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Challenging Preconceptions

Unleashing Medicine

Not Your Typical Research Postgraduate Symposium

Fringe events to inspire

The annual Research Postgraduate Symposium (RPS) has been held since 1996 and aims to further the exchange of inter-faculty knowledge and encourage collaborations between the different disciplines of the research centers within the medical faculty. This year will be the 23rd RPS, and this time, we are doing it a little different.

This year, the committee has decided to introduce RPS+, a set of fringe events that explores the various aspects of science beyond experiments and data. RPS+ aims to inspire staff and students to think about science with greater breadth through more intimate exchanges with invited speakers, topics and workshops exploring soft skills, and forums discussing crucial topics surrounding science.

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THE COMMITTEE

"The districts all pay a yearly sacrifice to the Capitol in the form of their tributes – children who will die in the Hunger Games."
Say hi to us if you see us on campus!

COMMITTEE

Shawn Tan Zheng Kai

About: Shawn serves as the chairperson for this years RPS. He is a 2nd year PhD Candidate from the School of Biomedical Science, attempting to create the nerualyzer from Men-In-Black, erm... I mean, studying the effects of neuromodulation of memories. He obtained his BSc and MSc from the University of Melbourne, and has previously worked as a science communicator for the Centre of International Mental Health. Shawn also founded, and currently organises Nerd Nite Hong Kong, an event that combines two of his favourite things, beer and science (or at least academic topics). As the chairperson for this years RPS, Shawn is keen to spread his p-value enthusiasm, he therefore thinks you should swipe right on him... wait... sorry, wrong profile.

"What do you mean we still can't heckle and fire airsoft pellets at speakers this year! But... I'm the chairperson!"

Sharafuddin Khairuddin

About: Sharaf serves as the Vice Chairperson of 23rdRPS. Sharaf is a Year 2 PhD Candidate with the School of Biomedical Sciences, studying the therapeutic effects of neuromodulation on mood disorders. Sharaf earned his BSc from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. As vice-chair, Sharaf hopes to create a convivial atmosphere for a more enjoyable symposium.

Lee Hwei Huih

About: Hwei Huih aka. WaiWai serves as the Secretary for this year RPS. This will be her third time being Secretary for RPS since she enrolled in her PhD (ps: ermmm… please allow her to retire next year). She is a 2nd year PhD Candidate from Department of Microbiology working on something boring but hyped… Bioinformatics - specifically Microbial Bioinformatics. She obtained her BSc from University of Selangor and MSc from National University of Malaysia. She has also previously served as assistant editor for Sains Malaysiana Paper during her MSc. Before she came to The University of Hong Kong, she worked as a Junior Lecturer at Tunku Abdul Rahman University, Malaysia. Hwei Huih is not only active in her research but she also serves as an active student volunteer for CEDARS. As a 3 time Secretary, she is still low in profile, positive, likes to smile and strive for the best… but if you know her well… shhhhhh… she can be talkative at times! =P

“My PC is my best friend in lab, however I am really not anti-social, I am just more genome friendly! BLAST me and you will see how MEGA I am! Assemble and annotate me in a LINUX environment to see me flourish like MEGAN Fox!”

Smaranda Ruxandra Badea

About: Smara doesn't have a title for now, but likes to introduce herself as this year's RPS Liaison to the Faculty. She is in her 2nd year as a PhD student in the School of Biomedical Sciences, working on therapeutic strategies for Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that is 100x-1000x more likely to affect Caucasians than Asians (Yes, she's also surprised she's getting a scholarship from HKU to do it). She studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Bucharest, Romania, then took a year's sabbatical to travel and enjoy life. Smara chips in with Nerd Nite Hong Kong and gave an intro talk on Organoid technology in May 2018, making good use of self-explanatory media available online. Her goal is to ultimately present on a topic without having to speak a single word herself.

Nicole Saw

About: As a first year MPhil candidate from the School of Biomedical Sciences, Nicole Saw is a Malaysian student who did her BSc in the University of Southampton. While learning more about the how electrical stimulation affects the brain, she'd also like to spend more time on the beach sipping on Long Island teas that are already way too strong for her.

D M Thrimendra Kaushika Dissanayake

About: Thrimendra is a Year 1 Mphil candidate from the Department of Microbiology working on rhinovirus and influenza. He obtained his BSc from the University of Hong Kong as well. Soo…he has been stuck here for a while. In all seriousness, he is trying to find a target for treatment against rhinovirus infections. When not trying to figure out what is happening with the experiments, he is…. dreaming about what is ACTUALLY happening with his experiments… True story! Try not to get on his bad side, because you never know what he might do with all those viruses he works with!

"I’m completely harmless…Can’t you see that from my face! I would NEVER think of developing a treatment just so that I can release the virus it’s meant for and become a billionaire!”

Chik Kenn Ka Heng

About: Kenn always finds it hard to explain the extra “n” in his name. But never mind, Kenn is a Year 2 MPhil candidate from department of microbiology, he is working on the viral pathogenesis and antiviral drug discovery for newly emerging infectious disease, mainly flaviviruses, picornaviruses and coronaviruses. Despite his affection for his low melting point agarose, Kenn is a music lover, busker and a guitarist. Test your luck searching his voice near the central pier in the weekend, or otherwise, meet him in the RPS and RPS+! Kenn is looking forward to seeing you all!

Ji Yue

About: She likes to imaged herself to be a Wonder Woman and her antagonist is the Influenza virus, which served as the devil incarnation continually posing risk to human and animal health. This hard battle began 1 year ago when she participated in the school of public health as a Mphil student. Her first rival is avian H7N9 influenza virus. This virus infects human every year in China and caused totally around 623 death cases in China until Jun of 2018. “We cannot stand by while innocent lives are lost” (Wonder Women). She is trying to tracing the evolutionary pathways of H7N9 virus to inspect whether H7N9 virus is planning a conspiracy to infect larger amount of people and looking for any strategy to block their transmission.

If you believe you are a hero trying to make a world better place, please come to RPS to join us. “Don't engage alone. We do this together."

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