Yohannes Ambaw
Nationality: Ethiopia
Current Job: Research Fellow, Harvard University, United States
Graduation: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Year 2019
Undergraduate: University of Gondar, Ethiopia
"Always be ready to learn something new."
In retrospect, would you still have chosen to do a PhD? Why?
Of course. Pursuing a PhD gave me an opportunity to continue and excel in my passion for research.
On hindsight, would you still have chosen NUS to do your PhD?
Yes, I would still have chosen NUS to do PhD because the science in NUS is amazing. In addition, the people around lab members, department, faculty made life easy, memorable and excellent for me.
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research topic for your PhD?
Yes, my PhD research topic was interesting. It gave me a chance to explore the area of lipidomics in relation to inflammatory ocular surface disease. This project also offered me the opportunity to work with different experts as a collaborator.
On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research supervisor for your PhD?
YES, I would definitely still choose him as a supervisor. He was extremely supportive through the entire four years of my PhD. Prof Markus Wenk opened the door for me to collaborate and work together with different experts. I would also consider him a mentor in my future career and personal life.
How did NUS prepare you for your career?
My PhD project was really fascinating, and we published multiple papers in high impact journals. Besides the research experience, I learned many things to achieve my goal. So, the experience of graduate school at NUS helped prepare me for my current position tremendously.
Suggest 2 or 3 things that graduate students should do to prepare for their professional careers?
Stay focused and take any opportunity to collaborate and develop your career. Three more things that would be important for an academic career:
1. Responsibility
2. Passion
3. Discipline
Any other words of wisdom to share?
Always be ready to learn something new.