you are interested in a research career, put in maximum effort in publishing well and attend international research conferences to network with potential mentors in the schools or companies you want to work in.
3. If you are looking for non-research jobs after graduate school, make sure to spend some time preparing for these roles while you are in graduate school and also networking with people who are already in the field.
Name 2-3 things you wished you had been told when you started graduate school?
1. Doing a PhD is not easy and at least a 3-4 years commitment, so figure out if a PhD is the right choice for your career aspiration and something you can commit to.
2. Look for graduate supervisors who have a very good publication track record because publishing as a graduate student is the most important indicator of success and helping secure the next step in your career.
Any other words of wisdom to share?
Always be open to new learning experiences and make efforts to network.